Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of:

ACOSC Members:-

Councillors Chris Kane, Jane Bryson and Ross Walker.

Scrutiny Members not on ACOSC:-

Councillors Allan Bailey, Rose Bowler, Dexter Bullock, Tracey Cannon, Anne Clarke, Jim Clifton, Tricia Clough, Paul Cooper, Stan Fox, Jenny Wilson and Dan Salt.

To note any urgent items of business which the Chairman has consented to being considered under the provisions of Section 100(B) 4(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There were no urgent items of business to consider.

Members should declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and Non Statutory Interest as defined by the Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of:

a)  any business on the agenda

b)  any urgent additional items to be considered

c)  any matters arising out of those items

and if appropriate, withdraw from the meeting at the relevant time.

Councillor Graham Parkin declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in agenda item 9 –Medium Term Financial Plan 2022/23 to 2025/26, agenda item 19 - Treasury Strategy Reports 2022/23 to 2025/26, as he held shares in Lloyds Bank who were also the Council’s banking provider. 

To consider the minutes of the last meeting held on 25^th November 2021

Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Councillor Graham Parkin

RESOLVED that the Minutes of an Audit and Corporate Overview Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 25^th November 2021 be approved as a correct record.

(Members should contact the officer whose name appears on the List of Key Decisions for any further information.  NB: If Members wish to discuss an exempt report under this item, the meeting will need to move into exempt business and exclude the public in accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and Local Government Act 1972, Part 1, Schedule 12a for that part of the meeting only).

Committee considered the List of Key Decisions and items to be considered in private document.

Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Councillor Graham Parkin

RESOLVED that the List of Key Decisions and items to be considered in private document be noted.

Committee considered the Auditor’s Annual Report 2020/21.

The Auditor’s Annual report summarised the work undertaken by Mazars, the Council’s external auditors, for the year ended 31^st March 2021.  Although the report addressed the Council, it was also a document for the public and other external stakeholders.

The purpose of Mazar’s audit was to provide reasonable assurance that the Council’s financial statements were free from material error.  This was carried out by Mazar’s expressing their opinion as to whether the statements were prepared in line with the financial reporting framework applicable to the Council, and whether they gave a true and fair view of the Council’s financial position as at 31^st March 2021, and of its financial performance for the year ended. 

Draft accounts had been received by Mazar’s well in advance of the revised statutory deadlines and were of a good quality.  The accounts were supported by high quality working papers and Mazar’s had received full cooperation from the Council’s Finance team who had responded to queries on a prompt basis.

The detailed report highlighted the following;

Internal Controls – based on the audit work carried out, no significant control deficiencies had been identified.

Value for Money: Financial Sustainability – Mazar’s were satisfied that there was no significant weakness in the Council’s arrangements in relation to financial sustainability.

Value for Money: Governance – Mazar’s were satisfied that there was not a significant weakness in the Council’s arrangements in relation to governance.

Value for Money: Improving Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness – Mazar’s were satisfied that there was not a significant weakness in the Council’s arrangements in relation to improving economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

The audit had been carried out remotely and Mazar’s had also appreciated the cooperation and support of the Council’s managers during the audit.

The Chair noted that the report was a positive report with no criticism from Mazar’s.  He requested that his thanks to the Section 151 Officer and the finance team be recorded in the Minutes.

Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Councillor Graham Parkin

RESOLVED that the Auditor’s Annual report 2020/21 be noted.

Committee considered a detailed report of the Council’s external auditors, Mazars, which provided an update on their progress in delivering;

·       the 2020/21 audit and assurance work,

·       the 2021/22 audit planning process,

·       a summary of recent relevant reports and publications from;

o    CIPFA,

o    the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

o    the National Audit Office for Member’s information.

Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Councillor Donna Hales

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Members received a slide presentation from Arlingclose, the Council’s Treasury Management advisors, which provided a detailed overview on treasury management.

The Chair thanked Stephen Kitching and Paul Roberts from Arlingclose for a detailed presentation which would be circulated to members via email.  If any Members had any questions regarding the presentation, these could be directed to Arlingclose or through the Assistant Director of Finance & Resources.

Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Councillor Donna Hales

RESOLVED that the presentation be noted.

Members considered a detailed report and slide presentation in relation to the proposed budget 2022/23, for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account and Capital Programme, as part of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan, covering the years 2022/23 to 2025/26.

In particular financial projections were provided for:

·         2021/22 Current Budget Position – this was the current year budget, revised to take account of changes during the financial year that would end on 31^st March 2022.

·         2022/23 Original Budget – this was the proposed budget for the next financial year, on which the Council Tax would be based, and would commence from 1^st April 2022.

·         2022/23 Original Budget, this included proposed increases to rents and fees and charges for the next financial year for the Housing Revenue Account.

·         2023/24 to 2025/26 Financial Plan – In accordance with good practice the Council agreed its annual budgets within the context of a Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP).  This included financial projections in respect of the next three financial years.

