Agenda and minutes

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

The following substitution was declared:

Councillor David Roach for Councillor Beccy Hopfensperger.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Beccy Hopfensperger. 

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 25 May 2016 (copy attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 May 2016, were unanimously accepted by the Committee as an accurate record and signed by the Chairman.

Members of the public who live or work in the Borough 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/16/013

(For reference purposes, Forest Heath District Council’s Report Number is PAS/FH/16/015)

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/16/013.

Members had considered the report and there being no decision required, the Committee noted the Council’s performance using the Balanced Scorecards for Quarter 1, 2016-2017.

Report No: PAS/SE/16/014

(For reference purposes, Forest Heath District Council’s Report Number is PAS/FH/16/016)

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/16/014.

Members had considered the report and there being no decision required, the Committee noted the contents of the Quarter 1 West Suffolk Risk Register Monitoring report.

Report No: PAS/SE/16/015

(For reference purposes, Forest Heath District Council’s Report Number is PAS/FH/16/017)

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/16/015.

Members had considered the report and there being no decision required, the Committee noted the contents of the work programme for 2016-2017.

Report No: PAS/SE/16/016

(Councillor Sarah Broughton and Peter Thompson both declared a non pecuniary interest as member’s of The Apex Scrutiny Panel).

Prior to the Committee receiving Report No: PAS/SE/16/016, the Service Manager (Operations, Leisure and Culture) wished to pay respect to the late Richard Hartley, who was the driving force behind certain initiatives which had led to the improving financial performance of The Apex.

Report PAS/SE/16/016 set out The Apex’s financial position for the year ending 2015-2016.  The report included an executive summary, the details of The Apex’s performance, Sodexo catering contract, analysis of budgets and conclusions.

The Apex budget for 2013-2014 had been reduced from £742,250 to £671,840 in 2014-2015 and to £639,431 in 2015-2016, representing a net positive variance of £47,000.  This had resulted in a final out-turn figure of £592,000 in 2015-2016.

The Apex continued to be a valuable community asset and more and more non-performance events were taking place which were open to the public.  The Apex also generates a significant amount of economic development for the area.

The Apex management team had been successful in reducing the budget over the last financial year, mainly due to increasing revenues from ticket sales.  It was anticipated that there would be further positive impact through increased programming and ticket sales in 2016-2017.  The team would continue to work closely with The Apex Panel and Sodexo Prestige in realising the full benefits of the contract by increasing turnover and building performance levels.

The Committee scrutinised the annual performance report in detail and asked a number of questions to which the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture and officers duly responded.  These questions and responses covered topics including the possibility of increasing the cost of tickets by 10%; and the lack of public transport after 5pm or on a Sunday in Haverhill and the surrounding area meaning residents could not get to The Apex.

Councillor David Nettleton raised concerns about the cost to the taxpayer in subsidising The Apex.  He felt it was not the function of the Council to be subsiding The Apex as it was an entertainment venue, and not a public service.  However, the majority of the Committee acknowledged that The Apex was moving in the right direction, in reducing the subsidy.  The Cabinet Member commented on the progress made by The Apex over the last year and the benefits The Apex brought to the local economy. 

The Chairman of  the Committee also informed the Committee that the Council was committed to The Apex, and it was offering a service to its residents, and the Council needed more time in reducing the subsidy, before considering handing over the management of the facility to an alternative service provider.

The Cabinet Member advised the Committee that the concerns raised by Members would be raised directly with The Apex Panel so that they were aware of them. 

There being no decision required, the Committee noted the 2015-2016 Annual Performance Report for The Apex. 

Councillor Nettleton wished it to be recorded that he  ...  view the full minutes text for item 104.

Report No: PAS/SE/16/017

(Councillor Ian Houlder,  Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance left the meeting at 6.05pm during the Committees consideration of this item).

The Committee received Report No: PAS/SE/16/017, which set out the financial performance for the first quarter of 2016-2017 and forecasted outturn position for 2016-2017.

Attached at Appendix A and B to the report was details of the Council’s revenue performance and year end forecasted outturn position.  Explanations of the main year end forecast over/(underspends) was set out within paragraph 1.2.3.  Appendix C to the report set out the Council’s capital financial position for the first three months of 2016-2017, which showed expenditure of £597,000. Finally, a summary of the earmarked reserves was attached at Appendix D, along with the forecast year end positon for 2016-2017.

The Resources and Performance 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 Committee on a quarterly basis. 

The Committee scrutinised the report in detail and asked a number of questions to which response were duly provided.  In particular discussions were held on the year end forecast variances over £25k in relation to the off street car parking and the increased costs for advertising in Development Control, to which officers duly responded.

Members also discussed the brown bin subscription service, introduced in April 2016.  The report assumed that the budget position for the service was broadly in line with the cost neutral and the safe assumptions which were presented to the Committee in the original report.  A more complete position would be available later in the financial year when there would be a fuller understanding of the impact of waste collection and disposal and the cost sharing arrangements were confirmed.

There being no decisions required, the Committee noted the Quarter 1 performance and the 2016-2017 year end forecast financial position.

Report No: TMS/SE/16/003 will be considered by the Treasury Management Sub-Committee on 18 July 2016.  The Chairman/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/16/003, which had been considered by the Treasury Management Sub-Committee on 18 July 2016.  The Chairman of the Committee provided a verbal update on the Sub-Committee’s consideration of the report, which:

(a)         Summarised the Council’s Annual Treasury Management Investment Activities for the year 2015-2016; and

(b)         Provided a summary of the investment activity for the first three months of the 2016-2017 financial year.

The Sub-Committee had scrutinised the Annual Treasury Management Report 2015-2016 and the Investment Activity for 1 April 2016 to 30 June 2016, and asked a number of questions to which officers duly responded.  In particular the Sub-Committee suggested in future, the name of the person who signed the Statement of Compliance with the Treasury Management Code of Practice (Appendix 2) should be included alongside the signature.

The Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee considered the report and asked questions to which officers duly responded.

The Committee noted the investment activity for April to June 2016, and with the vote being unanimous, it was

          RECOMMENDED

That subject to the approval of full Council, the Annual Treasury Management Report for 2015-2016, attached as Appendix 1 to Report No: TMS/SE/16/003 be approved.