This meeting of the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee will include a report from the Leader of the Council, Councillor Mark Stephenson, about the outcome of Portfolio Holder reviews of project management, a report on the procurement of a new waste and recycling service contract and a report on the External Auditor’s assessment of the Council’s value for money arrangements.

Portfolio Holder Projects – Performance and Project Management

The committee will hear a report from the Leader of the Council about the outcome of reviews of project performance and management by Portfolio Holders. The reviews were requested by the Committee at its meeting on 23 September 2024 following the discovery of unauthorized expenditure incurred during the refurbishment of Spendells House, Walton-on-the-Naze, and considered by Cabinet on 15 November.

The report states that:

The intention of this item and the invitation to the Leader of the Council to attend the Committee’s meeting to discuss the reviews undertaken of performance and project management by Portfolio Holders of projects within their respective remits is to enable the Committee to assess whether any recommendations around those arrangements need to be submitted to Cabinet.

Waste and Recycling Service Procurement

The committee will be updated on the procurement of a new contract for waste and recycling collection and street cleaning.

The report reminds the committee that the Council:

has a statutory duty to collect household waste and recycling from homes in the District.

and that:

From 2026, the Council will be required under provisions in the Environment Act 2021 to collect a wider range of recyclable material and as such any new service commencing in 2026 must be compliant with this requirement.

The report also states that the Council is considering leasing the existing Fowler Road depot, Clacton-on-Sea to the new contractor.

External Auditor’s Value For Money Commentary

The committee will hear a report from the Director of Finance & IT on the findings of the External Auditor's Combined Annual Report. The report contains the Auditor's assessment of the Council’s value for money arrangements and covers the years ending 31 March 2021, 31 March 2022 and 31 March 2023.

The report reminds the committee that:

Careful planning to ensure financial stability underpins the Council’s capacity and ability to deliver against its objectives and priorities. Both the capital and revenue budgets of the authority are prepared and monitored with the aim of supporting these key objectives. The outturn position, associated Statement of Accounts and External Audit reports and commentary reflects this approach and supports the success of the Council’s financial planning processes.