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ITEM EX5 - ANNEX C

EXECUTIVE – 19 MARCH 2002

QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT

FORMER ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE

Report by Director for Business Support & County Treasurerand Director of Environmental Services

Introduction

  1. This report shows the 2001/02 budget for the former Environmental Committee, together with the projected year end variation based on the latest information available (Annex 1).(download as .rtf file)

  2. The balance brought forward from 2000/01 (column 10) is provisional until the accounts have been signed off.

    3. Virements and Supplementary Estimates (Annex 1, Column 5)

  3. Virements and Supplementary Estimates agreed to date are shown in Annex 2.(download as .rtf file) There are no new virements or requests for supplementary estimates this quarter.

    4. Projected Year End Variations

  4. Annex 1 shows a predicted overspend of £607,000 on the 2001/02 base budget. This is due to spending in the current year on work deferred from 2000/01 and is being funded by amounts brought forward from 2000/01.

  5. The overall position is:

    6. Brought forward from 2000/01 (-) £1,544,000

    Planned overspend in the current year (+) £457,000

    Projected carry forward to 2002/03. (-) £1,087,000*

    (*Subject to funding of R & M overspend. See paragraphs 6 and 7 below)

  6. The Executive has previously been informed of the planned overspend on urgent building maintenance work. On 5 February the Council approved a virement of up to £1m from elsewhere within the total Environmental Services budget to fund this overspend. Part of the projected planned underspend of £1,087,000 will be used to fund the overspend on Repair and Maintenance of Buildings and part will be allocated to work to be carried out in 2002/03.

  7. Latest figures indicate that the overall overspend will be in the region of £800,000. (See report on the former Operations Sub Committee budget for further details) Detailed proposals for virements will be made when the amount of the overspend is clear.

    8. Projected carry forwards to 2002/03 (Annex 1, Column11)

    EN1 Transport Development (-) £70,000

  8. Savings on staffing costs due to recruitment difficulties will be used to fund the 2001/02 costs associated with the early termination of the agency agreement with Oxford City Council, the costs of operating Thornhill Park and Ride from November 2001 and the fleet review being carried out as part of the Corporate Travel Plan.

  9. An anticipated underspend of £70,000 on the provision for Integrated Transport Studies and transport consultancy work will be carried forward to fund on-going work in 2002/03.

    10. EN2 Highway Management (-) £130,000

  10. There is an anticipated underspend of £130,000 on the 30mph Speed Limits project. Highway Maintenance expenditure is expected to be close to the budget provision.

    11. EN3 Public Transport Revenue Support (-) £246,000

  11. It is anticipated that the main Public Transport Revenue Support budget will be underspent by £169,000 due mainly to the low annual rate of spending at the beginning of the financial year. This will be carried forward to fund the continuation of existing service commitments in 2002/03. The additional budget of £100,000 originally provided for rural bus services was reallocated to fund 3 additional posts and the Interlink Study. This will be underspent by £77,000 due mainly to difficulties in recruiting staff and will be carried forward to 2002/03 to fund the consultants’ review of subsidised bus services.

    12. EN4 Land Use Planning (-) £103,000

  12. The amounts brought forward from 2000/01 include funding for a number of long term projects continuing in 2001/02 and 2002/03. £23,000 will be carried forward to 2002/03 to fund expenditure on those projects. The Minerals and Waste Local Plan Review will now be carried out in tandem with the Structure Plan Review. £60,000 will be carried to 2002/03 to fund this work.

  13. Extra income from Planning Application Fees will be used to fund legal and consultants costs on a number of public inquiries and legal challenges on planning issues for which there is no base budget funding.

    14. EN5 Waste Management (-) £280,000

  14. There is an anticipated net underspend of £80,000 on contract costs due to due to fluctuations in tonnages and savings on recycling credits. £200,000 will be carried forward to 2002/03 to fund cell works at Dix Pit.

    15. EN6 Gypsy Sites (-) £58,000

  15. £57,000 was brought forward from 2000/01 to meet the Council’s 25% contribution to the cost of work to be carried out under the Gypsy Site Refurbishment Grant scheme. Work has been completed on three of these schemes which will require a Council contribution of £51,000, leaving £6,000 to be carried forward to 2002/03. The fourth scheme cannot be carried out this financial year because of problems in agreeing an easement with an adjacent landowner. The scheme has been included in the bids that have been submitted to the DTLR for further Gypsy Site Refurbishment Grants in 2002/03. If these bids are successful any savings on this budget in 2001/02 will be required to meet the Council’s 25% contribution.

  16. £35,000 previously earmarked for the provision of a transit site will be carried forward to 2002/03 although the search for a site has been suspended. Expenditure on the budget for unauthorised encampments is dependent on the number of such incidents and is impossible to predict accurately. Current forecast is for a year end underspend of £17,000.

    17. EN7 Management and Support Services (-) £ 200,000

  17. There is an anticipated underspend of £120,000 on staff related budgets due to vacancies. Charges from other departments are expected to be £80,000 lower than the budget provision. Part of this will be used to fund the planned Repair and Maintenance of Buildings overspend.

    18. Government Grant Funding (Annex 3) (download as .rtf file)

  18. Details of specific grants received by the former Environmental Committee are included in Annex 3 and summarised below.

    19.  

    £’000

    % of gross budget

    Specific grants received in 2001/02

    		   

    -Continuing

    1205

    2.4%

    -New

    557

    1.2%

    Total

    1762

    3.6%

    Council funding required to attract grant

    51

    		 

    Financial, Staff and Environmental Implications and Implications for People Living in Poverty

  19. The report is solely concerned with finance. There are no environmental or staff or implications for people living in poverty arising directly from the report.

    20. RECOMMENDATIONS

  20. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to receive the report.

CHRIS GRAY
Director for Business Support & County Treasurer

DAVID YOUNG
Director of Environmental Services

Background Papers: nil

Contact Officer: Maureen Elliott, Tel (01865) 815868

March 2002

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