Decision details

5 Year Plan Performance Report 2017-18

Decision Maker: Executive

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

The Committee considered a report on the Council’s performance relative to its 5 Year Plan in the 2017-18 municipal year. Four advance questions had been received in relation to the report, and these were tabled at the meeting.

There were a number of questions and comments on the report and advance questions, relating to the following topics:

 

·         Universal Credit implementation. Members were advised that the Universal Credit scheme was scheduled to start implementation in the borough in the autumn, as part of a phased roll-out. It was noted that those individuals currently receiving housing benefit, administered by the Council, would be transferred to Universal Credit, administered by the Department of Work and Pension over the course of the implementation period. It was however noted that there would to be a significant number of exceptions to this, and that there would therefore continue to be work done by the Council to support those cases.

·         Council income sources. It was confirmed that the Council’s funding was primarily from its component of Council Tax income, supplemented by income from the local component of business rates, investment income, and service charges. It was noted that the Council no longer received any income from revenue support grants.

·         The Corporate Plan Delivery Fund (CPDF). It was identified that the CPDF provided funding for one-off projects to deliver its corporate plan, outside of the main revenue and capital programmes. The fund was identified to be spent in consultation with the Leader, with spending reported to Members. Members were advised that CPDF spending in 2018-19 would therefore be confirmed when proposals had been considered for approval. It was noted that the monies for the fund were provided either from budget underspends or from reserves.

·         Communications Costs. It was confirmed that costs relating to the communication and engagement strategy, Borough News, and residents’ survey were primarily staff costs, and an assessment of the direct cost of these components would therefore require work in consultation with the communications team to estimate proportions of time spent supporting these areas. It was requested that an approximate assessment of these costs be conducted, where practical.

·         Apprenticeships. A query was raised regarding the Council’s use of available apprenticeships funding. It was confirmed that the Council used available funding to support apprenticeship support where applicable, and also carried out other activities to support borough residents into employment.

·         Parks & Open Spaces – Bird Boxes. Cllr Essex declared a non-pecuniary interest as a director of the Furnistore charity, which worked with the Men in Sheds programme, and offered a point of clarification that work on bird boxes for the Earlswood Lakes site had been undertaken at the Redhill site.

 

RESOLVED that the 5 Year Plan Performance Report 2017-18 be noted.

Wards Affected: (All Wards);

Publication date: 27/06/2018

Date of decision: 12/06/2018

Decided at meeting: 12/06/2018 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Accompanying Documents: