Agenda and minutes

Any Member who is substituting for another Member should so indicate, together with the name of the relevant absent Member.

There were no substitutes declared.

There were no apologies received.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 23 September 2015 (copy attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 September 2015, were accepted by the Committee as an accurate record and signed by the Chairman.

Members of the public who live or work in the District are invited to put one question/statement of not more than 3 minutes duration relating to items to be discussed in Part 1 of the agenda only.  If a question is asked and answered within 3 minutes, the person who asked the question may ask a supplementary question that arises from the reply.

A person who wishes to speak must register at least 15 minutes before the time the meeting is scheduled to start.

There is an overall limit of 15 minutes for public speaking, which may be extended at the Chairman’s discretion.

Public participation had been included within the previous informal discussions and there had been no questions/statements from members of the public.

Report No: PAS/SE/15/028

(For reference purposes, Forest Heath District Council’s Report Number is PAS/FH/15/028)

Further to the joint informal discussions held prior to the meeting with Forest Heath District Council’s Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee, the Committee formally considered Report No: PAS/SE/15/028.

Members had scrutinised the report and there being no decision required, the Committee noted the Mid-Year Internal Audit Progress Report 2015-2016.

Report No: PAS/SE/15/029

(For reference purposes, Forest Heath District Council’s Report Number is PAS/FH/15/029)

Further to the joint informal discussions held prior to the meeting with Forest Heath District Council’s Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee, the Committee formally considered Report No: PAS/SE/15/029.

During the informal discussions, Members had scrutinised the report in detail and had asked a number of questions to which responses were duly provided.  In particular discussions had been held on:

-      whether the annual brown bin subscription charges should be set at £39 or £40;

-      the administrative costs for the collection of the subscription charges;

-      the types of payment system to be used for the collection of the subscription charges and how residents would be able to pay for this service; and

-      for the scheme to be reviewed after a one year take-up. 

As the final detail with regard to some of the issues discussed were not currently available, Members also requested for a further update to be provided to the next meeting of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee on 28 January 2016.  

Councillor David Nettleton moved that a brown bin annual subscription charge of £39 be approved, contrary to the Officer recommendation of £40 and that the scheme should commence on 4 April 2016 with 26 collections per year.  This was seconded by Councillor Paula Wade. 

The Chairman then put this motion to the vote and with 4 voting for the motion and 5 voting against, the Chairman declared the motion lost.

It was then moved by Councillor Beccy Hopfensperger and seconded by Councillor Karen Richardson that the recommendation, as set out within Report No: PAS/SE/15/029, for a £40 brown bin annual  subscription charge, be approved in principle and, with 5 voting for the motion and with 4 abstentions  it was:

RECOMMENDED TO THE HEAD OF OPERATIONS:

That the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee, approves, in principle, to a £40 brown bin annual subscription charge, as detailed in Report No: PAS/SE/15/029, and agree to the implementation of the charge with effect from 1 April 2016, by the Head of Operations, in line with the Council’s Fees and Charges Policy, subject to further consideration of:

1)   The administrative costs for the collection of the subscription charges;

2)   The types of payment systems to be used for the collection of the subscription charges and how residents would be able to pay for this service;

3)   Reviewing the scheme after a one year take-up; and

4)   A further update be presented to the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 28 January 2016.

Report No: PAS/SE/15/030

(For reference purposes, Forest Heath District Council’s Report Number is PAS/FH/15/030)

Further to the joint informal discussions held prior to the meeting with Forest Heath District Council’s Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee, the Committee formally considered Report No: PAS/SE/15/030.

Members had scrutinised the report and there being no decision required, the Committee noted the Council’s performance using the Balanced Scorecards for Quarter 2, 2015-2016. 

Report No: PAS/SE/15/031

(For reference purposes, Forest Heath District Council’s Report Number is PAS/FH/15/031)

Further to the joint informal discussions held prior to the meeting with Forest Heath District Council’s Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee, the Committee formally considered Report No: PAS/SE/15/031.

Members had scrutinised the report in detail and had asked a number of questions to which responses were duly provided.

There being no decision required, the Committee noted the contents of the Quarter 2 West Suffolk Strategic Risk Register monitoring report.

Report No: PAS/SE/15/032

(For reference purposes, Forest Heath District Council’s Report Number is PAS/FH/15/032)

Further to the joint informal discussions held prior to the meeting with Forest Heath District Council’s Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee, the Committee formally considered Report No: PAS/SE/15/032.

