Agenda item

Regular update of financial data to 28 February 2013.

(Copy herewith)

The Assistant Head of Finance presented a report on the financial position as at 31 March 2013, the position on car parking income and usage and the position in relation to the Council’s outstanding debts as at 31 March 2013.

Officers responded to Members’ comments and questions, as summarised below:

·    The transfer of £23k to revenue of mortgage repossessions previously held on the balance sheet referred to unclaimed money from the 1970s  which could be transferred as the statutory limitations on using the money had expired;

·    The cost of £17k for Northampton Alive related to the production of the recent guide.  Officers would provide members with detailed information on the cost of the Northampton Alive project;

·    The savings that could be made from keeping posts vacant were weighed against the needs for service delivery.  Often delays in recruiting to vacant posts resulted from the timescales involved in advertising and interviewing for the posts plus the periods of notice required from successful  candidates;

·    The cancellation of the contract to monitor Daventry CCTV was thought to have been a decision not to extend the contract which had been due to end in the summer of 2013. (Note: subsequent to the meeting it was found that the Daventry CCTV contract had been cancelled and that the 12 month notice required in the contract had been provided by Daventry.)  Officers undertook to provide Members with further information on the contract specifications and the reason for cancellation;

·    Officers undertook to provide further information in respect of how the free rat control service was publicised in response to Members’ questions about why  the service had not been taken up;

·    In relation to the drop in daily income from car parks, the anticipated income set in the budget for 2012/13 had been revised downwards as a result of the concessions introduced during the previous year.  The anticipated shortfall of £200k was against the revised lower income figure and not the figure shown in the original budget.  It was noted that further information on car parking and bus use into the town centre had been requested when a detailed report had last been considered by the Committee in November 2012.  Members asked that when this report is made to a future  meeting information should be included on footfall in the town centre

RESOLVED:

1.    That the contents of the report be noted as below:

·           General Fund Revenue Monitoring (Appendix 1 of the report);

·           Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Revenue Monitoring (Appendix 2 of the report);

·           General Fund Capital Monitoring (Appendix 3 of the report);

·           HRA Capital Monitoring (Appendix 4 of the report).

2.    That the position on car parking usage and income as at 31 March 2013 be noted (Appendix 5 of the report).

3.    That the latest position in relation to the Council’s outstanding debts as at 31 March 2013 be noted (Appendix 6 of the report).

4.    That a report on car park usage and income, bus usage into the town centre, and footfall in the town centre be made to a future meeting.