The Service Manager (Finance and Resources)
presented Report No: PAS/WS/20/010, which showed the final
performance and financial outturn position for West Suffolk Council
for the year 2018-2019. Attached to the
report were a number of appendices, as follows:
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Appendix A: Performance Indicators –
Commentary
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Appendix B: Performance Indicators –
Growth
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Appendix C: Performance Indicators – Families
and Communities
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Appendix D: Performance Indicators –
Housing
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Appendix E: Performance Indicators – Day to
Day
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Appendix F: Income and Expenditure Report
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Appendix G: Capital Programme
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Appendix H: Earmarked Reserves
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Appendix I: Strategic Risk Register
Since the outbreak of Covid-19
in the UK, a number of events had occurred which had had a
significant impact on West Suffolk Council’s financial
position. Some of these had been
restrictions imposed by Government that had affected West Suffolk
Council’s investments and services; and others had been
announcements of Government financial support. This report presented performance for the
financial year 2019-2020 up to 31 March 2020. Therefore, only 8 days of the impact of the
lock-down announced on 23 March 2020 were included in the
report. The financial impact of
Covid-19 had been separated out where possible to provide context
to the outturn position.
Funding had been received from
central government in 2020-2021 to contribute towards the costs
borne as a result of Covid-19.
Therefore, the deficit driven by Covid-19 in 2019-2020 would be
funded through the Strategic Priority and Medium-Term Financial
Strategy reserve at year end and would be restored by the funding
in 2020-2021. The underlying deficit
would be funded from the General Fund.
Members considered the report and asked
questions of the Assistant Directors on their indicators, to which
comprehensive responses were provided.
Discussions were held on households in temporary accommodation and
debt over 90 days, and whether this would worsen due to
Covid-19.
In particular, detailed discussions were held
on:
Appendix C:
(Number of fly-tipping incidents recorded in West
Suffolk and Number of actions to combat fly-tipping West
Suffolk)
Members noted that the figure
had slightly gone up but wished to congratulate and thank officers
with the amount of action they were doing to tackle the issues
through the various preventative initiatives carried out over the
year.;
Appendix E:
(% response rate to annual canvass of electors)
– Members questioned whether the target should be higher as
members felt we should always be pushing to do even
better.
Members were informed that due
to a General Election being called, the Council was unable to
complete its canvass activities. The
Council usually performs well in excess of the target, usually
around 97-98%.
Moving forward the Council
would be going into a period of canvass reform and would therefore
be approaching canvassing in a very different way, with the
intention of ensuring the electoral register was as complete and as
up to date as possible.
Appendix E:
(% collection of Council Tax and Business Rates)
– Members noted that both targets were green, reporting over
100% achieved, ...
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