Decision details

The Director of Finance and Digital Services provided Members with an overview of the Council’s performance, both from a financial and operational perspective, for the financial year ended 31st March 2021.

Members were provided with details in respect of an executive summary, revenue monitoring, capital monitoring, organisational health, corporate priorities and enhancing the Councils response to extreme weather conditions.

The Director advised that good progress had been made overall across the Council’s three Corporate Plan priorities of People, Places and Prosperity, where focus was afforded on providing essential support to residents and businesses to help counter the significant impact of Covid-19 alongside the continued delivery of strategic projects.

The second progress update on the delivery of recommendations to enhance the Council’s response to extreme weather events shows a positive position, with key actions being taken forward that provide a clear direction for the future.

In respect of the year-end revenue budget position, it was advised that this currently stood as a £0.204M overspend and represents an improved position to that reported for quarters 1 to 3 of 2020/21. The position is set in the unprecedented context of Covid-19 and takes account of additional one-off Welsh Government funding claimed during the year, and also reflects the continuation of key budget pressures particularly across Adult Services and Children’s Services. Members were reminded that it would be critically important that additional Welsh Government funding to address ‘core’ cost pressures remains in place for 2021/22 and beyond, for example, across social care services, together with additional Covid-19 funding to fund additional expenditure and income losses as a direct result of the pandemic.

The Director concluded by advising that capital investment was at 31st March 2021 £102M, supporting visible improvements to infrastructure and assets, taking account of Covid-19 restrictions and safety requirements.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Estates spoke of the positive report before Members and referenced the areas within the report, including the reduction in overspend from previous quarters and the further £102m in capital spend which was a boost to the local economy.  The Cabinet Member concluded by referencing the Welsh Government already provided to the Authority through the pandemic and the need for this to continue to help sustain services.

The Leader spoke of the difficult year endured with both the flooding and the covid pandemic and spoke of the year round efforts taken forward by Officers and Cabinet Members to deliver a balanced budget.  The Leader took the opportunity to comment on the Welsh Government support received and requested that this detail be made publically available.

The Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Planning acknowledged the efforts by officers to balance the budget and spoke of the projects taken forward within town centre and other areas of growth for the local economy.  The Cabinet Member also referenced the tourism development across the county borough.

Following discussions, it was RESOLVED:

        I.         To Note the continued unprecedented circumstances Council Services are operating within as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Revenue

      II.         To Note and agree the General Fund revenue outturn position of the Council as at the 31st March 2021 (Section 2 of the Executive Summary) including the additional one-off Welsh Government Covid-19 funding accounted for during the year to support service delivery

Capital

    III.         To note the capital outturn position of the Council as at the 31st March 2021 (Sections 3a – e of the Executive Summary).

    IV.         To note the details of the Treasury Management Prudential Indicators as at the 31st March 2021 (Section 3f of the Executive Summary).

Corporate Plan Priorities

     V.         To note the year end position regarding progress made against agreed corporate priorities (section 5a -c of the Executive Summary)

    VI.         To note the progress update to enhance the Council’s short term and long term response to extreme weather events (section 6 of the Executive summary)