Quarterly reports detail the Council’s finances, risk and performance as at the end of each financial quarter for 2016/17 and may include recommendations on consequential changes to the budget.

The Head of Financial Services submitted a report which updated Members on the Council’s Financial Risk and Performance as at 30 June 2016.

Cllr Turner, Finance, Asset Management and Public Health presented the report. He highlighted two concerns:

·         The base budget around planning/ regulatory is more than expected.

·         Leisure usage was down on target for the year.

Cllr Fooks commented on the difficulties the Council has had in recruiting and retaining staff in the planning department. She recommended offering higher salaries.

Cllr Hollingsworth said that a number of planning posts had had their salaries increased to encouraged recruitment. There were 4 planning apprentices starting next week

Cllr Smith said that the leisure usage figures for August showed improvement on the June figures (published in the report).

The City Executive Board resolves to:

1.    Note the projected financial outturn, the current position on risk and performance as at the 30 June 2016;

2.    Recommend to Council that additional budget of £0.118 million and £0.399 million is approved for Super Connected Cities and Disabled Facilities Grant expenditure to be financed from external grant funding in accordance with paragraph 12.