The Corporate Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the council's performance and finances for the first quarter of 2025/26. Councillors reviewed performance against the Council Delivery Plan, raised concerns about specific areas, and provided feedback to be passed on to the Cabinet. The committee also reviewed the Finance Update for the first quarter, covering both the General Fund and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

Finance Update - Quarter 1 2025/26

The committee reviewed the financial performance of the council for the first quarter of 2025/26, examining both the General Fund and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

General Fund: The General Fund Finance Update reported a forecast underspend of £113,000 for the financial year. Key points included:

• Staffing: An overspend of £213,000 was attributed to agency costs and the failure to meet the 3% vacancy control factor¹.
• Income: An underspend of £381,000 was due to voids in commercial leasehold properties and market stalls, offset by additional Extended Producer Responsibility Payment grant income.
• Expenditure: An overspend of £165,000 was linked to vehicle repairs and maintenance, and discretionary housing payments.
• Savings Programme: The 2025/26 Savings Programme is on track, with £19,000 in savings achieved and £527,000 expected to be achieved.
• Treasury Management: Investment interest income for the General Fund investments is forecast at £270,000, an increase of £120,000.

Housing Revenue Account (HRA): The Housing Revenue Account Finance Update showed a forecast underspend of £46,000 for the 2025/26 financial year. This was against a budgeted underspend of £62,000. The report noted a one-off pressure of £16,000 due to a higher than anticipated pay award of 3.2%. The approved capital active programme budget for the HRA is £12.565 million, with £0.658 million (5.2%) spent by the end of Quarter 1.

Performance Monitoring Report - Quarter 1 2025/26

The committee reviewed the Quarterly Performance Monitoring Report for the first quarter of 2025/26, which monitors the Council Delivery Plan. Key discussion points included:

• Planning and Regeneration: The Planning and Development Team exceeded national targets for processing applications. Good progress was being made on the Coalville Regeneration Framework, with active development on council-led projects.
• Housing and Communities: 100% compliance was achieved in contacting landlords regarding non-compliance with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). Food safety standards improved, with 81.9% of food businesses achieving a hygiene rating of 5 (very good). However, resident satisfaction with housing services and repairs had declined, although in-year monitoring suggested improvement. A recovery plan for the repairs service is in place.
• Clean and Green: Enforcement of the 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) on developments was in place. The Council's Tree, Hedgerow, and Woodland Management Strategy had been published.
• A Well-run Council: 74% of complaints were responded to within the expected timeframe, falling short of the 90% target. The 2023/24 accounts were still being produced. Work had commenced on the 2026/27 budget-setting process, with officers tasked to identify savings opportunities.

Items for Inclusion in the Future Work Programme

The committee considered items for inclusion in the future work programme,