Council leaders have been criticised for failing to discuss an overspend of more than £2 million when it was reported to them by senior staff.

A report to Bracknell Forest Council’s executive committee – its leading group of councillors – said the council was on course to spend up to £2.2 million more than it budgeted for by the end of March.

But when the Labour council’s leading members met to discuss the report in public on January 23, none of them spoke about it or asked questions of senior officers in charge of spending. Now an opposition Conservative councillor has said he is ‘disappointed’ in the council’s leaders.

The predicted overspend was included in a report on the council’s performance in quarter two of the financial year. It covers July to September 2023. However by the time council leaders came to discuss it in public in January, it was three months out of date.

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They were told that there had since been 'positive improvement' by Katie Flint – a senior member of council staff – when she introduced the report. But the councillors spent less than five minutes discussing the report – and didn’t ask about or mention the overspend at all.

Conservative opposition councillor Robert McLean criticised the Labour council leaders for failing to show the public they understood the report and that they were holding senior staff to account.

He told the News: “I was disappointed. Local government or any form of government or corporate life works on the basis of effective checks and balances and I would expect that the executive would act in that regard with regard to reports from senior officers.

“Because it’s a public meeting there needs to be a demonstration that the executive fully understands what’s been explained to them and are also asking questions about those numbers and how they might affect the outturn.”

But Labour council leader Mary Temperton said she and the other executive councillors would have a ‘meaningful’ discussion on updated figures when they discuss next year’s budget in early February.

A new report to be discussed by the executive committee on Tuesday, February 6, says the predicted overspend is now less than £500,000.

Councillor Temperton told the News: “The budget considerations at the moment are an ever-changing picture. The next executive meeting is on February 6 and the budget will be a major consideration at that meeting.

“All changes should then be included and a meaningful discussion on the actual figures take place. There will be much more insight on recent performance along with the budget.

She added: “Officers are working very hard to bring down the overspend and are making tough decisions as well as process the information received from government about extra funding.”

Liberal Democrat and Green Party councillors said they support Labour’s efforts to make the council more open and transparent. But they said they accept that some discussions between council leaders and senior staff have to take place internally before they can be presented to the public.