Decision details

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet note:

a)     the Annual Performance Report for 2022/23;

b)     the provisional outturn of the General Fund revenue and capital budgets for 2022/23;

c)     the provisional outturn of the Housing Revenue Account and capital budgets for 2022/23; and

d)     the year end rephasings as included within the provisional outturn figures

REASONS FOR DECISION:

As set out in the report.

KEY DECISION:

No.

PORTFOLIO:

Leader/All.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED/REJECTED:

As set out in the report.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:

None.

DISCUSSION:

The Leader of the Council introduced the report, highlighting the corporate priorities that the Council had delivered, including the agreement of the Waste Strategy, the Climate Change and Nature Emergency Action Plan and the Solent Freeport. Support had also been given to residents within the community, following the delivery of 5 community hubs and £220,000 in community grants. Progress had been made in modernising the organisation and making the Council an employer of choice.

The Assistant Director of Transformation briefly presented the report and explained that it was backwards looking over the last financial year.  The focus moving forwards would be to develop the new corporate plan, with priorities for the next 4 years, alongside a robust performance management framework.

The Finance Manager also spoke to the report and informed members that despite significant in-year pressures such as the staff pay award, utility cost rises and general price increases, the outturn of the General Fund at Portfolio level was within £56,000 of the original budget, set in February 2022. Similar budgetary pressures existed within the Housing Revenue Account and a £1.2 million call on the reserves fund had been required. Finally, Cabinet heard that the outturn spend of the Capital Programme was £43.7 million, against the original budget of £42 million, however it was explained that this outturn spend did include additional projects identified and approved during the year.

Cabinet Members acknowledged that the year to date had been incredibly challenging due to the various financial pressures and that, despite these pressures, the Council had delivered on its budgetary requirements and that overall, it had been a very successful year.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy was pleased to highlight some of the work within his portfolio which included; that the Community Infrastructure Levy funds had been used to deliver open space projects, that 90% of planning applications had been determined within the indicative timeframe, that the Council now enjoyed 58% market share of all Building Control applications and that 3,500 local businesses had subscribed to the Council’s e-newsletter.