It seems you are using Internet Explorer 6 (or maybe you just have css disabled). We no longer guarantee that our site will display as intended in this browser.

Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: The Council Chamber, Town Hall, Corney Place, Penrith, CA11 7QF

Contact: Member Services  01768 817817

Items
No. Item

FSc/1/7/22

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from:

Councillor Wicks

Councillor Baker – deputised by Councillor Holden

FSc/2/7/22

Minutes

To sign the minutes FSc/27/2/22 to FSc/36/2/22 of the meeting of this Committee held on the 8th February 2022 as a correct record of those proceedings (copies previously circulated).

Minutes:

Proposed by Councillor Burgin

Seconded by Councillor McCall

 

andRESOLVED that the minutes FSc/27/2/22 to FSc/36/2/22 of the meeting of this committee held on the 8th February 2022 be confirmed and signed as correct record of those proceedings.

FSc/3/7/22

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of the existence and nature of any private interests, both disclosable pecuniary and any other registrable interests, in any matter to be considered or being considered.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest received.

FSc/4/7/22

Terms of Reference and Proposed Business for the Municipal Year 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 277 KB

To consider the attached report DoR54/22 of the Interim Director of Resources, which seeks to set out the Finance Scrutiny Committee Terms of Reference and highlight the proposed business for the Committee for the municipal year 2022/23.

 

RECOMMENDED that the Finance Scrutiny Committee notes the report.

Minutes:

Members considered the report DoR54/22 of the Interim Director of Resources, which sought to set out the Finance Scrutiny Committee’s Terms of Reference and highlight the proposed business for the Committee for the municipal year 2022/23.

 

The report was introduced by the Interim Director of Resources who outlined that the terms of reference are unchanged, but that the substantive, scrutiny role of the budget would now be undertaken by the new Westmorland and Furness Council.

 

Proposed by Councillor Burgin

Seconded by Councillor McCall

 

andRESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted.

FSc/5/7/22

Inspiring Eden Update pdf icon PDF 9 MB

To consider the attached report DCE40/22 of the Assistant Director Development, which seeks to provide an update to the Finance Scrutiny Committee regarding the Inspiring Eden Project.

 

RECOMMENDED that the Finance Scrutiny Committee reviews the report and raises any questions for both consideration and response.

 

Minutes:

Members considered the report DCE40/22 of the Assistant Director Development, which sought to provide an update to the Finance Scrutiny Committee regarding the Inspiring Eden Project.

 

The report was introduced by the Interim Economic Development Manager who provided an overview of the Inspiring Eden Work Programme which had previously gone to the Cabinet, as well as an update regarding the Council’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF) bid and the work on the investment plan for the Shared Prosperity Fund.

 

A Member enquired whether the prospectuses were available of the four work streams and when the investment plan would be published for the Shared Prosperity Fund’s submission on the 1st August 2022. The Interim Economic Development Manager advised that they were available in draft form and had been sent out for consultation and would be published in the coming weeks. The investment plan would encompass a range of interventions and was currently being worked upon with strategic partners and should be available towards the end of July 2022.

 

A Member enquired whether the approximately £ 2 million drawdown submissions pertained to Eden and how would it impact Eden when the Council ceased to exist on the 1 April 2023. The Interim Economic Development Manager advised that each of the three Councils (Eden, South Lakeland and Barrow) would be given an allocation. The three Councils would continue to work on the combined programme with some projects specific to Eden and other work being joint across the three Councils.

 

A Member enquired whether the funding was split between capital and revenue expenditure and if so, how it was split. The Interim Economic Development Manager clarified that there was a split; the Shared Prosperity Fund could be both, depending on the interventions chosen, whereas the LUF bid proposals including the Inspiring Eden Enterprise Hub was primarily capital expenditure and, the Inspiring Eden Programme was a bit of both. The Interim Economic Development Manager undertook to provide a written response to set out how the funds were split between revenue and capital, and the sources of funding. The Member further enquired, whether the bid funding was guaranteed, the Interim Economic Development Manager advised that the funding was not guaranteed due to competition within the bidding process. The Member requested that the distinction between funding that is guaranteed and funding that isn’t be included in the response regarding capital and revenue expenditure.

