The Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting discussed the legacy of the London Borough of Culture programme, the council's Medium Term Financial Strategy and Transformation Programme, and the Capital Programme. Key decisions included noting the report on the London Borough of Culture legacy, and noting the reports on the Medium Term Financial Strategy and Capital Programme. The committee also discussed its work programme for the coming months.

London Borough of Culture Legacy

Wandsworth Council is halfway through its year as London Borough of Culture (LBOC), and the committee received an update on the programme's progress and emerging legacy plans. The programme has been described as a significant success, engaging a wide range of artists, volunteers, and schools. The legacy framework is being built around four pillars: People, Partnership, Place, and Purpose.

The People strand aims to build a more connected and engaged community by empowering residents. This includes continuing to grow the network of Culture Heroes (volunteers) and maintaining the role of local Champions in decision-making for cultural grants.

The Partnership strand focuses on building lasting collaborations with creatives and businesses. This involves strengthening existing partnerships with institutions like TfL and forging new ones, such as with Sambrooks Brewery, to support local creatives and enhance Wandsworth's cultural offer.

The Place strand aims to raise Wandsworth's profile by showcasing its cultural offer and brand identity. This includes continuing regeneration work, such as on the Alton/Winstanley Estates, and identifying flagship events that can boost visitors and support local businesses.

The Purpose strand seeks to demonstrate the value of culture and build a future pipeline of talent and skills. This involves continuing to enhance school programmes and internships, and transitioning the Welcome to Wandsworth website into a permanent What's On guide.

Residents Ajit Jang-Northu and Tricia Folarin, both LBOC Champions, shared their experiences, highlighting the importance of community involvement in grant-making and the desire to see heritage and cultural traditions continue for future generations. They also spoke about the benefits of volunteering, including skill development and community connection.

Councillor Richard Jones, Leader of the Opposition, raised concerns about the lack of focus on historical aspects of Wandsworth's heritage, such as its role in the abolitionist movement and welcoming Huguenot refugees. Officers acknowledged these points and stated that while some programming has occurred, there is a desire to see more community-led initiatives in these areas.

The committee was encouraged to note the report, with a suggestion that future work programming could focus on embedding cultural aspects into schools and exploring the potential for a tourism strategy.

Medium Term Financial Strategy and Transformation Programme

The committee received an update on the council's Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and the new Transformation Programme. The MTFS highlights significant financial challenges facing the council, primarily due to rising demand in services like social care and housing, inflationary pressures, and proposed national funding reforms.

Councillor Ireland, Cabinet Member for Finance, explained that the council is in a strong financial position due to prudent management and reserves, but acknowledged the potential for a significant drop in future funding, estimated between £25m and £39m per year by 2028/29, due to the Fair Funding Review and business rates reset. The council is actively lobbying the government on these reforms.

To address these challenges, the council is launching an ambitious Transformation Programme, building on the previous Change Programme. This programme, supported by an initial £1.9m investment from the Financial Resilience Reserve, aims to drive innovation, harness digital advancements, and identify efficiencies to ensure long-term financial sustainability. The programme will focus on eight key portfolios, including Adult Social Care and Health, Children's Services, Resident Services, Place and Growth, Corporate Services, Early Intervention and Prevention, Single Resident and Business Interface, and Assets.

Chief Executive Andrew Travers emphasised that the transformation programme is not solely about efficiency but also about wider organisational change, service delivery, resident relationships, and the growth agenda. He highlighted demand management, growth, and asset utilisation as key areas of focus.

Concerns were raised by Councillor Graham about the executive summaries in the reports, which he felt were not informative enough for the public. Mrs. Merry, Executive Director of Finance, acknowledged this point and agreed to consider improvements.

The discussion also touched upon the council's commitment to making developers pay, with Councillor Ireland confirming that developer contributions are being used to fund community safety officers and half of the capital programme.

Councillor Corner questioned the extent to which the cabinet member for finance is tracking risks and conducting sensitivity analysis, and Councillor Apps inquired about the assessment of fair funding for the borough. Mrs. Merry explained the complexities of the fair funding review and the council's lobbying efforts.

Councillor Critchard raised the importance of involving staff and residents in the transformation process, echoing the principle of nothing about us without us. Mr. Travers confirmed that resident engagement is fundamental to the transformation programme, particularly in designing preventative services.

The committee also discussed the council's capital programme, with a significant portion allocated to areas like transport, children's services, and finance. The financing of the programme relies heavily on grants, developer contributions, and borrowing.

Capital Programme

The committee reviewed the General Fund Capital Programme, which outlines planned investments totalling £423.7m over five years. This includes a Committed Capital Programme of £261.5m and a Development Pool of £162.2m. The programme aims to invest in roads, pavements, libraries, waste services, leisure centres, and open spaces as part of the council's decade of renewal.

Councillor Corner raised concerns about the detail provided in the capital programme papers, suggesting that more information is needed to enable effective scrutiny. Councillor Stock, the Chair, acknowledged this and proposed a dedicated work programming session to address the issue.

Councillor Critchard inquired about the timeline for the Nine Elms Linear Park project, which has been ongoing since 2014. Officers committed to providing an update on its progress.

Councillor Apps highlighted the importance of incorporating resident views into the capital programme, suggesting the use of tools like commonplace and roadshows to gather feedback. Mrs. Merry indicated that resident engagement is already a feature of some projects, such as the leisure centres and the Falcon Road Underpass, and that this approach is being considered for other housing projects.

Councillor Fraser linked capital investment to community safety, suggesting that projects should consider how they can improve the perception and reality of safety in public spaces.

Councillor Graham raised concerns about the significant level of borrowing (£133.9m) and the dwindling section 106 and CIL receipts, questioning the revenue streams for future projects. Mrs. Merry clarified that the table shows the use of these receipts, not the forecast, and that while there is a pipeline of future contributions, the economic climate and changes to the New Homes Bonus will impact revenue.

The committee also discussed the restructuring of housing and environment services under a single directorate, with Councillor Graham expressing concern that this might lead to housing being overlooked. Mr. Chadwick, the Executive Director for Resident Services, and Councillor Dickerdom, Cabinet Member for Housing, defended the restructure, arguing it would improve seamlessness, enhance resident experience, and ensure parity of esteem for social housing tenants. They also highlighted that the previous directorates were smaller than in previous years and that the new structure is intended to be more collaborative and efficient.

Work Programme

The committee discussed its work programme for the coming months, with a list of potential items including the MTFS, budget setting, treasury management, capital programme, customer service, the transformation programme, cost of living, VCS strategy, economic development, LBOC legacy, complaints, and KPI reporting.

Councillor Corner reiterated the need for substantive decision-making papers from Cabinet to be brought to the committee for scrutiny. Councillor Stock acknowledged this and suggested that members should actively engage with the Forward Plan of Key Decisions to identify areas of interest for pre-decision scrutiny.

Councillor Graham expressed concern that the shift in committee structures had not yet led to earlier engagement in policy development, as intended. He suggested that members should proactively share their areas of interest with officers to facilitate timely scrutiny.

The committee agreed to hold a dedicated work programming session with officers to prioritise topics and determine the most effective scrutiny methods, such as Task and Finish groups.

The meeting concluded with members agreeing to note the reports presented.