Issue - meetings

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8a - Cabinet 23 June 2021 - Minute No 16 - Financial Outturn Report 2020/21

Councillor Mellor, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation presented the report on the Financial Outturn Report 2020/21 as set out on the agenda and outlined the detail of the recommendations.  The Cabinet Member reported that the report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Board and highlighted the £5.1m surplus. He thanked the finance team led by Adam Richens but also the full officer cohort who have delivered the outturn.  He referred to the financial position when the Conservatives became the administration on 1 October 2020 when the MTFP had a £50m gap and emphasised the £5m surplus which was hugely positive. Councillor Mellor having thanked the team and Members put on record his thanks to the Government for their unprecedented financial support to local authorities which they pledged and delivered on.  The proposal was seconded by Councillor Broadhead who reminded Members that recommendation (B) provides funding in reserve for a contingency should there be any further outbreaks of the pandemic.  He hoped that it would not be necessary to use but it was prudent to make the provision.

Councillor Mark Howell referred to Councillor Mike Greene’s previous reference to being deprived of resources and staff in his portfolio in relation to dealing with climate change and the biodiversity crisis.  He explained that there were good reasons why the funding scheduled by the previous administration for the climate change agenda was temporarily withdrawn namely the Covid crisis, and that the previous administration had a responsibility to put the Council’s finances in order.  Councillor Howell reported that he would like the £5.1m surplus which was proposed for the mitigation reserve to be allocated to a new climate change and biodiversity reserve which could then be used by Councillor Greene and hopefully with the involvement of Councillors across the chamber to really push forward measures within the BCP area for change.  Councillor Howell proposed the following amendment which was seconded by Councillor Bull:

Given the imperative of acting quickly and at scale to address the Climate and Biodiversity Crisis, which the Portfolio Holder has confirmed his acceptance of tonight, Council supports the transfer of the £5.1 million surplus referred to in paragraph (a) of the resolution to a climate and biodiversity reserve for spending on projects to address the crisis within the current financial year instead of to the MTFP mitigation reserve.

In seconding the above amendment Councillor Bull indicated that he was sure that Members would agree that everything that can be done to tackle the climate and ecological emergency should be done and that it was a great opportunity to increase the portfolio holder’s budget in order for him to take action.

The Chief Financial Officer was asked to comment on the amendment. He reported that he had not previously been informed of the proposed amendment and explained that the transfer of £5.1m in the manner outlined would have  ...  view the full minutes text for item 111