Agenda item

To receive a report by the Corporate Team Manager and Head of Resources on progress against the Key Activities and Corporate Indicators listed in the Council’s Corporate Plan for 2015/16 for the period 1st October 2015 to 31st December 2015.

i.  Notes the progress made against Key Activities and Corporate Indicators in the Corporate Plan and current projects, as summarised in Appendix A and detailed in Appendices B and C of the Officer’s report;

ii. Notes the Council’s financial performance to the end of December, as detailed in the Financial Performance Monitoring Suite in Appendix D of the Officer’s report; and

iii. Approves in retrospect the establishment of the Budget Surplus Earmarked Reserve.

The Cabinet considered a report by the Corporate Team Manager and Head of Resources (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) and commented on progress against the Key Activities and Corporate Indicators listed in the Council’s Corporate Plan for 2015/16 for the period 1st October to 31st December 2015 and progress on the current projects being undertaken at the Council.

The Cabinet was informed that three of the four Key Actions with a red status, meaning the action was behind schedule, would soon be assigned an amber status meaning that progress was within an acceptable variance.

The Cabinet also considered and commented on the Council’s financial performance on revenue and capital spend as at the end of December 2015, and retrospectively approved the establishment of the Budget Surplus Earmarked Reserve.

In acknowledging that the Council’s forecast net revenue position was £18.1m, which was £1.0m ahead of the updated budget, the Cabinet noted that the number of appeals regarding Non Domestic Rates (NDR) had reduced the NDR income.  The position in respect of appeals was unpredictable and further appeals might result in a reduced forecast.  The uncertainty as to when new premises would come into valuation further increased this volatility.

In addition the Cabinet noted the national issue of the NHS refuting that it should pay NDR on the basis that it was a Trust.  Dependant on the outcome this might have a significant impact on the budget.

Performance management information was initially devised to monitor the performance of the Corporate Plan and the Cabinet agreed that this was now well established.  The Council had undertaken various processes to identify savings and efficiencies such as ‘Facing the Future’, Zero Based Budgeting and Lean thinking.  Going forward the Cabinet agreed that the report should capture measurement criteria for Lean activities as these should be embedded into the organisation.

The Cabinet agreed that the ‘Facing the Future’ document, which was the initial work completed to identify savings, remained a live and valuable document that could be used if the Council was required to promptly identify further savings.

One of the three red indications referred to developing a Market Town Centre Improvement Strategy and Action Plan for St Neots.  The Cabinet was informed that prioritisation of other Planning Policy work meant that work had not commenced on this.  However, now the St Neots Neighbourhood Plan Referendum had concluded the purpose of a Strategy and Plan would be reviewed.

Regarding two further red indicators being the ‘Buildings at Risk’ Register and the Design Guide, the Cabinet was informed that these had not been updated as other urgent matters, particularly enforcement matters, had meant resources had been deployed elsewhere.  Consultation on the Design Guide document was anticipated to commence in the next reporting quarter.

Having been invited to address the Cabinet, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Finance and Performance) agreed that going forward the report should capture measurement criteria for Lean activities, that the performance management information had matured well and that the Panel had been impressed with the detail of the report.  Whereupon the Cabinet, 

RESOLVED

i.  to note the progress made against Key Activities and Corporate Indicators in the Corporate Plan and current projects, as summarised in Appendix A and detailed in Appendices B and C of the Officer’s report;

ii.  to note the Council’s financial performance to the end of December, as detailed in the Financial Performance Monitoring Suite in Appendix D of the Officer’s report; and

iii.  to approve in retrospect the establishment of the Budget Surplus Earmarked Reserve.