Agenda item

The item was introduced by the Area Council Manager, which provided Members with the financial position and forecast for expenditure based on the projects that had been proposed.

The Anti-Poverty Community Outreach Project had received approval for a contract extension to the existing waiver until 30 June 2023.  Members would be provided with an update at the next meeting.

At the last meeting held in November 2022, B Beatson, Housing and Cohesion Officer had announced that he would depart the Housing and Cohesion position in December 2022.  Following an unsuccessful recruitment round, an advertisement for the vacant North and Central Housing and Cohesion Officer posts would shortly be readvertised.

In relation to the Stronger Communities Grant 2022/23, the financial position would form a key point for discussion at the next Area Council meeting due to the cost of living crisis, inflation increase and the impacts this could have on the contract    prices.  At the Area Chairs Meeting scheduled to be held on

18 January 2023, Councillor Leech would ascertain whether any of the other Area Chairs had encountered an increase in the contract prices.

The Area Manager confirmed that Appendix 1 to the report, which provided a proposed expenditure for the North Area Council from April 2022 to March 2024, would be reconfigured for the next meeting to provide an understanding of the surplus budget and the profiled projects/services.

RECOMMENDED:-

(i)      that the existing budget position and the existing funding commitments be noted;

(ii)     that the discussion regarding the Clean and Green Contract, section 3.1 be noted.  Full details were available in Item 5 of the agenda.

(iii)    that the update regarding the recruitment for the Housing and Cohesion Officer role be noted.

(iv)    that it be noted that following two workshops in October, the North Area’s Cost of Living Crisis response was on hold, section 5.2.

(v)    that the updated projected spend at Appendix 1 be noted.