Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received on behalf of Councillor Monaco.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and / or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Leader advised Members that the Finance and Performance Monitoring Report for Quarter 3 of 2023/24 contained exempt information in some of the appendices.  Members were advised that the Leader was keen to remain in public session throughout the discussions in respect of this item but Members were asked to notify him in advance if they wished to discuss the exempt information.  In the end, the meeting remained in public session for the duration.

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on Monday 26^th February 2024 be approved as a true and correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Centres’ Manager presented a report on the subject of a proposed ballot for the Redditch Business Improvement District (BID) area. Members were advised that the BID had come to the end of its first five-year term and a ballot for businesses was needed to establish whether the BID should continue.  Local businesses within the BID levy area, including the Council, were currently being consulted on their views after which a proposed five-year business plan would be submitted to the local authority. Members were being invited to support the BID and to vote in favour of Council owned property within the Town Centre taking part.

Following the presentation of the report, Members praised the Redditch BID for the work that had been undertaken in the town centre to date.  Questions were raised about the level of business rates that a company needed to pay before it would be eligible to pay the levy.  Officers clarified that the levy applied once companies were paying business rates in excess of £7,500 per annum.

Reference was made to the income that the Redditch BID would receive from the levy and Officers were asked to clarify how this compared to the income that had been received when the levy was first introduced.  The Committee was informed that the levy would provide the Redditch BID with an income of circa £260,000 per year, which was similar to the level of income that had been received in 2019.  However, Members were asked to note that it was proposed that the area in which the BID would operate should be extended to incorporate some additional businesses from which income would be received in the form of levy payments.

RESOLVED

1)          that a position on the vote in favour of the BID regarding the Council’s hereditaments in the Town Centre be agreed;

2)          to delegate authority to the Head of Planning, Regeneration and Leisure Services, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Economic Development, Commercialism and Partnerships to:

a)          submit a response to the BID consultation; and

b)          exercise the Council’s vote in favour of the proposed BID in the ballot subject to NO conflict between the proposed BID Business Plan and Council Policy/Strategies.

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 19^th February 2024 be noted.

To receive and consider any outstanding minutes or referrals from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Executive Panels etc. since the last meeting of the Executive Committee, other than as detailed in the items above.

There were no referrals from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or any of the Executive Advisory Panels on this occasion.

The Deputy Chief Executive presented the Finance and Performance Quarter 3 Monitoring Report for the 2023/24 financial year.

Members were advised that the report included:

·             The Council’s forecast outturn revenue and capital monitoring positions for 2023/24 based on data to the end of Quarter 3.

·             The updated Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) fees and charges.

·             The half yearly Treasury Management Report.

·             Procurement pipeline projects.

·             The organisation’s performance against the Council’s strategic priorities outlined in the Council Plan Addendum, including operational measures to demonstrate how the Council was delivering services to customers.

In respect of revenue spending, overall, by the end of Quarter 3, the Council was forecasting a revenue overspend for 2023/24 in the region of £950,000.  However, this figure had been calculated before the application of £557,000 from the Utilities Reserve, as approved at Quarter 1. The forecast overspend was predominantly due to:

·             The implications of the 2023/24 pay award, which was paid in the December payroll and backdated to 1^st April 2023.

·             Temporary and interim staff requirements and their associated cost pressures.

·             The impact of homelessness and the cost of temporary accommodation costs. A review of grants available to offset the cost pressures was taking place by the date of the meeting.

·             Higher than expected ICT costs in Business Transformation and Organisational Development.

·             A higher than expected share of service costs in from Bromsgrove District Council in Environmental Services.

However, this overspend was offset in part by:

·             A forecast underspend against the utilities budget provision due to utilities inflation running at 70 per cent. In the 2023/24 budget, the Council had assumed a 100 per cent increase in this budget would be needed and had therefore set up a reserve for the same amount.

·             Higher than expected grant income in Community and Housing Services.

·             Higher than expected fees and charges in Planning and Leisure Services.

The Capital spend at Quarter 3 was £2.586 million (compared to £1.267 million at Quarter 2) against the overall 2023/24 capital budget totalling £12.651 million. Members were asked to note that, as per the Medium Term Financial Plan, carry forwards of £3.292 million would be added to this figure to take account of slippage from 2022/23.  The capital section set out progress on the Town’s Fund Schemes and also the Community Hub initiative at the Town Hall.

The report detailed proposedupdates to the WRS 2024/25 fees and charges.  These were originally agreed in Tranche 1 of the 2024/25 budget, but updates were needed in areas where fees were statutorily set. 

The Council detailed its Treasury Management Strategy and associated indicators as part of the Medium Term Financial Planning process.  The 2023/24 Strategy and Indicators were agreed at Council in February 2023. There was a requirement for a report to be produced for the consideration of Council to show performance against these strategic indicators at the half yearly position and then at the year end.  The report provided the half yearly performance update.  Members were asked to note that by the date  ...  view the full minutes text for item 110.