An East Lancashire local authority is on target to underspend its budget for 2024/25.

A report on the financial position of Hyndburn Council for the first six months of the financial year up to September 30 estimates that by March 31 next year it will have a surplus of £85,000.

The document from finance boss Cllr Noordad Aziz will be debated at the borough's cabinet meeting today (WEDNESDAY).

It says: "The Full Council meeting on February 27 2024 agreed a budget for the council’s total spend in 2024/25 of £16.122million.

"The current forecast spend to the end of the financial year in March 2025 is £16.037m, a forecast underspend for the year against the budget to £85,000.

"The forecast outturn position for environmental health is an overspend of £30,000.

"Environmental protection are forecasting a £30,000 overspend mainly due to spending on agency staff to cover a vacancy. This vacancy is expected to be filled on a permanent basis from January 2025.

"The forecast outturn position for Environmental Services is an overspend of £43,000.

"The main reasons for this are: environmental maintenance are forecasting an underspend (of £8,000) due to savings from staffing vacancies. Other environmental services are forecasting an overspend of £6,000 due to an increase in animal kennelling costs.

"Parks and cemeteries are forecasting an overspend of £90,000 due to higher than expected inflationary increases on contracts and utility services provided in the cemetery and crematorium.

Town centre and markets are forecasting an underspend of £40,000 due to savings from staffing vacancies.

"Waste services are forecasting an underspend of £5,000 mainly due to staffing savings of £18,000 from unfilled posts, offset against an increase of £13,000 in vehicle hire costs and the cost of vehicle fuel.

"The forecast outturn position for legal and democratic services is an underspend of £23,000.

"The forecast outturn position for planning and transportation is an underspend of £24,000.

The forecast outturn position for regeneration and housing is an overspend of £35,000.

"Economic development is forecasting to spend an additional £53,000 in respect of costs for Huncoat Garden Village. This spend may be recoverable should the cabinet agree to accept the Brownfield Infrastructure and Land Fund grant offer from Homes England.

"The forecast outturn position for resources is an overspend of £873,000.

"The forecast outturn position for non-service income and expenditure is an underspend of £1.125M."

The council is currently forecasting to receive additional treasury investment income of £971,000 due to interest rates remaining higher for longer than was forecast.