Agenda, decisions and minutes


Venue: Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury, OX15 4AA

Contact: Natasha Clark, Democratic and Elections  Email: natasha.clark@cherwellandsouthnorthants.gov.uk, 01295 221589

Media

Items
No. Item

88.

Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest that they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

89.

Petitions and Requests to Address the Meeting

The Chairman to report on any requests to submit petitions or to address the meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no petitions or requests to address the meeting.

90.

Urgent Business

The Chairman to advise whether they have agreed to any item of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

91.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 240 KB

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 4 December 2017.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 4 December 2017 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

92.

Chairman's Announcements

To receive communications from the Chairman.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

 

93.

Bespoke / Custom Build Mortgage Pilot Scheme pdf icon PDF 204 KB

Report of Executive Director: Finance and Governance

 

Purpose of report

 

To consider joining a version of the existing Local Authority Mortgage Schemes (LAMS) which was developed by Arlingclose to promote access to self/custom build home ownership within the district. It sets out the Bespoke/Custom Build (BCB) scheme which offers support to local people to access self/custom build houses by reducing the risk of self-build and provides a return to the council which could be reinvested in housing related activities.    

 

Recommendations

            

The meeting is recommended to:

 

 1.1        Agree to join the Bespoke/Custom Build (BCB) scheme, but limited to an initial pilot scheme of 10 BCB mortgages, for launch in early 2018. 

 

1.2       Delegate authority to the Executive Director: Finance and Governance, in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management, to extend the scheme to new applications once the success of the pilot has been assessed and further capital funding is in place for additional bridging loans.

 

1.3       Delegate authority to the Executive Director: Finance and Governance, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer and Lead Member for Financial Management, to enter into legal agreements required for the BCB scheme where land is owned by third parties.

 

1.4       Delegate authority to the Executive Director: Wellbeing, in consultation with the Executive Director: Place & Growth and the Lead Member for Housing and the Lead Member for Estates & Economy to set the criteria for prioritising access to the scheme for applicants with a local connection.

 


Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)          That agreement be given to join the Bespoke/Custom Build (BCB) scheme, but limited to an initial pilot scheme of 10 BCB mortgages, for launch in early 2018. 

 

(2)          That authority be delegated to the Executive Director: Finance and Governance, in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management, to extend the scheme to new applications once the success of the pilot has been assessed and further capital funding is in place for additional bridging loans.

 

(3)          That authority be delegated to the Executive Director: Finance and Governance, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer and Lead Member for Financial Management, to enter into legal agreements required for the Bespoke/Custom Build scheme where land is owned by third parties.

 

(4)          That authority be delegated to the Executive Director: Wellbeing, in consultation with the Executive Director: Place & Growth and the Lead Member for Housing and the Lead Member for Estates & Economy to set the criteria for prioritising access to the scheme for applicants with a local connection.

 


Minutes:

The Executive Director: Finance and Governance submitted a report to consider joining a version of the existing Local Authority Mortgage Schemes (LAMS) which was developed by Arlingclose to promote access to self/custom build home ownership within the district. It sets out the Bespoke/Custom Build (BCB) scheme which offers support to local people to access self/custom build houses by reducing the risk of self-build and provides a return to the council which could be reinvested in housing related activities. 

 

Resolved

 

(1)          That agreement be given to join the Bespoke/Custom Build (BCB) scheme, but limited to an initial pilot scheme of 10 BCB mortgages, for launch in early 2018. 

 

(2)          That authority be delegated to the Executive Director: Finance and Governance, in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management, to extend the scheme to new applications once the success of the pilot has been assessed and further capital funding is in place for additional bridging loans.

 

(3)          That authority be delegated to the Executive Director: Finance and Governance, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer and Lead Member for Financial Management, to enter into legal agreements required for the Bespoke/Custom Build scheme where land is owned by third parties.

 

(4)          That authority be delegated to the Executive Director: Wellbeing, in consultation with the Executive Director: Place & Growth and the Lead Member for Housing and the Lead Member for Estates & Economy to set the criteria for prioritising access to the scheme for applicants with a local connection.

 

Reasons

 

The scheme has been developed as an evolution of the local authority mortgage scheme (LAMS) to be relevant and available for customers wanting to self or custom build. The approach generates small returns for the authority and as a partnership activity does not require significant investment in people and expertise to run the scheme. The primary benefits are the ability to start small and test the extent to which the product may increase access to the self-build market.

 

Alternative options

 

Option 1: To not join the scheme. This option has been rejected because the council may fail to meet housing needs in the district.

