Agenda and minutes

Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. 

By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

The chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

The Chair referred Members present to item one on the agenda in respect of filming at the meeting and Members noted the information contained therein.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Davies, Cabinet Member for Communities and Civic Life, who was unwell.

In light of Cllr Davies having given apologies, the Scrutiny Officer advised that agenda item 8, Cabinet Member Questions would be withdrawn.

The Chair requested that the Cabinet Member be invited to attend the March meeting. (Action: Clerk).

None.

None.

To approve the minutes of the previous meetings as a correct and accurate record.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the previous meetings on 13^th October and 28^th November be agreed as a correct record.

To receive and note the minutes of the following Scrutiny Panels and to approve any recommendations contained within:

·         Housing, Development & Planning Scrutiny Panel – 1 November

·         Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel – 7^th November

·         Environment & Community Safety Scrutiny Panel – 14^th November

·         Adults & Health Scrutiny Panel – 17^th November

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the following Scrutiny Panels were received and agreed and any recommendations contained within were agreed:

·         Housing, Development & Planning Scrutiny Panel – 1 November

·         Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel – 7^th November

·         Environment & Community Safety Scrutiny Panel – 14^th November

·         Adults & Health Scrutiny Panel – 17^th November

Verbal update

This agenda item was withdrawn.

*Clerk’s note – As per Paragraph 7.5 of Part 4, Section H of the Council’s Constitution, Cllr Connor chaired this part of the meeting as an opposition member and the Chair of Budget Scrutiny.*

The Panel received a report which set out the Council’s 2023/24 Draft Budget and 5 Year Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2023/2028 proposals relating to the Culture, Strategy and Engagement Directorate. The report was introduced by Jess Crowe, Director of Culture, Strategy and Engagement as set out in the agenda pack at pages 61 to 140. Frances Palopoli, Head of Finance (Strategy & Your Council) was present from Corporate Finance. Andy Briggs, AD for Customer Services; Flo Armstrong, Head of Libraries, Arts & Culture; and Claire McCarthy, AD Strategy, Communications & Collaboration were also present for this item. Cllr Chandwani, Cabinet Member for Tackling Inequality and Resident Services was present.

By way of introduction, the Panel was advised that the Culture, Strategy and Engagement Directorate had been created following the recent local elections and was comprised of what had been Customer Transformation & Resources, with the addition of Libraries and Culture. The Director of Culture, Strategy and Engagement advised that there were a number of historic savings in her directorate that were reflected in the budget papers. Some of these had been around pre-pandemic and the world had changed since that time. Not least, as there had been an election and the Council had new priorities. The Director advised that her team had taken the opportunity to conduct a thorough review of what was deliverable and which aspects were perhaps no longer the right focus, given other priorities had overtaken them. As a result, there were a number of old savings that were proposed to be deleted or re-profiled and a number of new savings put forward in their stead. There were also a number of growth proposals put forward to make the budget more reflective of existing pressures.

The Director advised that there had been a persistent overspend in the benefits area, largely due to cases of Housing Benefit not reducing as fast as the government grant allocation anticipated. So, it was proposed that an injection of funding would be put in for 2023/24 to replace the shortfall in  grants, but it was expected that this shortfall would reduce as cases of Housing Benefit recipients being moved over to Universal Credit increased. Jess Crowe set out that there were also a number of old savings related to the Front Office Back Office programme, where it was thought that the Council had gone as far as it could in terms of the amount of money that could be taken out the front office at this stage, until digital infrastructure and the resident experience was improved. These savings were proposed for removal from the budget.

The Director advised that there were some old income generation targets in Libraries that were no longer considered to be realistic. In particular, it was identified that income from hiring out spaces at Wood Green Library  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

RESOLVED

     I.        That the Committee noted the current work programmes for the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and the four Scrutiny Panels and agreed any amendments, as appropriate.

    II.        That the Committee gave consideration to the agenda items and reports required for its next meetings on 19th January 2023 and 30th March 2023.

  III.        That the Committee noted and approved the terms of reference for the Children & Young People Scrutiny Panel’s Review on Physical Activity and Sport for Children and Young People.

N/A

19 January 2023

30 March 2023

19 January 2023

30 March 2023