Concerns about 'high financial risks' taken by North East Lincolnshire Council
CONCERNS have been raised about the “high financial risks” being taken by North East Lincolnshire Council.
Councillor Philip Jackson (Con, Waltham) suggested the authority was leaving itself with “a mountain to climb” after forecasting full-year overspend of £1.7 million at the end of the first quarter.
He drew particular attention to the environment, economy and housing directorate, which is forecasting an overspend of £4.5 million.
Speaking at a meeting of the council’s regeneration, housing and environment scrutiny panel, Councillor Jackson said: “That is a lot of money to make up over the rest of the financial year and I would be interested to see what measures were being put in place to try to claw that back.”
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Dave Tipple, head of performance and contract compliance at NELC, said the council was reviewing car parking and carrying out a programme of “asset rationalisation” in a bid to claw the money back.
He added: “We are unlikely to get that back this year and the economy is not helping us but we are working hard to mitigate any overspend.”
Councillor Peter Wheatley (Lab, Yarborough), the portfolio holder for regeneration and environment, told the panel: “The forecast is not out of line as much as it was this time last year. You can be assured that at the end of the financial year the budget will balance.”
Comments
by EnlightendOne
Thursday, September 27 2012, 11:24PM
“We all now how council budgets work - budget protection just in case you need to spend it - but at the end of the day as Mr Wheatley pointed out it will all come back to plan! Put simply - Never trust mid year subjective assessments from public bodies as they always project the worst so that we think they are wonderful when they deliver slightly worse than the original plan. Yawn - seen it a million times before!”
by Mrs_biggles
Thursday, September 27 2012, 1:02PM
“If you don't mind me adding to your suggestion ImmArthur, I think it would be well worth the council investing in a few thousand tins of canary or standard bright yellow tarmac quality paint and several hundred double wheeled rollers, each 100mm in width with say a 100mm gap.
Then, as many volunteers as are willing (force if necessary) to cover the entire road system of North East Lincolnshire and we would never want for budgeting again.”
by ImmArthur
Thursday, September 27 2012, 10:22AM
“Get some traffic wardens on the areas where double yellow abuse is well known. NELC would easily make a grand a day, net. That's a fifth of the shortfall made easily and roads made safer.
Arthur, Immingham”