Agenda, decisions and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be found here.

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered.

There were no declarations of interest intimated.

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 24 June 2021, for approval.

With reference to article 12 (Countesswells Development – Primary School), officers responded to questions (in private session) in relation to the payment of developer contributions across the Countesswells Development.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note the update in relation to developer contributions regarding Countesswells School Development and instruct the Director of Commissioning to circulate an update to the Ward Members in this regard; and

(ii)       to otherwise approve the minute, subject to amending the date at article 3 to read 11 May 2021.

The Committee had before it the Committee Business Planner prepared by the Chief Officer – Governance.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to remove item 13 (Procurement Workplan and Business Cases -Capital); item 19 (Review and Visioning Exercise on the Streetscape and Infrastructure Works for the whole length of Union Street); item 68 (Transient Visitor Levy - Engagement and Options); and item 70 (Council Housing) from the planner for the reasons outlined therein;

(ii)       to note the reason for the reporting delay in relation to item 16 (Prosperity Fund); and

(iii)      to otherwise note the content of the Committee Planner.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided the financial position of the Council as at Quarter 1 (30 June 2021) and the full year forecast position for the financial year 2020/21, including:-

·            General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and capital accounts; and associated Balance Sheet; and

·            Common Good revenue account and Balance Sheet.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the positive cash position that has been achieved for the General Fund and HRA to the end of Quarter 1 as detailed in Appendix 1;

(b)      note the Common Good financial performance to the end of Quarter 1 as detailed in Appendix 3;

(c)      note that the General Fund full year forecast position, as detailed in Appendix 2, is expected to show a balanced position for 2021/22 through the mitigations contained within the report;

(d)      note that the HRA full year forecast position, as detailed in Appendix 2, is on target to achieve the approved budget, making a contribution to HRA reserves for 2021/22;

(e)      note that the forecast for General Fund capital expenditure is that there will lower spend than has been profiled for 2021/22, and for Housing capital expenditure this will be on budget, as described in Appendix 2; and

(f)       agree the financial resilience framework that has been described in Appendix 5 and note that this will be developed further and incorporated into the refreshed Medium Term Financial Strategy, which will be presented to the Committee at its November meeting.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve the recommendations contained within the report;

(ii)       that by supporting the ongoing promotional campaigns to attract people back into the city centre, to instruct the Chief Officer - City Growth in consultation with the Convener of the City Growth and Resources Committee, to procure street banners to be installed on Union Street to promote arts, museums, exhibitions and events, up to a maximum of £40,000 to be met from the current year City Growth budgets;

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Officer - Operations and Protective Services and the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord to undertake increased cleaning, pavement washing, graffiti and fly posting removal and small maintenance works including repainting of railings on and around Union Street up to a maximum of £100,000 in 2021/22 to be met from Common Good cash balances, which have increased in Quarter 2; and

(iv)      that in relation to (iii) above, to instruct the Chief Officer - Operations and Protective Services to consider light cleaning works of statues, where appropriate.

-                 COUNCILLOR RYAN HOUGHTON, Convener