Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 21 May 2015 as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 May 2015 were approved as a correct record.

To receive any disclosures of interest from members in accordance with the Members Code of Conduct.

There were none.

To consider any decisions of the Leader, Cabinet or a Cabinet member which have been called in for review.

No decisions had been called in.

The Committee will receive a training session on the fundamentals of scrutiny facilitated by Ann Reeder, an Adviser and Regional Advocate for the South of England with the Centre for Public Scrutiny.

The attached documents are for background information:

Ø  Overview and Scrutiny Committee Terms of Reference

Ø  Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules

Ø  Review of the work programme 2014-2015

Ø  Cabinet Forward Plan

Ann Reeder, an expert advisor and regional advocate for the South of England with the Centre for Public Scrutiny facilitated a training session on the fundamentals of Overview and Scrutiny.

The Committee then split into discussion groups to identify topics they would like to consider for inclusion in their work programme for the coming year.

The groups fed back the outcome of their discussions and the Chairman advised that he would meet with the Vice-Chairman and officers to prioritise the topics identified and draft a work programme for the Committee to consider at its next meeting.

Councillors Mooney, Neale, Attewell and Patel offered to work on a template for scoping a scrutiny review undertaken by a Task Group of the Committee.

To consider the report on the provisional Capital Outturn position for the period 2014-2015.

The Committee received the provisional capital outturn for 2014/15. It noted that £1.9m had been spent against a revised budget including carry forwards from 2014/15 of £1.12m. Due to a large capital payment of £1m paid on the last day of the financial year, there would be an overspend for the 2014/15 financial year of £784k. Had this payment been made in 2015/16 as anticipated, then there would have been an underspend of £216k which was significantly closer to budget than the last few years.

The Committee asked for the report relating to the £1m payment, which concerned nomination rights for affordable housing units at the Crooked Billet housing development site, to be circulated for information.

Resolved to note the provisional capital outturn for 2014/2015.

To consider a report on the provisional Revenue Outturn position for the period 2014-2015.

The Committee received the report on the provisional revenue outturn for 2014/15 and noted that £13.491m had been spent against the full year revised budget of £13.621m. Taking into account the use of carry forwards, investment income and business rates retention the net underspend was approximately £250k. Carry forward requests for 2015-2016 amounting to £217k would be accommodated from the underspend. The report highlighted a better than anticipated investment income of £536k and transfers which had been made to and from reserves.

Resolved to note the provisional revenue outturn for 2014/2015.

To consider the Treasury Management Annual Report 2014-2015.

The Committee received the Treasury Management Annual Report on treasury performance for 2014/15, covering the council’s activities in the borrowing and investment market and the associated monitoring and control of risk.

The Committee congratulated the Chief Finance Officer and his team for identifying investment opportunities which were securing a good rate of return for the Council.

Resolved to note the Treasury Management annual report for 2014/15.

To note the draft Work Programme for 2015-2016.

The Chairman advised that he would be working with the Vice-Chairman and officers to finalise the draft work programme, from the topics identified by the Committee during the work programming session earlier this evening.

Resolved to note the draft work programme and arrangements to finalise this.