Issue - meetings

To consider a recommendation from Cabinet to add the Superfast Broadband project for South Yorkshire to the Capital Programme.

Further to Minute No. 84 of the meeting of the Cabinet and Commissioners held on 11^th December, 2017 consideration was given to the report which detailed the October Financial Monitoring Report and Update of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy to 2019/20.  It contained a recommendation to update the Council’s Capital Programme to include the Superfast Broadband Project for South Yorkshire proposal for further extension of fibre broadband accessibility across South Yorkshire in order to make it available to as close to 100% coverage as technically possible.

Discussion ensued on the viability and reliability for 100% coverage and the cost to the Council if this could not be achieved, the impact and contribution to the budget pressures and how this could be mitigated.

The Leader advised many of the difficulties encountered had been with one particular company, but he was happy to discuss any aspect further with Members.

Resolved:-  That the proposal to further extend Superfast Broadband across South Yorkshire be approved on a basis of being cost neutral to the Council and the Authority’s share of the capital investment be added to the Capital Programme.

Mover:-  Councillor Read                       Seconder:-  Councillor Alam

Report of the Strategic Director of Finance and Customer Services

Cabinet Member:     Councillor Alam

Commissioner:         Ney (in advisory role)

Recommendations:

1. That the current General Fund Revenue Budget forecast overspend for 2017/18 of £4.594m be noted. 

2. That management actions continue to be developed to address areas of overspend and to identify alternative and additional savings to mitigate shortfalls in achieving planned savings in 2017/18.

3. That the review of the Medium Term Financial Strategy and the updated estimates of the Budget Gaps for 2018/19 and 2019/20 be noted.

4. That the current forecast outturn position on the approved Capital Programme for 2017/18 be noted.

5. That the proposal to further extend Superfast Broadband across South Yorkshire be supported on a basis of being cost neutral to the Council and that Council be recommended to add the authority’s share of the capital investment to the Capital Programme.         

Consideration was given to the report which set out the financial position for the Revenue and Capital Budgets at the end of October 2017 and was based on actual costs and income for the 7 months ending 31^st October, 2017 and forecasted for the remainder of the financial year. This was the fourth of a series of monitoring reports for the 2017/18 financial year which would continue to be brought forward to Cabinet and Commissioners on a regular basis. 

Delivery of the Council’s Revenue and Capital Budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy within the parameters agreed at the start of the current financial year was essential if the Council’s objectives were to be achieved.  Financial performance was a key element within the assessment of the Council’s overall performance framework.

As at October, 2017 the Council had a forecasted overspend on the General Fund of £4.594m, an increase of £0.6m over the £4.0m forecast overspend as at September.  The main reason for this increase was a continuing rise in the projected overspend by the Children and Young People’s Directorate of a further £0.434m, chiefly attributable to continued increases in the number of children in care.

This increase in the number of Looked After Children had also placed significant and unavoidable pressure on Legal Services, which currently had a forecast Budget overspend of £1.1m resulting in a net projected overspend for the Finance and Customer Services Budget of£0.6m. In addition, the Adult Care and Housing forecast overspend had increased by £0.2m from £5.1m to £5.3m. 

Offsetting these pressures, the Assistant Chief Executive’s Budget projected underspend had increased by £34k to £244k, chiefly as a result of staffing savings mitigating other cost pressures.   It was still anticipated that the review of Business Rates and Treasury Management would deliver £5m of savings against the Central Services budget this year. 

The Regeneration and Environment Services projected budget outturn remained a break even position achieved through ongoing tight day to day budgetary control. 

Management actions to address areas of overspend were also ongoing and the overall budget position would continue to be monitored closely.  The current round of budget monitoring showed, however, that the Council’s Revenue Budget position had deteriorated by £0.6m since the previous monitoring report showing the position as at September. 

The majority of the £24m budget savings approved within the 2017/18 budget were on target to be achieved.  Within this target there were £11.9m of Directorate budget savings, which combined with a further £5.4m of 2017/18 Directorate budget savings agreed in previous budgets, gave a total Directorate savings target for 2017/18 of £17.3m.  The current monitoring indicated that of this total, £6.8m  of savings proposals were at risk of non-delivery in the manner approved by Council when the 2017/18 Budget was set (an improvement of £0.4m compared to September). These at risk proposals and the impact of mitigating actions were reflected in the current overspend projection.  Cabinet approval would be sought for any budget savings which ultimately were proposed to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 84

Consideration was given to the report which set out the financial position for the Revenue and Capital Budgets at the end of October, 2017 and was based on actual costs and income for the seven months ending 31^st October, 2017 and forecasted for the remainder of the financial year. This was the fourth of a series of monitoring reports for the 2017/18 financial year which would continue to be brought forward on a regular basis. 

Delivery of the Council’s Revenue and Capital Budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy within the parameters agreed at the start of the current financial year was essential if the Council’s objectives were to be achieved.  Financial performance was a key element within the assessment of the Council’s overall performance framework.

As at October 2017 the Council had a forecast overspend on the General Fund of £4.594m, an increase of £0.6m over the £4.0m forecast overspend as at September.  The main reason for this increase was a continuing rise in the projected overspend by the Children and Young People’s Directorate of a further £0.434m, chiefly attributable to continued increases in the number of children in care.

This increase in the number of Looked After Children had also placed significant and unavoidable pressure on Legal Services,  which currently had a forecast Budget overspend of £1.1m resulting in a net projected overspend for the Finance and Customer Services Budget of£0.6m. In addition, the Adult Care and Housing forecast overspend had increased by £0.2m from £5.1m to £5.3m. 

Offsetting these pressures, the Assistant Chief Executive’s Budget projected underspend had increased by £34k to £244k, chiefly as a result of staffing savings mitigating other cost pressures.   It was still anticipated that the review of Business Rates and Treasury Management would deliver £5m of savings against the Central Services budget this year. 

The Regeneration and Environment Services projected budget outturn remained a break even position achieved through ongoing tight day to day budgetary control. 

Management actions to address areas of overspend were also ongoing and the overall budget position would continue to be monitored closely.  The current round of budget monitoring showed, however, that the Council’s Revenue Budget position had deteriorated by £0.6m since the previous monitoring report showing the position as at September. 

The majority of the £24m budget savings approved within the 2017/18 budget were on target to be achieved.  Within this target there were £11.9m of Directorate budget savings, which combined with a further £5.4m of 2017/18 Directorate budget savings agreed in previous budgets, gave a total Directorate savings target for 2017/18 of £17.3m.  The current monitoring indicated that of this total, £6.8m  of savings proposals were at risk of non-delivery in the manner approved by Council when the 2017/18 Budget was set (an improvement of £0.4m compared to September). These at risk proposals and the impact of mitigating actions were reflected in the current overspend projection.  Approval by Cabinet would be sought for any budget savings which ultimately were proposed to be delivered differently on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52