Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

This item covers two reports as follows;

·         Mid-Year Corporate Performance and Resources Report (CPRR) 2018/19

·         Mid-Year Leader’s Report 2018/19

The Mid Year Corporate Performance and Resource Report (CPRR) provides an update on progress in delivering the Council’s Priority Outcomes and budget during the first half of 2018/19, with a particular emphasis on the second quarter (July to Septmber).

The Leader’s Report reflects on significant achievements and challenges, key decisions at Greater Manchester level, along with areas of progress in delivering council priorities over the first half of the year.

These reports were considered and approved by Cabinet on 13 November 2018.

Scrutiny Committee is asked to:

·         Consider the Mid Year Reports;

·         Review the progress against delivering corporate objectives, key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2018/19;

·         Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues;

·         Identify how areas of strong performance and good practice can be shared in other services.

Michael Cullen, Steve Skelton, 0161 474 4631 / 3174, michael.cullen@stockport.gov.uk / steve.skelton@stockport.gov.uk

The Leader of the Council submitted the mid-year update Corporate Performance and Resources Report (CPRR) 2018/19 and the mid-year update Leader’s Report 2018/19 (copies of which had been circulated).

The Mid-Year Update Corporate Performance and Resource Report (CPRR) provided an update on progress in delivering the Council’s Priority Outcomes and budget during the first half of 2018/19 with particular focus on activity in the second quarter.

Updates were included on delivery of policy priorities, alongside Reform Projects. The report also included early forecasts of budget and performance data where this was available, along with an update on the refreshed Corporate Risk Register. It was supported by seven Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports which were being considered by scrutiny committees in the current Scrutiny cycle.

The Leader’s Annual Report reflected on significant achievements and challenges, key decisions at Greater Manchester level, along with areas of progress in delivering Council priorities over the first half of 2018/19.

It was reported that the reports had been considered and approved by Cabinet on 13 November 2018.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Alex Ganotis) and the Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance (Councillor Elise Wilson) attended the meeting to present the report and answer councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:

·         Further information was requested in relation to references to non-cash limit surplus and capital financing costs. In response it was stated that these figures reflected a reduction in borrowing due to utilisation of cash balances instead. The Council was also borrowing short term at lower rates. It was confirmed that capital costs were adjusted in the MTFP Summer Review to make them permanent.

·         Clarification was sought on why it was proposed to undertake an 8 week rather than 12 week consultation on the next iteration of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. In response it was stated that the statutory requirement was for a 6 week consultation, so the proposed 8 weeks was longer than the requirement. The proposed timetable would also mean that the consultation would run up to election ‘purdah’. Officers were also awaiting the end of the Government consultation on housing need calculation methodology in early December.

·         Further detail was sought on the impact for Stockport of the GM Mayor’s Town Centre. In response the Leader stated that the programme had given focus to the Town Centre West initiative that had given rise to proposals for the first GM Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC). Another councillor expressed disappointment that the proposals only covered the west of the Town Centre rather than the whole of the area. In response assurance was given that the MDC would provide specific tools to address particular challenges in the Town Centre West area but this would not detract from wider efforts in the Town Centre that included significant redevelopment of the Bus Station.

·         Clarification was sought on the value of the Manchester Airport Group dividend. In response it was stated that notice had been recently received of a £2.1m interim dividend.

·         Further information was sought on plans to increase school places and the current situation in respect of the roof collapse at St Thomas’ school. In response it was clarified that the Council was only able expand capacity at maintained schools, and not academies. Further analysis of the need for place was being undertaken as there was often a disparity between the location of demand and availability of place. While the Council had the statutory responsibility to provide appropriate school places it did not always have the means to deliver on that responsibility. 

·         It was commented that the Call-Centre continued to fail to answer one out of every five calls made to it.

·         Given the revenue budget forecast surplus of 3.4m, plus the Manchester Airport Group dividend, further information was requested as to plans for the use of those resources, particularly in light of pressures on spending on services. In response it was stated that surpluses  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council.

The Mid-Year Corporate Performance and Resource Report (CPRR) provides an update on progress in delivering the Council’s priority outcomes and budget during the first half of the year, with a particular focus on the second quarter (July to September).

Updates are included on delivery of policy priorities and the growth and reform programme. The report also includes the latest forecast budget and performance data, along with an update on the Corporate Risk Register. It is supported by seven Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports which were considered by the most recent Scrutiny cycle.

The Leader’s Mid-Year Report reflects on achievements, key issues, events and changes since the First Update Report. 

