The Corporate Services and Economic Growth Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) of Northumberland Council were scheduled to meet to discuss the financial performance of the council, receive a presentation from Advance Northumberland, and review the OSC's monitoring report for the 2024-2025 council year.

Here is a breakdown of the topics that were included in the agenda pack for discussion:

Advance Northumberland Presentation

The committee were scheduled to receive a presentation from Advance Northumberland, the council's economic development company. The report pack did not provide any further information about the content of this presentation.

Financial Performance 2024-25

The committee were scheduled to discuss the council's financial performance against the budget for 2024-25. The report provided to the committee included a forecast overspend on services of £2.997 million.

The report also recommended that the committee approve:

• the re-profiling to the Capital Programme of £36.817 million from 2024-25 to 2025-26 to reflect estimated expenditure levels in the current financial year.
• the creation of a new earmarked reserve for Leisure and the subsequent transfer of an estimated £1.300 million to this reserve following the liquidation of Active Northumberland. It is proposed that the reserve will be used to offset leisure pressures.
• delegate the utilisation of the reserve to the Executive Director of Public Health, Inequalities and Stronger Communities in consultation with the Section 151 Officer¹.

The report also included details of supplementary estimates, approved savings, use of contingency funds, use of reserves and virements² requested by services within delegated limits.

Here is a summary of how each directorate was performing against the General Fund revenue budget for the 2024-25 financial year:

The key movements from the September position previously reported to Cabinet are summarised below:

The report also provided an update on the BEST programme[^4], which is designed to deliver savings and efficiencies for the council. Recurrent savings from BEST workstreams totalling £16.760 million were included in the MTFP 2024-2028 with £3.631million in 2024-25.

Capital Programme

The Capital Programme for 2024-25 totalled £337.747 million. Year-to-date capital expenditure was £189.965 million with forecast expenditure of £265.246 million.

The major areas of capital investment during the year to date are as follows:

• £94.471 million invested in transport schemes including infrastructure, traffic management, integrated transport schemes and the reintroduction of the Northumberland Line.
• £44.466 million invested in Children, Young People and Education for School Reorganisation in the Coquet and Seaton Valley partnerships.
• £4.184 million invested in fleet replacement.
• £9.480 million invested in the Council’s housing stock.

There was a net underspend forecast of £40.231 million across the 2024-25 Capital Programme comprising of £36.817 million net re-profiling from 2024-25 to 2025-26 and £3.414 million underspend.

Treasury Management

Total external borrowing has decreased by £4.500 million, from £764.050 million at end of the previous quarter to £759.550 million at 31 December 2024.

Total investments were £33.570 million. There were no new investments made during the quarter to 31 December 2024.

Corporate Services and Economic Growth Overview and Scrutiny Committee Monitoring Report 2024-25

The committee were scheduled to review and note the Corporate Services and Economic Growth Overview and Scrutiny Committee monitoring report for the 2024-2025 council year.

The report provided an update on the committee's work programme for the year, including a summary of the reports considered by the committee and the decisions taken.