Estimated £7.6m capital budget underspend at Horsham District Council

Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre was one of several capital projects that saw significant project underspends by the council in 2014/15

According to Horsham District Council’s figures spending on capital projects was £5.2m in 2014/15 against a revised budget of £12.8m.

Unused budgets for capital schemes in progress will be carried forward to 2015/16 totalling £7.2m, while the council’s revenue budget for the year added up to a £911,000 underspend.

Major capital schemes budgeted for 2014/15 included:

- £1.15m towards new build of Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre

Only £51,372 was spent on ‘preparatory work’. It was suggested late last year that the facility could be kept and remodelled rather than being demolished and replaced.

- £1.128m towards replacing some of the vehicle fleet

But just £194,793 was spent and the replacement scheme was reduced significantly and the budget will be moved to 2015/16.

- £1.08m was earmarked for the office move

Just £442,255 was spent, but the figure is the total budget for the entire project and major items will occur in 2015/16.

- £996,000 was budgeted for redevelopment of Hop Oast’s waste depot

But £11,088 was spent as the works have been ‘reprofiled’ into future years.

- £909,510 was flagged for community and culture projects

Only £340,778 was spent and a number of projects have slipped into next year

- £617,697 was budgeted for car parks fabric and equipment

Just £29,474 was spent on completing preliminary work with the major spend due in 2015/16.

- £358,171 was earmarked for town centre improvements

But £141,436 has been spent so far, with the project progressing into the next financial year.

Meanwhile the £911,000 underspend in the revenue budget is mostly made up of departmental underspends, additional income, and the review of the Housing Benefit Subsidy having less impact than expected.

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