Agenda item - Worcestershire Regulatory Services Revenue Monitoring April - June 2019

Agenda item

Worcestershire Regulatory Services Revenue Monitoring April - June 2019

Minutes:

The Board considered the Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) Revenue Monitoring report, April to June 2019.

 

Apologies had been given from the Executive Director, Finance and Resources Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils and the Financial Services Manager, Bromsgrove District Council.

 

The Head of Regulatory Services introduced the report and in doing so highlighted that the revenue report as detailed at Appendix 1 to the report, showed a projected outturn 2019/2020 excess of £18k.  WRS officers would continue to work on income generation and would do their utmost to mitigate this excess as much as possible by the end of the financial year.  It was appreciated that this was an estimation to the year end based on the assumptions, as detailed on pages 10 and 11 of the main agenda report.

 

The Head of Regulatory Services, further informed Members that currently he had previously explained that there was a risk that staffing capacity would create a ceiling on income generation and also that one significant contract was lost early this year, which meant staff were working hard to fill the gap. 

 

The Head of Regulatory Services briefly explained to new Members of the Board, that previous Board Members had agreed that overspends of the scale previously described could be covered from the reserve balance held by the service, which was somewhat in excess of £100k.  This meant that any overspend by WRS at the levels indicated would not create a financial pressure for the six partners currently. 

 

It was anticipated that there would be a projected overspend on pest control of £7k.  WRS officers would continue to monitor this spend and would advise partner authorities of their liability in quarter 2.

 

The actual bereavements costs for April to June 2019 to be funded by partners, were charged on an as and when basis.  Due to the nature of the charge it was not possible to project a final outturn figure.

 

Appendix 2 to the report detailed the income achieved by WRS from April to June 2019.

 

The following questions were raised:-

 

·         Councillor Raine, Malvern Hills District Council queried the £7k projected overspend on pest control.  Malvern Hills District Council did not offer the same pest control services as the other partner authorities.

 

·         Councillor Raine, Malvern Hills District Council requested that future reports showed Malvern as Malvern Hills District Council. 

 

·         Councillor Jones, Bromsgrove District Council queried the ‘3rd party payments’ budget line, as detailed on Appendix 1 to the report. 

 

·         Councillor Jones, Bromsgrove District Council also queried ‘AD-Hoc  - 3 year pension savings’ and ‘Ad-Hoc payments’, budget lines, as detailed on Appendix 2 to the report.  Councillor Jones requested that future reports provided more detail for Board Members.  The Chairman was also in agreement with this request.

 

The Head of Regulatory Services agreed to raise the queries and requests, as detailed in the pre-amble above, with the Executive Director, Finance and Resources, Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils.

 

RESOLVED:

(a)  that  the final financial position for the period April – June 2019 be noted;

 

(b)  that partner councils be informed of their liabilities for 2019-20 in relation to Bereavements, as follows; and

 

Council

April – June 2019

Actual for Bereavements £000

Malvern Hills District Council

1

Worcester City Council

3

Total

4

 

(c)  that partner councils be informed of their liabilities for 2019-20 in relation to three additional Technical Officers, as follows:

 

Council

Estimated Projected Outturn

2019/20 Tech Officer Primary Authority

£000

Estimated Projected Outturn 2019/20 Tech Officer Animal Activity                 £000

Estimated Projected Outturn 2019/20

Tech Officer Gull Control              

 

£000

 

Redditch Borough Council

5

1

 

Malvern Hills District Council

4

9

 

Worcester City Council

5

3

15

Bromsgrove District Council

4

6

 

Wychavon District Council

6

8

 

Wyre Forest District Council

4

4

 

Total

28

31

15

 

Supporting documents: