The Constitution commits this council to ensuring that “the principles of efficiency, transparency and accountability are demonstrated throughout the decision making process and the delivery of services.”
The Wokingham town centre regeneration project has now been running for some years. It is the largest single project being undertaken by the council. No income and expenditure figures for the project as a whole have been published. Nor has any assessment of progress or variation from the original specification. This makes it extraordinarily difficult for both residents and councillors to find out how the project is going, and means that the council’s constitutional commitment to transparency and accountability is not being observed.
While ongoing spend and future commitments may be difficult to quantify, or may need to be kept confidential for commercial reasons, income and expenditure which has already happened in previous financial years must have been accounted for in the council’s accounts, which have all been properly signed off. In addition, any contracts entered into are required to be published by the Transparency Regulations. This means that all the information relating to past spend on the Wokingham town centre regeneration project should be readily identifiable and available to be pulled together into one document covering the whole project.
Therefore, in order to ensure the transparency and accountability to which it has committed itself, this council will by the end of December 2018 publish a report detailing
- The total income and expenditure from 1st April 2012 to March 31st 2018 on all works associated with the regeneration of Wokingham town centre, including the Market Place joint project with Wokingham Town Council, broken down to show separately the figures for Peach Street phase 1, Peach Place, Elms Field, Carnival Pool, the Market Place and any other subprojects, and, for each project, broken down to the stages of the project, such as design, and construction
- The original budget and timetable for each of those elements
- An explanation of any variances between the original budget and actual income and expenditure and original timetable and actual progress
- The sources of the funding, with the amounts obtained from each separate source.
Minutes:
The Council considered the following Notice of Motion, submitted by Prue Bray and seconded by Imogen Shepherd-Dubey.
“The Constitution commits this Council to ensuring that “the principles of efficiency, transparency and accountability are demonstrated throughout the decision making process and the delivery of services.”
The Wokingham town centre regeneration project has now been running for some years. It is the largest single project being undertaken by the Council. No income and expenditure figures for the project as a whole have been published. Nor has any assessment of progress or variation from the original specification. This makes it extraordinarily difficult for both residents and Councillors to find out how the project is going, and means that the Council’s constitutional commitment to transparency and accountability is not being observed.
While ongoing spend and future commitments may be difficult to quantify, or may need to be kept confidential for commercial reasons, income and expenditure which has already happened in previous financial years must have been accounted for in the Council’s accounts, which have all been properly signed off. In addition, any contracts entered into are required to be published by the Transparency Regulations. This means that all the information relating to past spend on the Wokingham town centre regeneration project should be readily identifiable and available to be pulled together into one document covering the whole project.
Therefore, in order to ensure the transparency and accountability to which it has committed itself, this Council will by the end of December 2018 publish a report detailing:
· The total income and expenditure from 1st April 2012 to March 31st 2018 on all works associated with the regeneration of Wokingham town centre, including the Market Place joint project with Wokingham Town Council, broken down to show separately the figures for Peach Street phase 1, Peach Place, Elms Field, Carnival Pool, the Market Place and any other subprojects, and, for each project, broken down to the stages of the project, such as design, and construction;
· The original budget and timetable for each of those elements;
· An explanation of any variances between the original budget and actual income and expenditure and original timetable and actual progress;
· The sources of the funding, with the amounts obtained from each separate source.”
It was moved by Keith Baker and seconded by Stuart Munro that the Motion be amended as follows:
“The Constitution commits this Council to ensuring that “the principles of efficiency, transparency and accountability are demonstrated throughout the decision making process and the delivery of services.”
The Wokingham town centre regeneration project has now been running for some years. It is the largest single project being undertaken by the Council. No income and expenditure figures for the project as a whole have been published. Nor has any assessment of progress or variation from the original specification. This makes it extraordinarily difficult for both residents and Councillors to find out how the project is going, and means that the council’s constitutional commitment to transparency and accountability is not being observed.
While ongoing spend and future commitments may be difficult to quantify, or may need to be kept confidential for commercial reasons, income and expenditure which has already happened in previous financial years must have been accounted for in the Council’s accounts, which have all been properly signed off. In addition, any contracts entered into are required to be published by the Transparency Regulations. This means that all the information relating to past spend on the Wokingham town centre regeneration project should be readily identifiable and available to be pulled together into one document covering the whole project.
Therefore, in order to ensure the transparency and accountability to which it has committed itself, this Council will at the eventual conclusion of each individual project publish a full audit which will be reviewed by the relevant Scrutiny Committee detailing:
· The total income and expenditure from 1st April 2012 to March 31st 2018 on all works associated with the regeneration of Wokingham town centre, including the Market Place joint project with Wokingham Town Council, broken down to show separately the figures for Peach Street phase 1, Peach Place, Elms Field, Carnival Pool, the Market Place and any other subprojects, and, for each project, broken down to the stages of the project, such as design, and construction;
· The original budget and timetable for each of those elements;
· An explanation of any variances between the original budget and actual income and expenditure and original timetable and actual progress;
· The sources of the funding, with the amounts obtained from each separate source.”
Subject to the normal restrictions due to commercial sensitivity.”
The proposer of the original Motion, Prue Bray stated that the proposed amendment was accepted.
The amended (substantive) Motion was then put to the vote and was declared by the Mayor to be carried.
RESOLVED: “That the Constitution commits this Council to ensuring that “the principles of efficiency, transparency and accountability are demonstrated throughout the decision making process and the delivery of services.
The Wokingham town centre regeneration project has now been running for some years. It is the largest single project being undertaken by the Council. No income and expenditure figures for the project as a whole have been published. Nor has any assessment of progress or variation from the original specification. This makes it extraordinarily difficult for both residents and Councillors to find out how the project is going, and means that the council’s constitutional commitment to transparency and accountability is not being observed.
While ongoing spend and future commitments may be difficult to quantify, or may need to be kept confidential for commercial reasons, income and expenditure which has already happened in previous financial years must have been accounted for in the Council’s accounts, which have all been properly signed off. In addition, any contracts entered into are required to be published by the Transparency Regulations. This means that all the information relating to past spend on the Wokingham town centre regeneration project should be readily identifiable and available to be pulled together into one document covering the whole project.
Therefore, in order to ensure the transparency and accountability to which it has committed itself, this Council will at the eventual conclusion of each individual project publish a full audit which will be reviewed by the relevant Scrutiny Committee detailing:
· The total income and expenditure from 1st April 2012 to March 31st 2018 on all works associated with the regeneration of Wokingham town centre, including the Market Place joint project with Wokingham Town Council, broken down to show separately the figures for Peach Street phase 1, Peach Place, Elms Field, Carnival Pool, the Market Place and any other subprojects, and, for each project, broken down to the stages of the project, such as design, and construction;
· The original budget and timetable for each of those elements;
· An explanation of any variances between the original budget and actual income and expenditure and original timetable and actual progress;
· The sources of the funding, with the amounts obtained from each separate source.
Subject to the normal restrictions due to commercial sensitivity.”