The Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Resources of Waverley Borough Council met on 23 September 2025 to discuss the financial outturn for 2024/25, financial monitoring for the first quarter of 2025/26, and a proposal to revise the overview and scrutiny committee arrangements. The committee also received an end-of-project review of the deep retrofitting scheme at Ockford Ridge.

Proposed Revised Overview & Scrutiny Committee Arrangements

The committee was scheduled to review proposals to introduce a Joint GBC/WBC Overview and Scrutiny Committee to provide joint oversight and scrutiny of the governance of shared services as part of the collaboration between Guildford Borough Council and Waverley.

The report pack stated that the current system of governance for shared services reflects a position where Waverley makes decisions on functions on behalf of Guildford. It also stated that Guildford's Overview and Scrutiny Committees are not able to scrutinise decisions of the Waverley Executive. The report pack proposed that decisions on services should be taken jointly by both councils, with appropriate scrutiny oversight and each Executive feeding into a new Joint Executive Committee.

The report pack set out that the Joint Governance Committee agreed to recommend that any shared services be governed by additional joint committees between Guildford and Waverley, and agreed in principle with the creation of a new Joint Executive Committee and a new Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

The report pack proposed that the two non-joint Overview and Scrutiny Committees at each council be replaced with a single Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and included proposed terms of reference for both the new single Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and the proposed new Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Financial Outturn 2024/25

The committee was scheduled to discuss the financial outturn for the general fund revenue, Housing Revenue Account (HRA), and capital for the 2024/25 financial year. According to the report pack, the general fund underspent by £1.6 million, with £291,000 approved to be carried forward to the 2025/26 budget. The report pack noted key variances, including:

• Staffing: A saving of £1.4 million on staffing budgets.
• Income:
  • Investment property income falling short due to an underachievement of rent income at Wey Court West.
  • Car park income exceeding the target by £188,000.
  • Waverley Training Services income under achieving by £382,000.
  • Treasury management achieving an overachievement of income.
  • Planning fee income being £305,000 below target.

The report pack stated that the Housing Revenue Account had total savings of £1 million for 2024/25 against the approved budget, with £151,000 to be carried forward to 2025/26. It was noted that the full Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) loan repayment of £9.5 million was able to be made, reducing the requirement for further borrowing and saving on interest payments.

The report pack also included details of general fund and HRA reserves, and current debt levels across the council's services.

Financial Monitoring 2025/26 Q1

The committee was scheduled to discuss the forecast outturn for general fund revenue, HRA and capital for the 2025/26 financial year, including the quarter 1 position.

According to the report pack, there was a saving of £525,000 forecast within the general fund. Key variances forecasts included:

• £445,000 of additional vacancy savings on staffing budgets.
• £66,000 overachievement of building control income.
• £84,000 underachievement of income for Waverley Training Services.
• £71,000 overachievement of planning fee income.
• £27,000 underachievement of land charges income.

The report pack stated that the Housing Revenue Account had total savings of £152,000 forecast for 2025/26 against the approved budget, with £170,000 relating to overachievement of vacancy savings on the HRA staffing budgets, and an underachievement of dwelling rent income of £15,000.

The report pack also included an update on the general fund and HRA reserves, and current debt levels across the council's services.

Q1 2025/26 Corporate Performance Report

The committee was scheduled to review the council's performance for the first quarter of 2025/26, as part of the council's Performance Management Framework.

The report pack stated that a review of the indicators reported within the Quarterly Performance report was carried out recently, and that the review has aligned performance monitoring with the priorities in the Corporate Strategy, the outcomes of the 2025/26 Delivery Plan and, wherever possible, aligns with Guildford Borough Council performance monitoring.

The report pack included data on:

• Recycling performance
• Refuse and recycling missed bins
• Fly tipping
• Development management performance
• Business growth and support
• Vacancy rates
• Town centre footfall
• Health and wellbeing
• Safeguarding
• Housing and council tax benefit claims
• Food business hygiene rating
• Housing repairs completed on time
• Tenant satisfaction
• Council housing voids
• Compliance
• Homelessness prevention
• Temporary accommodation
• Rent arrears
• Affordable housing delivery
• Staff turnover
• Staff absence
• Council tax collection
• Business rates collection
• Invoices paid on time
• Level 1 and 2 complaints
• Freedom of Information (FOI) and Environmental Information Regulation (EIR) Requests
• Data protection subject access requests

The report pack included a recommendation to note the council's performance of the service areas within the sections of the report titled 'Decent and affordable homes' and 'A resilient and well-managed Council'.

Ockford Ridge End of Project Review

The committee was scheduled to receive a presentation relating to the deep retrofitting scheme at Ockford Ridge.

The report pack stated that the project aim was to provide seven modern, affordable and energy efficient homes with enhanced fabric using external and floor insulation and replacement of the use of fossil fuels with green renewable energy sources and technology.

The report pack set out a number of objectives, including:

• Demonstrating commitment to the council's Climate Emergency declaration¹
• Demonstrating intent to invest in housing stock
• Taking a 'learning through doing' approach
• Developing handover advice and training
• Undertaking post retrofit insitu measurement and monitoring of the performance of the property and post occupancy evaluation
• Using the pilot and lessons learnt to assist when bidding for future funding programmes
• Maximising the potential and value of a council owned asset

The report pack stated that the original fixtures and fittings were removed, the homes were re-wired, plastering renewed, new flooring and loft insulation added and external wall insulation fitted. It also stated that air source heat pumps and photovoltaic (solar) panels were installed, and that the homes have Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (MVHR).

The report pack noted that the project was completed two months behind schedule, and that the final account was £115,000 greater than the contract sum. It also stated that all seven homes achieved an energy efficiency rating A, and that the tenant has advised that they have noted approximately 25% reduction in fuel bills.