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RESOLVED
 
The Scrutiny Corporate and Resources Committee
approved the recommendations to the Executive Committee, which were
that the Executive:
 
a) Notes Council is now forecasting a balanced
revenue position (on-budget).
b) Notes the total Council revenue forecast
underspend of £8.782m for the year. There is a forecast
underspend of £2.722m within Service Directorates for 2024/25
and the Corporate Contingency of £6.000m, whilst remains
unallocated it has been released into the
forecast outturn within budget lines
Table 1.
c) Note that the planned use of reserves of
£36.800m for Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) Support
towards the budget is forecast to reduce by £8.782m to
£30.717m, due to the forecast underspend within budget lines.
This is shown on the Reserves line of Table 1.
d) Agree that mitigating actions are to be
identified in order to reduce any
overspends, to take action and to contribute
to the long-term financial
sustainability of the authority.
e) Agree that the Council continues with the
aim of avoiding a Section 114
notice by taking all of the necessary actions
and continuing to operate as if one has been issued.
f) Note the progress and delivered savings of
£14.293m of the approved
savings programme as set out in Table 2 and
Appendix J.
g) Notes that work will continue to find
mitigating or substitute savings for the
£1.239m of Red unachievable savings,
deliver the £4.410m Amber at risk
savings and the £18.935m Green on track
savings.
h) Note the in-year forecast overspend on the
Dedicated Schools Grant of
£32.767m, an increase of £4.508m
from Quarter 2 (in section 12).
i) Note the total
forecast Dedicated Schools Grant year-end deficit of £68.707m
as set out in Appendix C.
j) Note the collection rates for Council Tax
and Business Rates as set out in
section 19.
k) Note the Capital Programme forecast outturn
at Month 7 is £113.678m.
l) Approve that any application for
Exceptional Financial Support for the
2025/26 budget is delegated to the Interim
Chief Finance Officer (Section 151
Officer) as detailed in section 31 of this
report.
 
Scrutiny Corporate and Resources also proposed
an additional recommendation for the Scrutiny Children and Families
Committee which read as follows:
 
“The Scrutiny Committee Corporate &
Resources scrutinised the Month 7 2024/25 General Fund Revenue and
Capital Budget Monitoring Report, the mitigating actions being
undertaken, the work being undertaken by services to identify
alternative substitute savings where agreed savings for 2024/25 are
not delivered and welcomed the forecast of a balanced revenue
position.
 
The Committee agreed to retain a focus on the
Dedicated Schools Grant forecast year-end deficit and the
management of child placements within budget allocations. The
Committee requested further scrutiny and a report back from
Scrutiny Committee for Children & Families on these areas to
address the Children’s Services forecast overspend to a
balanced outturn position.”