Agenda and minutes

·        To select appropriate items from the Cabinet agenda for pre-decision scrutiny (cabinet reports enclosed for Scrutiny Members)

The Committee scrutinised the following cabinet items:

Revenue Budget Update and Monitoring Report Quarter 2 - 2020-21

The Committee was presented with the Revenue Budget Update and Monitoring Report for Quarter 2 of 2020-21.

In relation to Hillside, Members asked Officers for clarity around the losses and confirmation that the Council would be refunded for those losses by Welsh Government. It was detailed within the circulated report that the Council had already been refunded £467k for the period between April and June; the predicted overspend of £894k was calculated after taking the refund into account. Members were made aware that a claim of £2.3million had been submitted for the second quarter of this year (the period between July and September) and of that £2.3million, a further £326k would be allocated to Hillside. In terms of the additional costs, which totals to just over 500k, the Council would be submitting claims to Welsh Government on a quarterly basis; however, the money received would depend on how much money they had left in the Local Authority Hardship Fund, and Officers would need to review whether the amount would be sufficient to deal with the overspend. It was asked if the Council would have to fund the remaining overspend, to which Officers stated that currently there could be an element the Council would have to fund unless Welsh Government provided sufficient funds in the second half of the year; Officers would continue to monitor this and pursue Welsh Government. Officers clarified that due to having reduced income to cover the fixed costs of running the facility, it had resulted in the projected loss for the remaining part of this year.

The circulated report detailed that Parking Services had an overspend of £903k and that no further funding would be available for loss of income arising from local policy decisions; Members asked for clarity on this and if there had been any indication of further funds being added to the Local Authority Hardship Fund to support Councils across Wales at this time. It was noted that any local authority would have to fund the additional costs / loss of income of the local decisions carried out; there were free parking arrangements in place for town centres in Neath Port Talbot through the month of July until the end of August and the fees were then re-introduced from 1 September 2020. Therefore, the period between July and August, Welsh Government wouldn’t be providing any additional income. Similarly in terms of Aberavon seafront and other various locations, the parking charges were re-introduced from 1 August 2020, so there would be a period in July where Welsh Government wouldn’t reimburse. It was stated that Welsh Government were prepared to accept calls for additional funding for reduced footfall and for the second quarter the Council had submitted a £181k claim for recovery. Officers added that the predicated overspend of £903k was for the rest of financial year and should additional funding become available from Welsh Government, some of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

To resolve to exclude the public for the following items pursuant to Regulation 4 (3) and (5) of Statutory Instrument 2001 No.2290 and the relevant exempt paragraphs of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972

The Committee scrutinised the following private Cabinet item:

Demolition of Properties

Members were presented with a private report on the demolition of the properties highlighted in the circulated report.

Following scrutiny, the Committee was supportive of the proposal to be considered by the Cabinet Board.