 

Option 2: To join the scheme without first conducting a pilot. This option has been rejected because it is more prudent to test the waters with a pilot to manage the expectations of the custom and self build community.

94.

Council Tax Base 2018-2019 pdf icon PDF 210 KB

Report of Executive Director: Finance and Governance

 

Purpose of report

 

To provide Executive with an estimate of the Council Tax Base for 2018-2019 and seek approval for the final determination of the Council Tax Base to be delegated to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management.

 

Recommendations

            

The meeting is recommended:

 

1.1       That the report of the Executive Director: Finance and Governance for the calculation of the Council’s Tax Base for 2018-2019 be considered and:

 

(a)          That pursuant to the Executive Director: Finance and Governance’s report and in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Cherwell District Council as its Council Tax Base for the year 2018-2019 shall be 52,681.6 This shall be subject to final confirmation by the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management.

                      

            (b)       As for the parishes which form part of its area shown in Appendix 2, the amount calculated as the Council Tax Base for the year 2018-2019 in respect of special items shall be as indicated in the column titled Tax Base 2018-2019.

 

            (c)        As for the Flood Defence Areas which form part of its area, the amount calculated as the Council Tax Base for the year 2018-2019 for the purposes of levies on Oxfordshire County Council by River Authorities, shall be:

Thames Flood Defence Area

50,381.7

Anglian (Great Ouse)  Flood Defence Area

1,864.7

Severn Region Flood Defence Area                                   

435.2

52,681.6.

                       

 

                       

                       

 

 

1.2       To delegate final approval of the Council Tax Base for 2018-2019 to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved

 

(1)          That having given due consideration to the report of the Executive Director: Finance and Governance for the calculation of the Council’s Tax Base for 2018-2019, the following be agreed:

 

(a)          That pursuant to the Executive Director: Finance and Governance’s report and in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Cherwell District Council as its Council Tax Base for the year 2018-2019 shall be 52,681.6 This shall be subject to final confirmation by the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management.

                      

            (b)       As for the parishes which form part of its area shown in the annex to the Minutes (as set out in the Minute Book), the amount calculated as the Council Tax Base for the year 2018-2019 in respect of special items shall be as indicated in the column titled Tax Base 2018-2019.

 

            (c)        As for the Flood Defence Areas which form part of its area, the amount calculated as the Council Tax Base for the year 2018-2019 for the purposes of levies on Oxfordshire County Council by River Authorities, shall be:

Thames Flood Defence Area

50,381.7

Anglian (Great Ouse)  Flood Defence Area

1,864.7

Severn Region Flood Defence Area                                   

435.2

52,681.6.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)          That final approval of the Council Tax Base for 2018-2019 be delegated to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management.

 

Minutes:

The Executive Director: Finance and Governance submitted a report to provide Executive with an estimate of the Council Tax Base for 2018-2019 and seek approval for the final determination of the Council Tax Base to be delegated to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management.

 

Resolved

 

(1)          That having given due consideration to the report of the Executive Director: Finance and Governance for the calculation of the Council’s Tax Base for 2018-2019, the following be agreed:

 

(a)          That pursuant to the Executive Director: Finance and Governance’s report and in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Cherwell District Council as its Council Tax Base for the year 2018-2019 shall be 52,681.6 This shall be subject to final confirmation by the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management.

                      

            (b)       As for the parishes which form part of its area shown in the annex to the Minutes (as set out in the Minute Book), the amount calculated as the Council Tax Base for the year 2018-2019 in respect of special items shall be as indicated in the column titled Tax Base 2018-2019.

 

            (c)        As for the Flood Defence Areas which form part of its area, the amount calculated as the Council Tax Base for the year 2018-2019 for the purposes of levies on Oxfordshire County Council by River Authorities, shall be:

Thames Flood Defence Area

50,381.7

Anglian (Great Ouse)  Flood Defence Area

1,864.7

Severn Region Flood Defence Area                                   

435.2

52,681.6.

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)          That final approval of the Council Tax Base for 2018-2019 be delegated to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management.

 

Reasons

 

For the purposes of Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the Council is required to calculate the tax base (which will be used for tax setting purposes in February 2018) in respect of:

 

(a)  the whole of its area and;

(b)  for any parts of its area for the purposes of:

(i)            Apportioning precepts and levies and;

(ii)          Calculating the tax base for each area subject to a special item

 

Alternative options

 

Option 1: None. The Council has to set a tax base in order to set its council tax for 2018-2019.