Agenda item

The Committee had before it a report by the Executive Director of Corporate Services which provided the full year actual financial position of the Council against budget for the financial year 2024/25, including:-

·       General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) revenue and capital accounts; and

·       Common Good Revenue Account and Balance Sheet.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the unaudited final outturn position for financial year 2024/25 as detailed in Appendix 1;

(b)      note the General Fund has recorded a balanced position on the operational budget for the year 2024/25. The uncommitted General Fund reserve remains in line with the approved Reserves Policy;

(c)      note that the Housing Revenue Account has recorded a deficit of £3.001m for the year, and this will have to be funded from the uncommitted HRA reserve. The uncommitted HRA reserve is below the recommended level;

(d)      note that the Common Good has recorded an operating surplus of £0.054m for the year, which is better than the approved use of cash reserves. After investment valuation changes are included, cash balances decreased by £0.451m but remain in line with recommended levels;

(e)      approve the various transfers for 2024/25, between Council Reserves and earmarked sums for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, Common Good and Statutory Funds as of 31 March 2025, as detailed in Appendix 1;

(f)       approve the reprofiling of the 2025/26 – 2028/29 capital programmes as detailed in Appendix 1, page 13, to take account of the year end position and that the outcome of this is incorporated into the 2025/26 Quarter 1 reporting; and

(g)      note that the unaudited Annual Accounts for 2024/25 will be presented to Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee on 8 May 2025, including the Annual Governance Statement and Remuneration Report for the year.

The Convener seconded by Councillor Greig, moved:-

that the Committee –

(1)    approve the recommendations contained within the report;

(2)    agree to provisionally allocate £35k, from the Common Good Fund, to facilitate a parade and celebrations if Aberdeen FC win the 2024/25 Scottish Cup; and

(3)    wishes Aberdeen FC every success in the upcoming final on 24 May 2025 at Hampden Park.

Councillor Malik, seconded by Councillor Watson, moved as an amendment:-

that the Committee –

(1)    note and approves the recommendations contained within the report;

(2)    agree the report highlights the failures of the SNP when it comes to the Housing Revenue budget, record voids, record loss of income and record Council Tax being paid thanks to incompetency;

(3)    agree the report highlights the failures of the IJB to manage its budget properly and agrees the position adopted by Council is not sustainable in the medium to long term. Agree that the Chief Officer - Finance should issue a letter to the Chair of the IJB reminding him that an overspend of £17m is completely unacceptable in today’s economic climate;

(4)    agree to provisionally allocate £35k, from the Common Good Fund, to facilitate a parade and celebrations if Aberdeen FC win the 2024/25 Scottish Cup; and

(5)    wishes Aberdeen FC every success in the upcoming final on 24 May 2025 at Hampden Park..

Councillor Brooks, seconded by Councillor Farquhar, moved as a further amendment:-

that the Committee –

(1)    approve recommendations (a) to (e) and (g);

(2)    following the Supreme Court ruling in April on the definition of a woman, instruct the Chief Officer - Finance to revise the reprofiling of  the 2025/26 – 2028/29 capital programmes to take account of the expenditure required to provide single-sex spaces across the school estate and to follow the legal requirement to provide single-sex spaces across the Council estate portfolio; and agree that the outcome of this is incorporated into the 2025/26 Quarter 2 reporting;

(3)    agree to provisionally allocate £35k, from the Common Good Fund, to facilitate a parade and celebrations if Aberdeen FC win the 2024/25 Scottish Cup; and

(4)    wishes Aberdeen FC every success in the upcoming final on 24 May 2025 at Hampden Park.

During the course of debate, Councillor Malik advised that he was willing to incorporate Councillor Brooks’ amendment within his amendment and this was accepted by Councillor Brooks.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) the Convener and Councillors Allard, Cooke, Greig and Henrickson; for the amendment (4) Councillors Brooks, Farquhar, Malik and Watson.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to adopt the motion; and

(ii)      that in relation to Common Good earmarked reserves pertaining to AWPR Drainage Issues for future issues, the Chief Officer – Finance would clarify what the funding was specifically earmarked for and determine whether it could be used in relation to the issues at Culter House Road and circulate details to the members of the Committee and Councillor Boulton in this regard.