Meeting Details

The Treasurer presented the Budget Monitoring 2024/25 Quarter 3 report for Members to scrutinise the current position on the revenue and capital budgets for 2024/25 and to give an update on Treasury Management.

Since the Core Budget of £43.588m was set by the Authority in February 2023, Members noted the revenue budget allocation adjustments in respect of the April 2024 pay award which would require an additional £0.045m transfer from the Budget Reduction Reserve.

With regard to the Capital Budget, Members noted that the recently approved increase to the Hereford scheme had now been moved to the Major Building section of the report as contracts had now been signed. Members noted that the Budget available to be spent in 2024/25 was £3.184m. 

The Treasurer confirmed that the Authority was still significantly "under-borrowed" to the extent of £10m, the shortfall was funded by disinvesting the large cash balances held in relation to the ear-marked revenue reserves. As the Invest to Improve programme progresses this cash will be used up and additional long-term borrowing would be required.

RESOLVED that the Committee:

i)   Confirmed the revenue budget allocation adjustments in respect of the April pay 2024 award;

ii)  Noted the current projection of a £0.045m (0.1%) revenue overspending; and

iii) Noted the previously approved changes to the Capital Budget.

The Chief Fire Officer updated Members on the progress in delivering the actions set out in the Environmental Sustainability Plan 2021-2025.

Members noted that the current Plan comes to its conclusion at the end of the year and Officers will now start working on the next five-year Plan to come to Members in 2026 which will look to progress environmental sustainability further, invest where possible and measure and report outcomes.

Members requested that the next report include figures for comparative data.

RESOLVED that Members note the update, confirming the progress made against the revised actions approved by the Fire Authority in June 2023.

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer - Director of Protection and Assets provided an update on the current property programme.

Members were pleased to note that the contractors at the new Redditch Fire Station had handed over a few weeks early following the scheduled 86-week build programme and were very helpful in getting the crew in and settled.

With regard to the new Hereford Fire Station, the contracts for the temporary station in Mortimer Road had now been agreed and signed. The proposed programme for the main St Owen Street Fire Station had been set at approximately 85 weeks, with a practical completion date proposed as January 2027.

Members noted that planning permission had now been granted for the North Herefordshire Strategic Training Facility and a number of proposed layout options had been provided by the architects for the relocation of Training Centre to Wyre Forest Fire Station.

The Chief Fire Officer stated that over the last decade investment had been substantial throughout the two Counties, in particular in Herefordshire with upgrades to insulation and modern electrical heating systems being progressed at Fownhope, Whitchurch, Kington and Leominster Fire Stations.

RESOLVED that Members noted the update, confirming the capital build programme progress at Redditch and Hereford.

The Assistant Chief Officer - Director of Prevention presented a summary of the Service's Quarter 3 performance for scrutiny.

Members noted that the total number of incidents attended in Quarter 3 of 2024/25 had decreased by 2% to 2,046 compared to the same quarter of 2023/24. Members also noted that 1,793 Home Fire Safety Visits were completed in Q3 of 2024/25, 366 (20%) were delivered by Prevention Technicians and 1,427 (80%) were delivered by operational crews.

The number of Protection inspections conducted had increased to 451, up from 333 inspections in Quarter 3 last year.

Total enforcements had increased by 2 (14%) compared to Quarter 3 last year. 

With regard to the Attendance Performance Measure (APM), out of the 488 incidents examined this quarter, 388 (80%) met the APM. The three main reasons given for the AMP not met were road obstructions, difficulty locating the incident address and poor weather conditions.

It was noted that the APM was missed for around half of the water rescue mobilisations due to dressing in specialist PPE taking longer. Officers agreed to undertake further work to consider how best to report this in the future.

Members noted that the availability for the first on-call appliance was 79.8% this quarter. Members requested further data for comparison with previous quarters.

RESOLVED that the Committee noted the details of the Q3 2024 to 2025 performance headlines, in particular that:

i)   A total of 2,046 incidents were attended in Q3 2024 to 2025 which was a decrease of 2% (-33 incidents) compared to Q3 2023 to 2024.

ii)  Fire incidents (340) were 9% higher in number (+27 incidents) than in Q3 2023 to 2024 and above the five-year average of 322.

iii) Special Services incidents (718) increased by 3% (+18 incidents) compared to the number in Q3 2023 to 2024 with road traffic collisions (RTCs) up by 13% (+22 incidents)

iv) False alarm incidents (988) were 7% fewer in number (-78 incidents) compared with Q3 2023 to 2024.