Members had scrutinised the report in detail and noted that an update on Delivering a Sustainable Budget and Brown Bin Service would be presented to its January 2016 meeting. 

There being no decision required, the Committee noted the contents of the work programme for January and April 2016.

Report No: PAS/SE/15/033

The Committee received Report No: PAS/SE/15 /033, presented by Melanie Richardson (External Auditor), which updated Members on the outcome of the annual audit of the 2014-2015 financial statements by Ernst Young as detailed in their Annual Audit Letter for 2014-2015, attached as Appendix 1 to the report.  The letter was for information and confirmed the completion of the audit of the 2014-2015 financial statements.

It was reported that the planed audit fee for the year remained unchanged (£58,356).  Works on the certification of claims and returns had not net been completed and the final fee in relation to this work would be reported in January 2016.

Members asked questions, to which Melanie duly responded.  In particular discussions were held on the new requirement to consider Highway Network Asset (formerly Transport Infrastructure Assets) which effected more County Council Highway Authorities than Borough/District Councils and the change to the valuation of the Apex resulting in an impairment of £4.8m.

There being no decision required, the Committee noted the contents of the report.

Report No: PAS/SE/15/034

The Committee received Report No: PAS/SE/15/034, which set out the financial performance for the second quarter of the 2015-2016 and forecasted outturn position for 2015-2016.

The current forecast position for the Revenue Budget year end was showing an underspend of £83,500 (Appendix A and B).  Members were requested to note the current position and the significant variances as outlined in paragraph 1.2.3 of the report.

In terms of the Council’s Capital Financial position, the Council had spent £1,445,566 of its capital budget of £13,660,104 at 30 September 2015 (Appendix C).  The table set in paragraph 1.3.2 of the report provided a high level summary of capital expenditure against budget for 2015-2016, as well as the year end forecast variances of £5,305,000.

Finally attached at Appendix D was a summary of the earmarked reserves along with the forecast year end position for 2015-2016.

The Resources Team would continue to work with Budget Holders to monitor capital spend and project progress closely for the remainder of the financial year and an updated position would be presented to the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee on a quarterly basis.

Members discussed the report in detail.  In particular Members discussed Appendix B (Revenue Budget detail) relating to Off street car parks; Street furniture and Members Allowances and Expenses, to which officers duly responded. 

Members also discussed Appendix C (Capital Budget summary) relating to Environmental Improvement Works, Risbygate Street (budget no longer needed); St Andrews Street South access arrangements (awaiting completion) and Peach Maltings (budget no longer needed), to which officers agreed to provide a written response.

There being no decision required, the Committee noted the quarter 2 financial performance report 2015-2016.

Report No: PAS/SE/15/035

The Committee received Report No: PAS/SE/15/035, which updated members on progress made towards delivering a balanced budget for 2016-2017. 

The report included additional pressures and progress made to date in achieving the 2016-2017 savings target.  These were now being incorporated into the budgets, over and above those items which had been brought to the Committee at is September 2015 meeting.

The update provided for a balanced budget position for 2016-2017.  This included an assumption of a Council Tax freeze for 2016-2017.  However, this part of the budget setting process was subject to a full Council decision on 23 February 2016.  The position was also prior to communication of the Finance Settlement announcement in December 2015 and could therefore change as a result.  Figures contained within the report were also subject to final calculation of the tax base.

The Committee scrutinised the report  and there being no decision required, the Committee noted the progress made on delivering a balanced budget for 2016-2017.

Report No: TMS/SE/15/005 will be considered by the Treasury Management Sub-Committee on 16 November 2015.  The Chairman/Acting Head of Resources and Performance will update the Committee verbally on any issues or recommendations arising from the consideration of this report.

The Committee received Report No: TMS/SE/15/005, which had been considered by the Treasury Management Sub-Committee on 16 November 2015.

The Chairman provided a verbal update on the Sub-Committee’s consideration of the report, which summarised the Treasury Management activity for the first six months of the 2015-2016 financial year.

The Sub-Committee had scrutinised the investment activity for 1 April to 30 September 2015, asking questions of officers. 

In particular the Sub-Committee discussed the increase in budgeted income for the period and suggested that more information should be provided in future reports on the breakdown of the investment balances held, in particular figures regarding the split between the Councils Revenue, Capital and General Fund Reserves.  This would be included in future reports within the table summarising the investment activities during the report period.

The Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee considered the report and there being no decision required, noted the contents of the report.