Council budget on track for 2020
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The full meeting of Aberdeenshire Council which took place at Woodhill House saw councillors consider a wide range of matters ranging from the circular economy, corporate parenting and budget engagement to proposed changes to its Scheme of Governance and licensing board structure.
Matters started with an Opportunity North East (ONE) presentation on transformational change.
Chief executive Jennifer Craw and Patrick Machray OBE, chair of ONE Food, Drink and Agriculture, gave a detailed overview on the private sector-driven initiative.
ONE supports an array of innovative initiatives in five key industries – oil and gas, food, drink and agriculture, life sciences, tourism and digital – to maximise the opportunities within the energy sector and broaden the economy by facilitating and investing in the target sectors.
On the issue of a circular economy commitment, councillors gave their unanimous backing to the council’s formal commitment to a resources and circular economy.
The strategy, which is being supported by Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan and Circular Economy Strategy, aims to revolutionise the way in which products are designed, used, reused, repaired and recycled.
The Resources and Circular Economy Commitment has been carefully developed to provide clear direction for the local authority as it strives for greater sustainability and responsibility in the way it considers, purchases and manages physical resources, and towards supporting a more circular economy.
Head of Economic Development Belinda Miller said the council, building on commitments within its Environmental and Climate Change Policy, recognised that it has a duty to support and lead in the transition to a circular economy both locally and nationally.
Following discussion, the report will be updated to include risks identified at Communities Committee and the report will be referred to Integration Joint Board to continue dialogue and agree any contribution to be made.
Councillors considered and agreed the quarterly financial performance positions for both revenue expenditure and the capital budget up to September 30, 2019.
Head of Finance Alan Wood said that during the second quarter of the financial year, the Council had spent £283million out of a budget of £578million, or 48.9 per cent after six months.
At this point last year, the percentage spent was 49.8 per cent, therefore the current expenditure is on a similar path to last year.
Mr Wood said that while spending was very much in line with last year, the same strong focus on expenditure management by directors and officers would be required.
In terms of the capital budget position, councillors were told that during the second quarter of the financial year the council had spent £35,894,000 of the revised budget of £169,014,000 or 21 per cent after six months.
At this point last year, the percentage spent was 27 per cent.
Looking longer term, the public has been thanked by councillors for participating in a recent budget engagement exercise as part of the council’s medium-term financial strategy.
An online budget simulator was used to allow participants to attempt to set their own version of the council’s budget.
The approach inspired insightful responses by giving members of the public opportunity to get a better understanding of the budget, and the difficult choices and pressures facing the authority.
During debate, councillor Jim Gifford stressed that, despite the uncertainty surrounding the final budget settlement from the Scottish Government, the authority would ensure Council Tax and Housing Rents were set at the February meeting of Aberdeenshire Council.
In a motion, he added an additional recommendation to instruct officers to identify a new date for a council meeting before the end of March 2020 if required, to set the council’s revenue budget, reserves, capital plan and carbon budget.
After discussion, a three-point joint motion was proposed by councillors Richard Thomson and Martin Ford which asked the Council to note the commitment in the Scottish Government's Programme for Government to seeing one percent of local government budgets being spent through participatory budgeting and request that officers report to the February 2020 council meeting on how continued progress might be made towards achieving that target in Aberdeenshire.
It also asked the council to repeat the budget simulator engagement exercise next year and to agree that all political groups be given the opportunity to present draft budget proposals to next November’s full council meeting and public consultation to take place thereafter on specific budget options.
The motion was carried after a 34-25 vote and acknowledges the progress made to-date on the medium-term financial strategy, acknowledges the results from the budget engagement exercise and instructs officers to identify a new date for a council meeting before the end of March 2020 if required, to set the council’s revenue budget, reserves, capital plan and carbon budget.
Councillors gave a very warm welcome to the annual report on the council’s Corporate Parenting Plan.
The report outlined the progress made by Aberdeenshire Council and partners who work collaboratively to improve outcomes for care experienced young people.
The report demonstrated the strong ongoing commitment to listening to care experienced young people to ensure that lived experience directs and influences service design and provision.
Following discussion, councillors agreed that the annual reports be circulated to a wider forum including IJB, Criminal Justice Board, Community Planning Board and other appropriate organisations with a view to sharing information on work being undertaken by the authority and encouraging those organisations to share information on how they intend to meet their obligations in this connection.
Arrangements are also to be put in place at an appropriate time to invite young people to be represented at and deliver a presentation to full council on their projects and activities.
Aberdeenshire Council is to receive further information on proposed changes to its Scheme of Governance following discussion by councillors.
The changes – relating to such matters as standing orders, committee powers, delegations and financial regulations – will be subject to a further report for discussion at a meeting of the full council in January.
Aberdeenshire Council has also agreed to undertake a review of its licensing board structure which will include public consultation.
There are currently three divisional licensing boards performing the statutory licensing function in north, central and south Aberdeenshire.
The council established a single licensing forum in 2018 which has proved successful, with better attendance, savings in administrative costs along with time and travel savings for participants.
The review of the licensing board structure will investigate whether there would be resource savings with a different structure, both financially and in terms of time spent.
In other matters provost Bill Howatson paid tribute to a number of achievements by Aberdeenshire Council, its staff and residents.
He was personally honoured to visit the National Army Museum in London to receive the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme on behalf of the authority.
Grampian Child Bereavement Network and North Aberdeenshire Food Bank will share a £1,000 windfall after Marie Johnstone from the council’s waste team won a prize draw at a waste management conference in which she and colleague Claire Loney participated.
