Agenda item

Attendees;

-           Merion Rushworth – Head of Finance

The Head of Finance introduced the two information reports provided in response to the outstanding actions from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee meeting on the 31 January 2019. The first of the two information reports updated the Committee on the Corporate Plan Commitments and their financial impact on the budget. The Head of Finance then explained the Budget Process the Council would be using for the year 2019/2020.

The Committee asked the following questions;

-           The Committee reminded the Officer that in the past they had recommended that the Council looked to plan financially across the medium term, and to consult with the public about the medium term savings instead of doing it year by year and consulting at the end of December and start of January. The Officer agreed with the Committee and stated that it was his professional opinion that the Council should look to set up a longer term saving plans in line with the Medium Term Financial Plan, instead of waiting for the annual Welsh Government settlement and then consulting. The Officer continued to say that there was a gap where a Strategic Change Framework could be put in place. This Strategic Change Framework would coordinate any high level plans and projects that the Council were designing or implementing.

-           The Newport Knowledge Quarter had been discussed a number of times by the Committee. If the Knowledge Quarter was to be developed would the Council provide capital investment to support it? The Officer informed the Committee that this was one area they were currently looking at and its capital implications. Coleg Gwent, sixth forms and schools were all involved in the discussions. The Officer quoted 18 million pounds would be made available for developing the Knowledge Quarter from the capital investment and that Cabinet wanted the deal and were close to a resolution.

-           A Member pointed out that in the Corporate Plan Commitments table ‘waste’ had been misspelled as ‘water’. The Officer agreed to change this and went onto say that with Welsh Government support the second household waste recycling facility was close to completion.

-           The Officer reassured the Committee that they were working hard to ensure that the out of county provision that had cost Education and Children and Young Peoples Services £3.9 million in 2019/2020 would be refocused through increasing residential home places in Newport going forward.

-           The Committee requested more information on the apprenticeships included in the report. The Officer explained that these apprentices were all within the Council, they were able to access free training through Welsh Government funding and the Council were partnered with ACT training to provide the training. The Council were the only Welsh Council to take part in the Local Government Association Graduate Scheme. The Council were also proud to be offering 22 Looked After Children the opportunity to get valuable work experience, the young people were all paid above the minimum apprentice wage as well.

-           The Committee Members raised serious concerns that the Corporate Plan commitments contained no reference to the Councils carbon footprint and following other councils lead to become carbon neutral by 2030. The Officer explained that a number of the points raised were indeed in motion but as they were not included in the Corporate Plan commitments there was no mechanism for him to include the additional information. The Council were looking at fleet vehicles being electrified, solar panels being used in the recycling tips, car charging point network through the City and we had recently hired two new renewable energy related posts into the Regeneration, Investment and Housing service area.

The Chair thanked the Officers for their time.

Conclusions

The Committee made the following comments and recommendations on the finance update;

-           The Committee recommended that the Senior Leadership Team look at implementing a Strategic Change Framework line in with what the Head of Finance introduced to the Committee.

-           The Committee recommended that the Council commit to become carbon neutral, self-impose a deadline and create an action plan to achieve this.

-           The Committee requested feedback on whether the Council had created a ten year plan and whether this document was still viable.