The Policy and Resources Committee met on Tuesday, 25 June 2024. The meeting focused on the council's performance and finances for the final quarter of 2023/24, as well as a significant proposal for redevelopment funding.

Council Performance in Q4 2023/24

The committee reviewed the council's performance in the final quarter of the fiscal year, as detailed in the Council Performance Delivery Q4 2023/24 report. This report measures performance against the objectives set out in the Council Plan 2023-27, which outlines the council's vision and priorities for the next few years.

The report indicated an overall increase in performance compared to the third quarter, with 84% of the activities measured showing improvement. Notably, the 'Environment' and 'Town Centres & Housing' categories saw the most significant improvements. However, there was a noted decline in the council's waste recycling rate, which dropped from 44.1% to 42.9% this quarter.

The Council's Finances

The committee also discussed the council's financial performance for the year, as presented in the 2023-24 GRA revenue outturn v3 report. The report revealed an overspend of £1.169 million against the overall General Revenue Account (GRA) budget of £13.7 million.

The overspend was mainly attributed to the use of agency staff to cover vacancies, particularly within the People and Places directorate, which accounted for £1.102 million of the pressure:

The largest pressure in Quarter 4 remains within the People and Places directorate at £1.102m. This pressure is mainly due to the continued use of agency staff to cover vacant posts, with recruitment still proving difficult in a number of service areas.

The report concluded that the overspend was not unexpected given the current economic climate.

Levelling Up Fund Round 3: North Meols Leisure Centre

A major topic of discussion was the proposal to apply for £20 million from Round 3 of the government's Levelling Up Fund to redevelop the North Meols Leisure Centre in Southport into a new community campus. The proposal, detailed in the North Meols Leisure Centre Section 106 Funding Report, includes plans for:

• A new swimming pool
• A new fitness suite
• A new sports hall
• A new library
• A new community centre

The committee voted to approve the funding request, with all but one councillor in favour. Councillor Adrian Johnson voted against the proposal, expressing concerns about the financial commitment:

I would like to propose that we defer this decision. I'm very concerned about the amount of money involved. £20m is a lot of money. And we're already looking at an overspend this year. I'm not convinced that we can afford this.

The redevelopment of the North Meols Leisure Centre is a significant project that aligns with the council's ongoing efforts to enhance community facilities and services. The approval of the funding request marks a crucial step forward in this initiative.

For more details on the meeting, you can access the full transcript.