Cabinet is asked to:

·           Review progress against delivering Council priorities and capital schemes alongside budget and performance forecasts contained within the report;

·           Note the key policy drivers identified and progress in managing corporate risks set out in section 2;

·           Approve the virements to the Revenue Budget set out in section 3.2.3;

·           Note the cash limit and non-cash limit forecast positions for 2018/19 as set out in section 3.3 to 3.6;

·           Note the position on the 2018/19 budget savings programme set out in section 3.4;

·           Note the Dedicated Schools Grant and Housing Revenue Account forecast positions as set out in sections 3.7 and 3.8;

·           Approve the use of Non Cash Limit surpluses to address the in-year deficit on the Dedicated Schools Grant and avoid having to carry forward a deficit position into 2019/20;

·           Approve the appropriations to/from reserves and balances as set out in section 3.9 and note the resulting reserves and balances position;

·           Note the forecast position for the 2018/19 Capital Programme as set out in section 4.1 and 4.2;

·           Note the changes to the Capital Programme during the quarter as set out in 4.1.5;

·           Approve the proposals for resourcing and additional resources required for the Capital Programme as set out in 4.3;

·           Approve the 2018/19 actual prudential indicators as set out in section 4.4; and

·           Identify key areas for further investigation and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any existing or forecast issues or risks.

Officer contact: Peter Owston / Jonathan Davies, 0161 474 3274 / 218 1025,

peter.owston@stockport.gov.uk / jonathan.davies@stockport.gov.uk

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance & Devolution submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Cabinet with an update on the delivery of the Council’s priority outcomes and budget during the first half of 2018/19, with a particular focus on the second quarter.

The Leader’s Mid-Year Report was also included, summarising achievements, key issues and changes since the last report.

The Leader of the Council highlighted a number of significant issues:-

·         ongoing work to produce balanced budget proposals while protecting frontline services and the most vulnerable members of the community; the need to avoid ‘false economies’ when making savings was emphasised as was the increasing difficulty of identifying savings;

·         work with partners to prepare for the implementation of Universal Credit in Stockport;

·         increased investment in LED lighting and children’s play provision;

·         continued demand pressures on children’s and adult’s services meant that there was a projected deficit although this was anticipated to be offset by surpluses in non-cash limits budgets;

·         performance at this point in 2018/19 was significantly better than performance at the equivalent point in 2017/18;

·         performance in relation to permanent admission to care homes and the number of NEETs was off-target, although in the case of the latter target this may be due to changed data collection methodologies;

·         the Springboard Report into carbon neutrality had recently been published and set out the ambitious approach for Greater Manchester; efforts were also underway to develop a business case to Government to draw down funding to address stretches of roads in Greater Manchester that had illegally high levels of NO2;

·         the GMSF had been delayed pending a Government consultation on the methodology for calculating housing need;

·         there were pressures on the Dedicated Schools Grant, particularly in the High Needs Block, and proposals were set out in the report to address these pressures;

·         collection of Council Tax and Business Rates was ahead of projections;

·         the Review of the Armed Forces Covenant was due to be completed soon.

The Cabinet Member for Education highlighted the positivity of the ‘Invest to Save’ approach the Cabinet had taken to respond to pressure on the Dedicated Schools Grant through expanding provision for SEND pupils after historic underinvestment and continued underfunding from the Government. He commended other Cabinet Members for their commitment to fund this investment although it may put pressure on their portfolios.

The Cabinet Member for Children & Families also highlighted investment in children’s care capacity to reduce the cost pressures of placements. In response to recent media reports of other local authorities ‘auctioning’ care placement to private providers the Cabinet Member condemned the practice and gave an assurance that such practices did not take place in Stockport. He also reported his continued efforts in conjunction with the LGA to press Government for increased funding for children’s services.

The Cabinet Member for Reform & Governance highlighted a discussion at the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee in relation to traded services, and that this would inform the development of the Commercialisation Strategy.

RESOLVED – That in relation to the Corporate Performance and Resources Mid-Year Reports 2018/19:-

·         the key policy drivers identified and progress in managing corporate risks set out in section 2 of the report be noted;

·         the virements to the Revenue Budget set out in section 3.2.3 of the report be approved;

·         the cash limit and non-cash limit forecast positions for 2018/19 as set out in sections 3.3 to 3.6 of the report be noted;

·         the position on the 2018/19 budget savings programme set out in section 3.4 of the report be noted;

·         the Dedicated Schools Grant and Housing Revenue Account forecast positions as set out in sections 3.7 and 3.8 of the report be noted;

·         the use of Non Cash Limit surpluses to address the in-year deficit on the Dedicated Schools Grant and avoid having to carry forward a deficit position into 2019/20 be approved;

·         the appropriations to/from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6