To deal with questions under Council Procedure Rule number 14.
(a) Question from Councillor R Allen to the Executive member for Planning:
Following on from Cllr Boothby’s question to Council on 25 January 2022, can the lead member provide me with an updated position on the following points as of 26 April 2022:
i. Spend YTD on consultants and temporary staff cover
ii. Provide an update on recruitment for all vacant positions within the planning and enforcement function
iii. Confirm the number of planning applications received awaiting verification
iv. Confirm the number of planning applications awaiting decision split between minor and major
v. Spend YTD on planning appeals
vi. Confirm the number of planning applications approaching, at or past their target decision date (ie at risk of appeal for non-determination).
Response from the Executive member for Planning:
Councillor Allen, thank you for your question. I know that updates have been provided to the Planning Committee and at the Leaders’ meetings on this matter but I am happy to provide some statistics for you as requested. I am pleased to report the number of outstanding applications is reducing and would like to thank the team for all their hard work on achieving this.
i. Spend YTD on consultants and temporary staff cover
To be reported through the normal budget reporting cycle
ii. Provide an update on recruitment for all vacant positions within the planning and enforcement function
Of the nine professional planner roles in development management, three are occupied by permanent staff. Three more have been offered and have accepted and are awaiting paperwork to be completed. This leaves three vacant. Vacancies are being covered by interim staff and contracts.
Of the four professional planner role sin enforcement, one is occupied on a part time basis and two more are occupied full time by permanent staff. One role remains vacant and is being covered by an interim member.
Of the five professional planner roles in policy, three are occupied by permanent staff. One has been offered and accepted and is awaiting paperwork to be completed. This leaves one vacant. Vacancies are being covered by interim staff and contracts.
Of the six professional roles in major projects, five are occupied by permanent staff. One has just become vacant following retirement of the post holder.
Of the five support officer roles, there is one vacancy being covered by a member of staff from within the team and a temporary member of staff has been brought in to backfill.
iii. Confirm the number of planning applications received awaiting verification
As of 1 April 2022 there were ten applications not including TPOs and pre-apps awaiting validation.
iv. Confirm the number of planning applications awaiting decision split between minor and major
As of 1 April 2022 there were 52 outstanding major applications (not including those with a resolution to grant awaiting S106)
As of 1 April 2022 there were 115 outstanding minor applications (not including those with a resolution to grant awaiting S106)
As of 1 April 2022 there were 300 outstanding other applications (not including those with a resolution to grant awaiting S106).
v. Spend YTD on planning appeals
To be reported through the normal budget reporting cycle.
vi. Confirm the number of planning applications approaching, at or past their target decision date (ie at risk of appeal for non-determination)
As of 1 April 2022 there were 37 applications past their target date with no extension of time agreed.
(b) Question from Councillor R Allen to the Executive member for finance:
Following on from Cllr O’Shea’s question to Council on 25 January 2022 and repeated requests from myself, will the lead member for finance provide me with a detailed breakdown of the costs of the brown bin and blue lid bin recycling schemes separately, by cost item by year for the past five years.
Response from the Executive member for finance:
I would like to thank Councillor Allen for the question and following the previous request from Councillor O’Shea, I can advise that a report setting out the cost of the garden waste service has been produced and will be presented to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Commission. Any further queries outstanding or arising from that report can be addressed through that meeting.
The period to the year-end close is particularly demanding and the finance team has had to deal with covid grants coming to a closedown on 31 March and ensuring all funds that can be used were spent by 31 March 2022. It is also a time of preparing the more pressing matter of the budget for 2022/23 and related reports in a time of uncertainty, which obviously had to take precedence over more historically based reviews on past reported decisions.
(c) Question from Councillor R Allen to the Executive member for Finance:
As councillors we all have a responsibility to ensure the financial well-being of this council. To this end will the lead member for finance undertake to introduce a report to the scrutiny committee detailing for accounts in credit
· Account opening balances
· Monies in
· Monies out
· Closing balance
For accounts in deficit
· Account opening balances
· Monies in
· Monies out
· Interest charged
· Repayments made
· Closing balance
In time for the next schedule scrutiny committee and all future meetings to provide members with an at-a-glance summary of this council’s financial position.
