Agenda item

That:

1)       the financial impact of the Covid-19 crisis, as illustrated in the Executive Summary, be noted;

2)       the overall forecast of the current position of the General Fund revenue budget, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), illustrated in the Executive Summary and appendices attached to the report, be noted;

3)       a supplementary estimate for £110,000 (c£55,000 per year) for additional capacity to support the Arts and Culture Strategy over the next two years be approved.

The Executive considered a report setting out the expenditure, as at 31 December 2021, for the third quarter of the current financial year and the overall forecast of the current position of the General Fund revenue budget, the Housing Revenue Account and the Schools’ Block funding.

During his introduction of the report the Executive Member for Housing and Finance stated how proud he was that the Council had worked to minimise the impact of Covid on residents in the Borough.  This had been achieved in many ways including the provision of affordable homes to those people in real need of housing.  During Covid there had been an increase in the demand for affordable homes, which was due in the main to the high cost of rents in the Borough.  The only solution was to deliver more social housing but unfortunately the rise in labour and material costs had made the delivery of social housing difficult and only possible on Council owned land, which included the regeneration of brownfield sites or assets in the Council’s control.

Councillor Kaiser advised that he, working with Officers, would do everything he could to irradicate poverty and protect services in the Borough including expanding council tax discount where possible, assisting rough sleepers, and ensuring that the Council’s housing stock continued to meet the Decent Homes Standard.  He went on to add that in order to support families in crisis the Council was continually keeping under review the effectiveness of the local welfare provision scheme, ensuring ongoing consultation with residents and the voluntary sector to ascertain how those who needed crisis assistance could be fully supported and ensuring signposting and easy access to relevant schemes for those who needed to access them.

Councillor Kaiser highlighted that from a budget of around £150m a forecast overspend at year end was predicted in the sum of £523k, which given the difficulties of the last year and the fact that £388k of the overspend related to Covid expenditure he felt that this was a great achievement by the Officers.

Councillor Margetts highlighted the severe pressure that Officers in Adult Social Care had been under, not only dealing with the Covid response but also business as usual.  He therefore wanted to thank those Officers for not only responding to the Covid emergency but also for nearly balancing the budget, despite the huge overspend advised during the first lockdown. 

Councillor Murray also echoed the words previously stated as he felt to be overspent by only 0.35% under the conditions and pressures of the last year was a tremendous achievement.

The Leader also mentioned the remarkable job that the Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive had done over the last two years.

With regards to recommendation 3) Councillor Halsall highlighted the work being undertaken as part of the Arts and Culture Strategy, including the establishment of the Cultural Alliance and the need to provide support to take the work set out in the Strategy forward.

RECOMMENDATION that:

1)       the financial impact of the Covid-19 crisis, as illustrated in the Executive Summary, be noted;

2)       the overall forecast of the current position of the General Fund revenue budget, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) illustrated in the Executive Summary and appendices attached to the report be noted;

3)       a supplementary estimate for £110,000 (c£55,000 per year) for additional capacity to support the Arts and Culture Strategy over the next two years be approved.