Agenda item

There is an exempt appendix in the Exempt Appendices section below.

The Committee had before it a report by the Executive Director for Corporate Services which provided the financial position of the Council as at Quarter 2 (30 September 2025) and the full year forecast position for the financial year 2025/26, 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 cash position that has been achieved for the General Fund and HRA to the end of Quarter 2 as detailed in Appendix 1;

(b)      note the Common Good financial performance to the end of Quarter 2 as detailed in Appendix 3;

(c)      note that the General Fund full year forecast position remains on track to achieve a full year outturn of ‘on budget’ although there are a range of financial risks that exist for the financial year. Continuing action and controls, as outlined in Appendix 2 will remain in place for the remainder of the financial year;

(d)      note that the Council maintains financial resilience with the resources available on the Council Balance Sheet, the General Fund Reserves in particular. As at 31 March 2025 the uncommitted value of those reserves was £12m, the minimum that the Council Reserves Statement recommends and as approved by the Council;

(e)      approve, as per the exempt Appendix 5, the extension of a bank guarantee of £125,000 to Transition Extreme Sports Limited until 31 March 2028. Note, the expectation is that plans beyond April 2028 will enable the removal of this guarantee;

(f)       note that the HRA full year forecast position, as detailed in Appendix 2, is ‘on budget’, but continues to face challenging cost pressures as outlined in Appendix 2 and the HRA Budget Report 2025/26; and

(g)      note that capital expenditure continues to be low at the end of Quarter 2, however forecasts are that additional expenditure and progress will be recognised in the second half of the year.

The Vice Convener, seconded by the Convener, moved:-

that the Committee –

(1)    approve the recommendations contained within the report;

(2)    note the £1 Off-Street Evening Parking Fees Report (CR&E/25/129), and agrees to introduce a trial £1 evening off-street parking initiative, to operate between 5pm and 8am, seven days a week, between Monday 5th January 2026 and Saturday 28th February 2026, and instructs the Chief Officer – Operations to implement such an initiative; and instructs the Chief Officer – Finance to update expected parking income for this period when reporting Quarter 3 Financial Performance; 

(3)    instruct the Chief Officer – Operations to introduce a “fly tipping hit squads” trial from January to March 2026 to feed into the budget process, following consultation with the Convener – Finance and Resources Committee and Convener – Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee, to address rising issues with fly tipping in communities in Aberdeen; and

(4)    agree that £10k funding for (1) and £62.5k funding for (2) can and shall be made available from within the combined City Wardens and Parking revenue budgets as a result of improvements in income levels generated through the Investment in Parking Infrastructure capital project.

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

that the Committee –

(1)    note the report;

(2)    agree the Scottish Government received a record settlement from the UK Government this year in excess of £50b and given the report committee instructs the Chief Officer - Finance to write to the First Minister asking where the money has gone, as its obvious it has not gone to local government or the IJB;

(3)    agree Audit Scotland have just confirmed the SNP Scottish Government has declared a £1b underspend on their budget for 24/25 despite the Labour UK providing £2b in additional funding;

(4)    agree the SNP position on RAAC, and the use of the Capital Fund, is simply to knock down RAAC affected homes during a Housing Emergency, when a better best value alternative was available; and

(5)    approve, as per the exempt Appendix 5, the extension of a bank guarantee of £125,000 to Transition Extreme Sports Limited until 31 March 2028. 

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Allard, Greig and Radley; for the amendment (4) Councillors Houghton, Malik, Nicoll and Tissera.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to adopt the motion; and

(ii)      to instruct the Chief Officer - Finance as part of the budget process to provide a timeline to Councillors for delivering a review of the long-term assets and investments held by the Common Good.