In response to a question from Councillor Roberts regarding Consumer Price Index percentage (CPI) increasing to 7%, plus 1%, and the impact this would have on Council dwelling rents, the Assistant Director of Finance & Resources explained that it would be the CPI percentage set in September by the Government that would be used to set dwelling rents, plus 1% and this may not necessarily be 7%.

Councillor David Dixon queried the reason for the dip in the forecast for housing expenditure for 2023/24.  The Assistant Director of Finance & Resources replied that she would look at this in more detail and inform Members of the reason.

In response to a question from Councillor Tom Kirkham in relation to the Government’s Levelling Up agenda, the Assistant Director of Finance & Resources replied that the Council was currently unsure of what impact this would have on the Council’s finances.

The Chair thanked the Assistant Director of Finance & Resources for her presentation and report.

Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Councillor Ray Heffer

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Members considered a detailed report and slide presentation in relation to the Council’s suite of Treasury Strategies for 2022/23 to 2025/26.

As part of the requirements of the CIPFA Treasury Management Code of Practice, the Authority was required to produce each year, a Treasury Management Strategy and Capital Strategy which required approval by Council prior to the commencement of each financial year. 

The following strategies provided an approved framework within which officers undertook day to day capital and treasury activities;

·       The Treasury Management Strategy provided the framework for managing the Authority’s cash flows and borrowing and investments.

·       The Capital Strategy was intended to provide a high level, concise overview of how capital expenditure, capital financing and treasury management activity contributed to the provision of the Authority’s services.

·       The Corporate Investment Strategy focused on investments made for service purposes and commercial reasons rather than those made for treasury management.

In response to a question from Councillor David Dixon regarding assessment of risk, the Principal Accountant explained that Arlingclose’s opinion would be sought and fed back to officers and Members for consideration.

The Chair thanked the Principal Accountant for her presentation and report.

Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Councillor Ray Heffer

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Committee considered their work programme 2021/22.

The Self-Assessment for Effectiveness item would be presented to the February meeting of the Committee.

The Portfolio Holder noted that as agreed at the last meeting that Members would raise the profile of discretionary housing payments - A3 posters had been produced for Members and these had been placed in their local community centres.

Moved by Councillor Tom Munro and seconded by Councillor Donna Hales

RESOLVED that the work programme 2021/22 be noted.

Climate Change & Communities Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Nick Clarke, Chair of Climate Change & Communities Scrutiny Committee, presented the following update to the meeting.

The Climate Change & Communities Scrutiny Committee had agreed at its first meeting that for its Review work this year, Members would continue the review work that had been started by the former Healthy, Safe, Clean & Green Communities Scrutiny Committee.  One was in relation to the Council’s policy on Sky Lanterns and Helium Balloons and one in relation to the Council’s policy on Fireworks.  A draft report on the Review of the Council’s Policy on Fireworks had now been considered and was due to complete at the next meeting. 

While this work had been in the background, Members had been focusing on their main review looking at the Council’s Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) Grant Allocation Scheme.  This had not been reviewed for some time and the impact of the pandemic had highlighted that demand in certain service areas was now greater than before.  Members had a number of detailed conversations with the Partnerships Team and were assessing how grants were determined, alignment to the Council’s Ambitions, the evaluation and performance monitoring process, emerging needs as a result of the pandemic, and future requirements in relation to governance and transparency of the scheme.

Within the main public sessions, Committee had considered a number of reports this year including;

·       Licensing Policies out to consultation covering Mandatory CCTV in Taxi’s and a review of the main Taxi and Private Hire Policy

·       The annual monitoring update on the Health & Wellbeing Framework covering the 2020/21 year.  Specific discussions took place around employee support, mental health, sickness (particularly the change in figures for 2021/22) and home working.

·       Consultation on an amended Licensing Policy (as per the Council’s approach to Policy/Strategy development including consultation with scrutiny).

·       Annual Monitoring Update on Sustainable Community Strategy 2020-23 and current Partnership delivery

Members were due to consider Delivery of Leisure Service post Covid-19 and the annual Review of the Community Safety Partnership.

Local Growth Scrutiny Committee

On behalf of Councillor Jenny Wilson, Chair of the Local Growth Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Tom Munro presented the following update;

At the first two meetings of the new Local Growth Scrutiny Committee last year, Members had detailed discussions around the integration of Social Value in Council Policy and Delivery.  This was subsequently chosen as a review topic for the year. 

To date, Members had looked at how social value could be integrated in to Council delivery; a potential draft structure for a Social Value Strategy; the requirements of social value outcomes as part of the Council’s procurement processes; Social Value Indicators which could be integrated in to the Council’s Business Growth Strategy, and were aware of the scope for other service areas to expand this work further in the future.  The next stage was to look at potential software systems that would allow the Committee to evaluate the Council’s social value outcomes.

Committee had considered a number of reports this year including;

·       Q1  ...  view the full minutes text for item ACO54-21/22