Overview and Scrutiny Meeting

Overview and Scrutiny 28 January

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Members of the Overview and Scrutiny committee discussed the council’s budget-setting on Tuesday 28 January.

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Citizens Advice

Victoria Manning-Monro of Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) outlined the difficulties of continuing to provide support to local residents as demand increases for advice and assistance. Epping Forest District Council provides significant funding and accommodation in support of the CAB. Ms Manning-Monro appealed to councillors not to reduce grant aid to the CAB as the council grapples with another tough budget-setting round for 2025/26.

Finance portfolio holder Councillor Holly Whitbread assured Ms Manning-Monro that councillors are listening. There is general acceptance and support for the good work CAB does. While promises cannot be made, Councillor Janet Whitehouse said that the comments received would help to inform councillors’ budget decisions in the next few weeks.

Cottis Yard car park

Councillor John Whitehouse reported the potential call-in of the cabinet decision to transfer Cottis Yard car park from Qualis into direct council ownership and control.

Local Government reorganisation

As part of his third quarter budget report, Strategic Director Andrew Small confirmed the need to review strategic projects following the announcement of local Government reorganisation. Epping Forest District Council’s general fund is projected to underspend by approximately £543,000 in 2024/25. The housing revenue account is also projected to underspend by more than £100,000, marginally easing budget pressures heading into the next financial year.

Mr Small said that ICT projects are among those to be reviewed in light of the local Government reorganisation announcements, to ensure the council avoids expenditure that might not be appropriate for a new structure.

Following an invitation by Overview and Scrutiny Chairman, Councillor Roger Baldwin, councillors asked for devolution and local reorganisation to be added to the committee work programme.

Empty homes

Empty housing should be brought back into use as quickly as possible. Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee supported the drive to increase occupancy of second and empty homes.

Epping Forest District Council applies Council Tax premiums for empty properties as part of its drive to reduce homelessness. Further premiums are applied to second homes which also stand empty for prolonged periods. Overview and Scrutiny supported proposals to Cabinet for enhancements to the scheme allowing additional charges on empty and second properties to be applied more quickly.

Draft budget

Councillor Holly Whitbread provided a high-level overview of the draft budget 2025/26. She thanked Councillor Baldwin and his colleagues for the helpful and constructive input of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Areas such as Epping Forest are receiving less Government funding as the 2025/26 financial settlement focuses on other councils. At £172 for a Band D property, Councillor Whitbread said she believed the council’s projected share of Council Tax represented very good value for money for council services.

Councillors went into some depth and detail on the transfer proposal for Cottis Yard car park and its impact on the draft budget. Councillor Jon Whitehouse called for the Cabinet decision to transfer ownership to the council to be reviewed.

Stressing that the budget is still in draft, Councillor Whitbread emphasised that she and cabinet colleagues were still listening right up to the final agreement of the budget.

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