Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from County Councillor T Hurn.

Vice-Chair County Councillor M Pattison chaired the meeting as the Chair had been delayed.

Members are asked to consider any pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the agenda.

None received.

Councillor G Baker asked if the Revenue Budget section within the Financial Monitoring report could include an action column to summarise the actions taken. The Director of Corporate Services (DoCS) confirmed that this could be implemented for some points within the report and would be reviewed for future reports.

Councillor G Baker asked about the accuracy of the forecast for interest rates from Arlingclose. The DoCS confirmed that Arlingclose were professional advisors used by a number of organisations and their forecasts were generally reliable, although a number of factors could impact forecasts such as election results.

Resolved: That the Minutes of the last meeting held on 27 November 2024 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Director of Corporate Services (DoCS) advised that this report set out the current budget position in respect of the 2024/25 revenue and capital budgets.

Revenue Budget

In February 2024 the Combined Fire Authority (CFA) agreed the Service’s 2024/25 revenue budget at £75.155m. This Financial Monitoring report was for the ten-month period to the end of January 2025. The forecast outturn was £74.066m, which was an underspend of (£1.089m). Of the forecast underspend, (£0.962m) related to non-pay costs, and (£0.127m) to pay costs.

The year-to-date and forecast positions within all departmental budgets were set out in Appendix 1 of the report, with the major variances of note shown separately in the table below.

Future Pressures

Emerging pressures to report to the Resources Committee included inflation forecasts. As reported to the CFA in February, government grants were increased by the September rate of inflation (1.7%). The latest rate of inflation was now 3% which was likely to put pressure on budgets in 2025/26.

There were no further new pressures to report since the last meeting, the green book pay award and firefighter employer pension contributions had been included in the 2025/26 budget approved by the CFA in February.

Savings Targets

A reduction in the contribution to Capital of £1.5m was agreed in the medium-term Financial Strategy resulting in a revenue contribution in 2024/25 of £2.5m. The budget had been reduced to this effect.

General Fund  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41/24

The next scheduled meeting of the Committee has been agreed for 10:00 hours on 02 July 2025 in the Main Conference Room, at Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service Headquarters, Fulwood.

Further meetings are:         scheduled for 24 September 2025

                                              proposed for 26 November 2025

The next meeting of the Committee would be held on Tuesday 1 July 2025 at 1000 hours in the Main Conference Room at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Fulwood.

Further meeting dates were noted for 24 September 2025 and 26 November 2025.

County Councillor S Serridge joined the meeting at 10:12.

The Committee is asked to consider whether, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, they consider that the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, indicated under the heading to the item.

Resolved: That the press and members of the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, indicated under the heading to the item.

(Paragraph 3)

(Paragraph 3)

The DoCS presented the proceedings of the Capital Projects Working Group held on 18 November 2024 and 3 February 2025.

Resolved: That the proceedings of the Capital Projects Working Group be noted.

(Paragraph 3)

(Paragraph 3)

Members considered a report that provided an update on all contracts for one-off purchases valued in excess of £100,000 and high value procurement projects in excess of £100,000 including: new contract awards, progress of ongoing projects and details of new projects.

Resolved: That the Committee noted and endorsed the report.

(Paragraphs 4 & 5)

(Paragraphs 4 and 5)

Members considered a report that provided an update on the various issues which had arisen in respect of the changes to the pension schemes applying to the uniformed members of the Fire Sector.

Resolved: That the committee noted the current situation.