Pre-Decision Scrutiny Questions and officer responses were noted.

DECISION

1.         To note the end of year summary status as set out at the beginning of the attached monitoring report; and

2.         To note the performance of the strategic measures at the end of the year, including those measures where the minimum expectation has been missed; and

3.         To note the progress in delivering Strategic Plan activities, including those activities that have been re-profiled to be completed in 2019/20.

Action by:

CHIEF EXECUTIVE (W. TUCKLEY)

(Divisional Director, Strategy, Policy and Performance (S. Godman)

(Head of Intelligence and Performance (T. Dreyer)

The Mayor introduced the regular quarterly performance monitoring report. He noted the good progress the Council had made in a large number of areas but also highlighted those areas that were still falling short.

He explained as well that some targets were deliberately stretching and so not meeting them did not automatically mean a service was failing.

During discussion a number of issues were considered including:

·         The need to target staff sickness levels and the value of promoting general staff wellbeing.

·         Whether reports that showed trends over longer periods of time would be useful.

The Mayor noted the Pre-Decision Scrutiny Questions and officer responses and agreed the recommendations as set out.

RESOLVED

1.         To note the end of year summary status as set out at the beginning of the attached monitoring report; and

2.         To note the performance of the strategic measures at the end of the year, including those measures where the minimum expectation has been missed; and

3.         To note the progress in delivering Strategic Plan activities, including those activities that have been re-profiled to be completed in 2019/20.

The Committee will receive a presentation from Cllr Ronald, Cabinet Member for Resources and the Voluntary Sector and Neville Murton, Corporate Director of Resources on the Council’s finances and a subsequent report to be considered by Cabinet in 27 February 2018. See this link to access the report link

The Committee is asked to consider if these align with Council priorities and provide residents with value for money.

The Committee received a presentation from Cllr Ronald, Cabinet Member for Resources and the Voluntary Sector and Neville Murton, Corporate Director of Resources on the Council’s finances and a subsequent report to be considered by Cabinet in 27 February 2018. The Committee noted that it was being asked to consider if these align with Council priorities and provide residents with value for money.

The Committee:

• Raised concerns that the information provided was too high level and that it would be useful to have more detail in the report to improve transparency. In particular, the directorate analysis could be clearer.
• Noted that new capital governance arrangements are driving through change so that going forward there will be a better understanding future capital expenditure.  Especially with regard to the former Royal London Hospital building that would become the location for the New Town Hall;
• Was reminded that funding for local authorities in England has undergone considerable changes in the 2010s. Central government grant funding has been substantially reduced; after falling in real terms to 2015, council tax has begun to rise; and new grants have been introduced in response to claims of a ‘crisis’ in social care funding;
• Noted that since 2013, business rate retention has also rewarded councils with a share of growth in business rate revenues. In February 2016, the Government complemented these changes with the announcement of a ‘fair funding review’, followed by consultations in July 2016 and December 2017;
• Was informed that the Fair Funding Review will affect how funding is allocated and redistributed between local authorities from 2020 onwards. It is expected to use three main ‘cost drivers’: population, deprivation and sparsity, together with additional cost drivers related to specific local authority services; and
• Queried the implications of the spending review and fair funding review colliding in 2020 and discussed the impact of the lack of provision for deprivation within current Government principles.

The Chair Moved and it was:-

RESOLVED

The Committee

Note the Council’s projected outturn position against General Fund, Dedicated Schools Budget and HRA budgets agreed for 2018-19, based on information as at the end of December as detailed in the Appendices and the summary savings position.