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Issue - meetings

Fourth Quarter Budget Monitoring 2018/19

Meeting: 04/06/2019 - Economic Regeneration and Leisure Committee (Item 20)

20 Fourth Quarter Budget Monitoring 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 59 KB

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Minutes:

The Director of Finance and Business Improvement outlined that there had been a small underspend against the revenue budget for 2018/19.  Income from the Crematorium had also been higher than estimated.  The capital budget had experienced slippage, partly due to a burst water pipe at Mote Park.  This had impacted on the cost of the Mote Park Adventure Zone project.  A claim had been made against Southern Water for this cost, however, the Quarter 4 figures did not account for a successful claim.

 

The Committee noted that the underspend would be incorporated into the Council reserves if there were no bids to spend the money.  It was suggested that the underspend could be used to implement recommendations within the Cultural Strategy and Five-Year Action Plan, with the money used as match-funding when seeking contributions from the Arts Council.  Alternatively, it was suggested that the underspend could fund work to define a “sense of place” for Maidstone Borough.  Other Local Authorities, such as Knowsley Council, had secured substantial investment through generating a “sense of place” as this had been used to inform policy direction.

 

In response to questions from the Committee, the Director of Finance and Business Improvement replied that:

 

·  Insurance claims excesses were a cumulative total for the year.  The level of excesses was reviewed annually to ensure that it was appropriate.

 

·  The budgeted income from fairs and circuses was based on historical performance.  The budget could be adjusted to reflect the change in patterns of income with new income streams such as the Mote Park Adventure Zone.

The Committee thanked the Bereavement Service for their work during the 2018/19 year.

 

RESOLVED: That:

 

1.  The Committee notes the financial performance of the services that were previously within the remit of the Heritage, Culture and Leisure Committee for 2018/19.

 

2.  The Committee notes the slippage within the capital programme in 2018/19.

 

3.  Delegated authority be granted to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Economic Regeneration and Leisure Committee to prepare a bid to the Policy and Resources Committee, to use the underspend of the Heritage, Culture and Leisure Committee 2018/19.

Voting: Unanimous