Agenda item

Worcestershire Regulatory Services Revenue Monitoring April - Sept 2019

Meeting of Worcestershire Regulatory Services Board, Thursday 28th November 2019 4.30 p.m. (Item 23/19)

Minutes:

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

The Financial Services Manager, Bromsgrove District Council (BDC), 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 of an £18k deficit. 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 page 11 of the main agenda report.

The Financial Services Manager, BDC reported that if April to September 2019 spend on pest control continued on the same trend for the rest of the year, that there would be an overspend on this service of £19k. WRS officers would continue to monitor and analysis this spend and advise of any changes in quarter 3.

The actual bereavements costs for April to September 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 September 2019.

With regard to questions raised on the additional Animal Activity licensing, the Head of Regulatory Services briefly explained that there had been an additional £23k worth of vet inspections, which was fully recovered.

The licensing of various animal-related establishments, Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 had come into effect on 1st October 2018, with specific procedural documents and guidance documents published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

As a result of these new regulations a large number of licences already in force under the previous licensing regimes expired in December 2018 and new licence applications were also received. Each application made under the new regulations required an inspection to be undertaken, with some inspections requiring a vet to be in attendance.

The Head of Regulatory Services further responded to a question raised with regard to ‘Works in Default’.

The Technical Services Manager, WRS, responded to questions with regard to the Dog Warden and explained that WRS had recently employed 2 new dog wardens who were very active and worked later into the evenings, therefore taking away some of the work previously carried out by ‘out of hours’ contractors.

RESOLVED:

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

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

Council	April – Sept 2019 Actual for Bereavements £000
Redditch Borough Council	3
Malvern Hills District Council	2
Worcester City Council	10
Bromsgrove District Council	7
Total	22

Council	Estimated Projected Outturn Recharge in relation to Pest Control 2019/20 £000
Redditch Borough Council	11
Wychavon District Council	7
Wyre Forest District Council	1
Total	19

(d) 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	30
Bromsgrove District Council	4	6
Wychavon District Council	6	8
Wyre Forest District Council	4	4
Total	28	31	30

Supporting documents: