Agenda item

Budget Monitoring Quarter 1 - April to June 2018

Meeting of Worcestershire Regulatory Services Board, Thursday 4th October 2018 4.30 p.m. (Item 15/18)

Minutes:

The Board considered a report which detailed the final financial position for Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) for the period 1st April to 30th June 2018.

The Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Resources, Bromsgrove District Council (BDC) and Redditch Borough Council (RBC) introduced the report and in doing so drew Members’ attention to Appendix 1 to the report; and the salary figures, as detailed on page 15 of the main agenda pack. This showed a projected outturn overspend of £16,000. This was due to the recruitment of a technical officer on a 2 year contract, to support delivery of additional income generation via Primary Authority work. It was agreed by Partner Officers of the Board that this cost would be funded by the partner authorities. Taking the additional cost of £20,000 into consideration, this would show a projected outturn saving of £4,000. Officers had yet to include this funding from partners in the income calculation, but this would be included in Quarter 2.

Members were asked to note that service managers had made an investment of £8,000 for equipment to support the monitoring of nuisances related to dust, smoke and similar particulate matter. This had been particularly helpful this summer as the good weather had created some significant issues with building sites close to existing housing development. Given the level of development envisaged across Worcestershire in the coming years; managers were confident that this would be a very useful addition and would provide a potential income generation opportunity by offering this service to neighbouring authorities.

It was appreciated this was an estimation to the year-end based on the current level of expenditure, with the assumptions made, as detailed on pages 12 and 13 of the main agenda pack.

Appendix 2 to the report detailed the income achieved by WRS from April to June 2018.

The Head of Regulatory Services, WRS, responded to questions from Councillor A. Feeney, Worcester City Council with regard to the Bereavements / Public Burials costs; and explained that under the Public Health Act Funerals Procedure, District Council’s had a legal duty to make funeral arrangements for anybody who died within their boundary where no other arrangements were being made or were likely to be made. WRS would consider the most cost effective way to deal with all aspects of the funeral and would then recharge each relevant partner authority.

The Technical Services Manager, WRS, responded to questions from Councillor G. Prosser, Redditch Borough Council (RBC) with regard to Appendix 2, Income from Partners, Marlpool – Redditch.

Members were informed that 18 houses in Marlpool Drive, Redditch had been identified as being situated on Contaminated Land, namely gas methane and carbon dioxide. Urgent remedial work was undertaken and a successful application was made by WRS on behalf of RBC to DEFRA for the funding of the urgent remedial works. RBC agreed a contribution to the occupier (of each of the 18 properties) to assist with the electrical costs of running the units installed in their property.

The Head of Regulatory Services, WRS, responded to a question from Councillor M. King, Wychavon District Council with regards to an overspend on ICT; and informed Members that this was due to the timing of the licences being renewed. The Head of Regulatory Services, WRS, agreed that this should be noted in Quarter 2 and that future budgets would be amended in order to take the renewal date of licences into account.

RESOLVED:

(a) that the final financial position for the period 1st April to 30th June 2018 be noted; and

(b) that partner authorities be informed of their liabilities for 2018-2019 with regard to Bereavements, by Section 151 Officers, as follows:

Council	April – June 2018 Actual for Bereavements £’000
Redditch	5
Malvern Hills	3
Worcester City	6
	14

Supporting documents: