Agenda item

The Director of Finance and Support Services submitted an exception report on finance and performance monitoring for the period October 2014 to January 2015/Quarter 3.

The Chairman introduced and welcomed the newly appointed Head of Strategic Finance to his first meeting of the Committee.  The Corporate Planning and Performance Manager stated that this report had been to the Executive earlier this month and although the financial analysis was unchanged, there was some additional analysis detailed in this report. 

Members were referred to paragraphs 2.7 to 2.28 of the report.  The Corporate Planning and Performance Manager provided the Committee with a detailed summary of the analysis relating to the Council’s priorities of people, place and prosperity.  Members were advised that the remaining sections of the report covered outturns, expenditure and savings.

The Director of Finance and Support Services undertook to provide a written response to a query from Councillor Page regarding the £24,000 overspend resulting from the unprecedented demand for the housing options temporary accommodation service, due to families that were intentionally homeless requiring more than one room.

The Director also undertook to give a more detailed written response to Councillor Page regarding the approved slippage into the 2015/16 capital programme of the renewal works for the pool heat exchanger at Grange Paddocks.

Councillor J Wing commented on the reduction in the amount of paper being recycled by the Authority.  He referred to reduced use of newspapers and the need for this reduction to be factored into future recycling considerations.  The Scrutiny Officer and the Director confirmed that a full annual report on the waste and recycling contract would be submitted to Environment Scrutiny Committee at its first meeting in the 2015/16 civic year.

Councillor Wing stated that he found the People, Place and Prosperity headings less than helpful as he rarely knew which heading a particular issue belonged to.  The Executive Member for Economic Development emphasised that the new look healthcheck report would be a more business-like format.

In reply to a comment from Councillor Pope, the Director confirmed that East Herts found recruitment for experienced Revenues and Benefits Officers a challenge as the Authority was competing with the London Boroughs and other Hertfordshire authorities to recruit and retain highly knowledgeable expertise.  Members were advised that the extra resources were in support of the very valued Officers who worked in the Shared Service.

The Committee received the report.

RESOLVED – that the report be received.