Decision details

To approve matters relating to the 2016/17 revenue budget as at the end of the third quarter

1.       That the use of £50,000 from the Public Health Early Intervention Team Reserve, specifically set aside from public health grant funding, to fund initial set up and salary costs for Beat the Street Wolverhampton be approved.

2.       That the use of £563,000 from the Regeneration Reserve to fund various development works and schemes be approved.

3.       That the use of £106,000 from the Local Strategic Partnership Reserve to support the work of the Skills Commission be approved.

4.       That the write off of sixteen rechargeable repair accounts totalling £111,675 as detailed in Appendix I to the report be approved.

5.       That the write off of four sundry debts totalling £27,832.77 as detailed in Appendix F to the report be approved.

6.       That four virements totalling £2.1 million, for transfers within directorates, as detailed in Appendix G to the report be approved.

7.       That expenditure budgets within the 2016/17 approved budget as detailed in section 4.2 of the report be set up for grant funded expenditure.

8.       That it be noted that the projected outturn for the General Fund for 2016/17 is on target to achieve a net underspend against the budget.

9.       That it be noted that projected redundancy costs, including the cost of pension strain, totalling £7.0 million are included in the forecast outturn. The projected costs are subject to change dependent upon the actual redundancies approved by year end. It is anticipated that forecast underspends against the Central Provision for Auto-enrolment and Pay Award costs, in addition to Capital Receipts flexibility announced by the Secretary of State, would offset the cost of redundancies.

10.   That it be noted that the Director of Finance had approved the write off of 1,073 former HRA tenant rent accounts for 2016/17 that are considered unrecoverable amounting to £760,000 at an average of £708 per account in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules. Debts from former tenants are written off when there is little prospect of the debt being collected.  Wolverhampton Homes Board Resources Committee recommended the formal write off of debts totalling £374,000 on the 14 October 2016 and £386,000 on 20 January 2017.

11.   That it be noted that the Director of Finance had approved the write off of 1,891 former HRA tenant rechargeable repair accounts totalling £1.3 million covering the period 2010 to 2016 at an average of £695 in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.  No write off for rechargeable repairs had been undertaken since the recharge policy was relaunched in 2010.

12.   That it be noted that 375 council tax accounts totalling £104,548.80 have been approved for write off by Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

13.   That it be noted that 25 non-domestic rates accounts totalling £83,524.71 have been approved by for write off by Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

14.   That it be noted that 52 sundry debt accounts totalling £77,962.45 have been approved by for write off by Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

15.   That it be noted that 24 housing benefit overpayments totalling £7,714.34 have been approved for write off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

16.   That it be noted that a £18.3 million surplus on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) is projected compared with a budgeted surplus of £15.3 million as shown at Table 8 and in detail at Appendix H to the report. The projected increased surplus of £3.0 million would be used to redeem debt in line with the HRA Business Plan.