Response from the Executive member:
I would like to thank Councillor Allen for his question and interest in the finances of the council. As Councillor Allen will already be aware, there are a number of reports that are already presented and discussed at Finance & Performance Scrutiny in relation to the council’s financial position. I would therefore propose that this matter is discussed at the next such meeting to enable all members of that committee to determine the level of reporting required that is proportionate and relevant for the purposes members require.
I have assumed that you refer to bank accounts, rather than general ledger accounts, as the latter would take considerable resources and not really add anything further to budget reports that are already reported in year. In terms of bank accounts, the council only operates three bank accounts, not including the Mayor’s charity account. For these three accounts, one is used for payments, one is a more general account used mainly for receipts and the third is the elections account which is ring fenced. These accounts are not allowed to go overdrawn and we do not run an overdraft arrangement with our bank, to avoid charges for such an arrangement.
If members are interested in the cash flow of the council, this is already reported in the financial statements annually as a primary statement and any member can review these at any time. The financial statements are subject to external audit and our auditors have no concerns with our cash position or going concern projections to date. The cash flow in the financial statements clearly links our income and expenditure position to the cash held and has disclosure on cash flows from operating activities, investing activities and from financing activities. I have asked the finance team and they are happy to give further training to any members who wish to have a better understanding of this statement.
I would also like to point out that the question suggests rather a simplistic understanding of how a complex organisation such as a local authority operates, as there are large amounts of cash collected on behalf of other bodies, such as council tax and business rates, and more recently there has been significant amounts of cash received from government that is merely passing through our accounts en route to businesses as part of the covid support scheme. Also, we have cash constantly being placed in short term investments that sits outside the bank account cash held while invested. It may be better to discuss at Finance & Performance Scrutiny what it is exactly that members are seeking assurance on, so as to better frame the request for information and to avoid any time being wasted in providing information that does not meet members’ requirements.
Minutes:
(a) Question from Councillor R Allen to the Executive member for Planning:
“Following on from Cllr Boothby’s question to Council on 25 January 2022, can the lead member provide me with an updated position on the following points as of 26 April 2022:
i. Spend YTD on consultants and temporary staff cover
ii. Provide an update on recruitment for all vacant positions within the planning and enforcement function
iii. Confirm the number of planning applications received awaiting verification
iv. Confirm the number of planning applications awaiting decision split between minor and major
v. Spend YTD on planning appeals
vi. Confirm the number of planning applications approaching, at or past their target decision date (ie at risk of appeal for non-determination).”
Response from the Executive member for Planning:
“Councillor Allen, thank you for your question. I know that updates have been provided to the Planning Committee and at the Leaders’ meetings on this matter but I am happy to provide some statistics for you as requested. I am pleased to report the number of outstanding applications is reducing and would like to thank the team for all their hard work on achieving this.
i. Spend YTD on consultants and temporary staff cover
To be reported through the normal budget reporting cycle
ii. Provide an update on recruitment for all vacant positions within the planning and enforcement function
Of the nine professional planner roles in development management, three are occupied by permanent staff. Three more have been offered and have accepted and are awaiting paperwork to be completed. This leaves three vacant. Vacancies are being covered by interim staff and contracts.
Of the four professional planner role sin enforcement, one is occupied on a part time basis and two more are occupied full time by permanent staff. One role remains vacant and is being covered by an interim member.
Of the five professional planner roles in policy, three are occupied by permanent staff. One has been offered and accepted and is awaiting paperwork to be completed. This leaves one vacant. Vacancies are being covered by interim staff and contracts.
Of the six professional roles in major projects, five are occupied by permanent staff. One has just become vacant following retirement of the post holder.
