Agenda item

With reference to item 2 of the minute of the meeting of the City Growth and Resources Committee of 1 August 2018, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided the financial position of the Council, as at Quarter 2 (September 2018) and the full year forecast position for the financial year 2018/19, including (1) General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) revenue and capital accounts and the associated Balance Sheet; and (2) Common Good Revenue Account and Balance Sheet.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)       note the following

a)  Progress made in the first half of the year to achieve budgeted savings;

b)  General Fund and HRA financial performance to the end of Quarter 2 as detailed in Appendix 1;

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

d)  General Fund forecast revenue and capital positions as detailed in Appendix 2;

e)  HRA forecast revenue and capital positions as detailed in Appendix 2;

f)   Common Good forecast position as detailed in Appendix 2; and

g)  Group Entities forecast revenue position as detailed in Appendix 4;

(b)       note the advice provided by the Chief Officer – Finance in paragraphs 3.13 and 3.14 of the report, that the Council must continue to be proactive in its financial planning arrangements and to prepare for and respond to the range of cost pressures and uncertainties described in the report and appendices;

(c)       in respect of the General Fund Revenue account, to instruct the Corporate Management Team to the Corporate Management Team to stop and reduce net expenditure wherever possible with immediate effect.

The Convener, seconded by the Vice Convener moved:-

            that the Committee

(1)        approve the recommendation contained within the report; and

(2)        instruct the Director of Resources to write to Transport Scotland to seek clarification on the repairs required to the new River Don Crossing and the timescale for those repairs being completed, within which the Director should reference acknowledgement that the Transport Minister was scheduled to make a statement on 1 November 2018 regarding the AWPR.

Councillor Yuill, seconded by Councillor Nicoll moved as an amendment:-

            that the Committee –

(i)         approve recommendation 2.1;

(ii)        approve recommendation 2.2 so as to allow the Corporate Management Team to stop and reduce net expenditure wherever possible with immediate effect with the Chief Officer – Finance submitting a report to the next meeting of the City Growth and Resources on 27 November 2018 detailing the actions taken to date and allowing the Committee to review these actions for the future; and

(iii)       instruct the Director of Resources to write to Transport Scotland to seek clarification on the repairs required to the new River Don Crossing and the timescale for those repairs being completed, within which the Director should reference acknowledgement that the Transport Minister was scheduled to make a statement on 1 November 2018 regarding the AWPR.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – The Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Donnelly, Laing and Malik; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Flynn, Catriona Mackenzie, Nicoll and Yuill.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        to adopt the motion;

(ii)       to instruct the Chief Officer – Finance to provide the Committee, by way of email, with the exact figure of the additional commissioning costs referenced on P29 of the report, as well as detail on how this additional cost arose following the budget having been set;

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to advise the Committee, by way of email, of the current figure of the crowdfunding for the Aberdeen Art Gallery redevelopment as well as the total expenditure, including staff resource, of running that campaign; and

(iv)      to note that the Chief Officer – Governance would review the presentation of the report to ensure consistency and ease of reference.

-           COUNCILLOR DOUGLAS LUMSDEN, Convener.