Decision details

Matter for Decision

The report presented a summary of the 2013/14 outturn position (actual income and expenditure) for services within the Housing portfolio, compared to the final budget for the year. The position for revenue and capital was reported and variances from budgets were highlighted, together with explanations.

Requests to carry forward funding arising from certain budget underspends into 2014/15 were identified.

 

It was noted that outturn reports being presented in this Committee cycle reflect the reporting structures in place prior to the recent changes in Executive portfolios. In light of those changes (together with the requirement to report  outturn on the basis  of  portfolios  in place during 2013/14) members of this committee are asked to consider the proposals to carry  forward  budgets  and  make  their  views  known  to  The  Executive Councillor for Finance and Resource,  for consideration  at  Strategy  &  Resources  Scrutiny  Committee  prior  to their recommendations to Council.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Housing

The Executive Councillor for Housing resolved to:

 

          i.       Agree the carry forward requests, totalling £84,000 as detailed in Appendix C, are to be recommended to Council for approval.

 

         ii.       Seek approval from Council to re-phase spending of £25,000 in respect of energy efficiency improvements in the private sector into 2014/15, and £9,000 in respect of the scheme to upgrade facilities at 125 Newmarket Road, as detailed in Appendix D.

 

       iii.       Seek approval from Council to carry forward net  capital resources of £11,633,000 from 2013/14, to fund re-phased capital spending in the Housing Capital Investment Plan, as  detailed in Appendix E and the associated notes, re-profiling  investment as follows:

 

·   Re-phase £8,993,000 into 2014/15

·   Re-phase £2,390,000 into 2015/16

·   Reduce investment in 2016/17 by £87,000

·   Re-phase £337,000 into the period post 2018/19

 

       iv.       Recognise a delay into 2014/15, for receipt of the remainder of Homes and Communities Agency Grant for the affordable housing new build and re-development programme of £889,000 and the associated £1,509,000 in capital receipts for the land on which the market housing is being delivered on the remainder of the 146 programme sites.

 

        v.       Seek approval from Council to carry forward an additional £100,000 of the net underspend in the Housing Capital Programme into 2014/15, to fund an enhanced level of investment in fencing, as proposed as part of the Labour Alternative Budget in February 2014.

 

       vi.       Note the resulting need to defer the use of both £2,909,000 of revenue funding of capital expenditure into 2014/15, as considered as part of the HRA revenue outturn at Housing Committee and £1,828,000 of major repairs reserve funding, both of which will be required to fund the requested re-phasing in capital investment.

 

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Business Manager/Principal Accountant.

 

The Director of Customer & Community Services then referred to the profiling of the capital programme and recognised that this could be improved. Work would be carried out on the 146 programme sites throughout the year, as it had not been anticipated how long negotiations with lease holders on these sites had taken which had changed the profiling. Future work with contractors would also be improved to ensure anticipated spending profiles would be more accurate.

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

 

     i.        Welcomed the comments that lessons had been learnt and that the process would be better managed.

 

 

 

 

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved unanimously to endorse the recommendations.  

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.