A North Lincolnshire Council cabinet report has been accidentally published with internal council officer comments.
The comments include questions raised about the council’s staff vacancy policy and its transport fleet. Eight comments in total were inadvertently published, and most relate to the phrasing of an earlier version of the report.
One, on forecast transport budget overspend this year of £1.3m, asks “Are we not investing in better fleet? – this could bite us.” The transport overspend includes £0.5m for maintenance costs.
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The overall council budget forecasts an underspend in 2023/24. Another report element commented on is £3.7m underspend forecast on council employment costs. The report states this is due to vacancies across the council. The inadvertently published officer comment asks, “Are we sitting on vacancies to artificially reduce spend?”
The other comments essentially instruct or query wording of a prior draft of the report. One such asks for context on the council’s borrowing, noting it has not borrowed for several years until this latest year. The published report states the local authority had not borrowed since 2020.
North Lincolnshire Council were contacted for opportunity to comment on the accidental publishing and the comments made. A council spokesperson said: “A report was inadvertently published which showed some of the workings out, a completely normal, every day practice in relation to any and all paperwork.
“It is critically important that information for decision making is accurate and properly reflects the position so that councillors are accurately sighted and residents properly informed.”
In March 2023, the council announced £1.5m investment in its refuse fleet collection vehicles, ordering in seven new trucks. Two new sweeping machines also began to be used this year. When the council apologised for missed brown bin collections last month, the council leader Cllr Rob Waltham rejected Labour claims of overdue fleet investment and that had had a part to play as well as staff sickness rates.
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During the council’s budget setting process for 2024/25, the Labour opposition group highlighted plans to not fill vacancies of more than three months. The council’s new chief executive, Alison Barker, attended her first full council meeting on February 22.
A special appointment and employment committee meeting in late February also agreed to make permanent temporary management structure arrangements. A director of communities was appointed. It was also agreed to begin recruitment for a director of children and families, a director of adults and health, and for the legal monitoring officer position.
A host of senior council officers handed in their notices over several months last year, some to pursue more significant roles elsewhere.
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