Of the five support officer roles, there is one vacancy being covered by a member of staff from within the team and a temporary member of staff has been brought in to backfill.
iii. Confirm the number of planning applications received awaiting verification
As of 1 April 2022 there were ten applications not including TPOs and pre-apps awaiting validation.
iv. Confirm the number of planning applications awaiting decision split between minor and major
As of 1 April 2022 there were 52 outstanding major applications (not including those with a resolution to grant awaiting S106)
As of 1 April 2022 there were 115 outstanding minor applications (not including those with a resolution to grant awaiting S106)
As of 1 April 2022 there were 300 outstanding other applications (not including those with a resolution to grant awaiting S106).
v. Spend YTD on planning appeals
To be reported through the normal budget reporting cycle.
vi. Confirm the number of planning applications approaching, at or past their target decision date (ie at risk of appeal for non-determination)
As of 1 April 2022 there were 37 applications past their target date with no extension of time agreed.”
By way of supplementary question further to point vi above, Councillor Allen asked how many applications were outstanding with agreement for an extension. The Executive member agreed to provide the figures to Councillor Allen outside of the meeting.
(b) Question from Councillor R Allen to the Executive member for finance:
“Following on from Cllr O’Shea’s question to Council on 25 January 2022 and repeated requests from myself, will the lead member for finance provide me with a detailed breakdown of the costs of the brown bin and blue lid bin recycling schemes separately, by cost item by year for the past five years.”
Response from the Executive member for finance:
“I would like to thank Councillor Allen for the question and following the previous request from Councillor O’Shea, I can advise that a report setting out the cost of the garden waste service has been produced and will be presented to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Commission. Any further queries outstanding or arising from that report can be addressed through that meeting.
The period to the year-end close is particularly demanding and the finance team has had to deal with covid grants coming to a closedown on 31 March and ensuring all funds that can be used were spent by 31 March 2022. It is also a time of preparing the more pressing matter of the budget for 2022/23 and related reports in a time of uncertainty, which obviously had to take precedence over more historically based reviews on past reported decisions.”
Councillor Furlong entered the meeting at 6.40pm.
(c) Question from Councillor R Allen to the Executive member for Finance:
“As councillors we all have a responsibility to ensure the financial well-being of this council. To this end will the lead member for finance undertake to introduce a report to the scrutiny committee detailing for accounts in credit
· Account opening balances
· Monies in
· Monies out
· Closing balance
For accounts in deficit
· Account opening balances
· Monies in
· Monies out
· Interest charged
· Repayments made
· Closing balance
In time for the next schedule scrutiny committee and all future meetings to provide members with an at-a-glance summary of this council’s financial position.”
Response from the Executive member:
“I would like to thank Councillor Allen for his question and interest in the finances of the council. As Councillor Allen will already be aware, there are a number of reports that are already presented and discussed at Finance & Performance Scrutiny in relation to the council’s financial position. I would therefore propose that this matter is discussed at the next such meeting to enable all members of that committee to determine the level of reporting required that is proportionate and relevant for the purposes members require.
I have assumed that you refer to bank accounts, rather than general ledger accounts, as the latter would take considerable resources and not really add anything further to budget reports that are already reported in year. In terms of bank accounts, the council only operates three bank accounts, not including the Mayor’s charity account. For these three accounts, one is used for payments, one is a more general account used mainly for receipts and the third is the elections account which is ring fenced. These accounts are not allowed to go overdrawn and we do not run an overdraft arrangement with our bank, to avoid charges for such an arrangement.
If members are interested in the cash flow of the council, this is already reported in the financial statements annually as a primary statement and any member can review these at any time. The financial statements are subject to external audit and our auditors have no concerns with our cash position or going concern projections to date. The cash flow in the financial statements clearly links our income and expenditure position to the cash held and has disclosure on cash flows from operating activities, investing activities and from financing activities. I have asked the finance team and they are happy to give further training to any members who wish to have a better understanding of this statement.
I would also like to point out that the question suggests rather a simplistic understanding of how a complex organisation such as a local authority operates, as there are large amounts of cash collected on behalf of other bodies, such as council tax and business rates, and more recently there has been significant amounts of cash received from government that is merely passing through our accounts en route to businesses as part of the covid support scheme. Also, we have cash constantly being placed in short term investments that sits outside the bank account cash held while invested. It may be better to discuss at Finance & Performance Scrutiny what it is exactly that members are seeking assurance on, so as to better frame the request for information and to avoid any time being wasted in providing information that does not meet members’ requirements.”