 

The Member questioned why there had been no Member briefings regarding processes and planning. The Interim Director of Resources advised that the matters have been brought to the various Committees of Council and that there had been no requests for a group to be setup regarding Inspiring Eden. A Member advised that while they had approved the budget for Inspiring Eden they had had no input on the Inspiring Eden Enterprise Hub (IEEH). The Interim Economic Development Manager advised that when the various options had been considered by the Council’s partners the IEEH was the only project that met the criteria for a successful  ...  view the full minutes text for item FSc/5/7/22

FSc/6/7/22

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) – Finance Theme Update pdf icon PDF 2 MB

To consider the attached report DoR56/22 of the Interim Director of Resources, which seeks to update the Finance Scrutiny Committee on the current position and proposals for the Finance theme of Local Government Reorganisation.

 

RECOMMENDED that the Finance Scrutiny Committee notes the report.

Minutes:

Members considered the report DoR56/22 of the Interim Director of Resources, which sought to update the Finance Scrutiny Committee on the current position and proposals for the finance theme of Local Government Reorganisation.

 

The Interim Director of Resources clarified that as the information on the blueprints did not impact on the work of the various District Councils they would not be shared with them. Further that the finance team would produce the aggregated and disaggregated budgets for the current and new authority.

 

A Member enquired about the difference between Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland Councils, with the latter utilising task and finish groups and the former, member briefings. The Interim Director of Resources advised that each Council chose their methodology based on their unique set of characteristics i.e.  distinct demographics and population distribution.

 

Proposed by Councillor Nicolson

Seconded by Councillor Ryland

 

andRESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted.

FSc/7/7/22

Gazprom Update pdf icon PDF 321 KB

To consider the attached report DoR53/22 of the Interim Director of Resources, which sees to update the Finance Scrutiny Committee on the position regarding the Council’s contract with Gazprom and present the latest on the changes in ownership and control within the company.

 

RECOMMENDED that the Finance Scrutiny Committee notes the report.

Minutes:

Members considered the attached report DoR53/22 of the Interim Director of Resources, which sought to update the Finance Scrutiny Committee on the position regarding the Council’s contract with Gazprom and present the latest on the changes in ownership and control within the company.

 

The Interim Director of Resources clarified that the Council sought to clarify the legal position of exiting the contract prematurely. This would have resulted in the Council being in breach of the contract and incurring additional excessive costs. The contract is therefore ongoing; noting the structural changes to the ownership of the supplier as outlined in the report.

 

A Member enquired whether the continuation of the contract was in violation of sanctions. The Interim Director of Resources advised that the government had introduced a statutory instrument for the procurement process which would allow the Councils to accept bids which weren’t necessarily the cheapest further that no explicit response on the question of sanctions had been provided.

 

Proposed by Councillor Nicolson

Seconded by Councillor Burgin

 

andRESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted.

 

FSc/8/7/22

Work Programme 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 399 KB

To consider the attached report DoR55/22 of the Interim Director of Resources, which seeks to consider and approve the Finance Scrutiny Committee’s work programme 2022/23.

 

RECOMMENDED that the Finance Scrutiny Committee note and approve the work programme.

Minutes:

Members considered the report DoR55/22 of the Interim Director of Resources, which sought to consider and approve the Finance Scrutiny Committee’s work programme 2022/23.

 

Proposed by Councillor McCall

Seconded by Councillor Ryland

 

andRESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted and that the Finance Scrutiny Committee’s work programme 2022/23 be approved.

FSc/9/7/22

Any Other Items Which the Chair Decides are urgent

Minutes:

There were no other urgent items of business.

FSc/10/7/22

Date of Next Scheduled Meeting

The next scheduled meeting of this Committee be confirmed as Tuesday, 13th September 2022 at 6.45 p.m.

Minutes:

The date of the next meeting of the Finance Scrutiny Committee was confirmed as Tuesday, 13th September 2022 at 6:45 PM.