P_R 150824 Item 18 Weather Update Motion

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Policy and Resources Committee, Thursday 15th August 2024
Agenda Item 18 – October 2023 Weather Event Update – Motion 
The Council: 
1. Acknowledges the sheer scale and severity of the impact on local infrastructure during the
storms of October 2023 and recognises the complexity and speed of the response delivered
by the Council at pace to restore vital routes and reinstate access to cut-off communities; 
2. Notes the updates on works undertaken, completed and ongoing; 
3. Notes the revised forecast overspend of £3.853m that is currently unfunded; 
4. Agrees that the roads reconstruction schemes should continue and the overspend be funded
as follows: 
£m
Utilise some of the unallocated capital funding for street lighting
and cable and column replacements
0.100
Use Priorities Investment Fund 0.944
Use Crown Estate Funding * 0.780
Borrowing for additional expenditure and use £50k in the loans
fund for street lighting improvements towards the cost of
borrowing**
2.029
Total 3.853 
*It being noted that the Crown Estate Funding for 2024-25 has not been confirmed as yet
and therefore requesting the Section 95 Officer to advise Members by the end of the
calendar year if funding has not been confirmed by that time or if funding confirmed is
insufficient (further noting that £0.500m has already been confirmed as part of the 2024-25
budget). 
**It being noted that much of the overspend is revenue in nature and that the Council
cannot borrow for revenue expenditure.  Further noting that the funding created from the
additional borrowing will be substituted towards capital programme expenditure that was
originally being funded by earmarked reserves and those earmarked reserves used for the
weather related revenue expenditure.  The cost to borrow is estimated to be £130k and
£50k can be used from the loans fund revenue set aside for street lighting, leaving a net cost
pressure of £80k that should be built into future years budget estimates.   
5. Recognises that local authorities require additional support to cope with increasingly
challenging and unforeseen impacts of severe weather and climate change, especially for
Argyll and Bute whose rural and island communities absolutely depend upon reliable lifeline
routes and infrastructure, and therefore agrees to lobby for both the funding that is needed
now, and effective forward/longer term planning which addresses the need to maintain and
safeguard infrastructure resilience as a key contributor to growing, thriving local and
national economies. 
Proposed: Cllr Jim Lynch  Seconder: Cllr Gary Mulvaney