Agenda, decisions and minutes

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

There were no declarations of interest.

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

There was no urgent business.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 8 October, 2013.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 8 October 2013 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

The Chairman had no announcements.

The following reports contain exempt information as defined in the following paragraph(s) of Part 1, Schedule 12A of Local Government Act 1972.

3– Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Members are reminded that whilst the following items have been marked as exempt, it is for the meeting to decide whether or not to consider each of them in private or in public. In making the decision, members should balance the interests of individuals or the Council itself in having access to the information. In considering their discretion members should also be mindful of the advice of Council Officers.

No representations have been received from the public requesting that this item be considered in public.

Should Members decide not to make a decision in public, they are recommended to pass the following recommendation:

“That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business, on the grounds that they could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) 2 of Schedule 12A of that Act.”

Resolved

That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business, on the grounds that they could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of that Act.

** Please note the report and appendix will follow as the informal Budget Planning Committee meeting will be held after agenda dispatch **

Exempt Report of Director of Resources

Purpose of report

To provide the Budget Planning Committee with an update on the capital bids for the Council’s 2014-15 capital programme.

Resolved

(1)          That, all schemes scoring 21 points or more be recommended to Executive for approval with the following two exceptions:

(a)  Bid 24 is to be subject to a review of the funding options to determine the most efficient means of addressing the replacement of the vehicles.

(b)  Bid 39 is to be subject to consideration of funding through the revenue budget.

(2)          That a report be submitted to a future meeting advising on the suitability of alternative funding methods such as loans and rural grants.

(3)          That the Budget Planning Committee considers establishing a Working Review group to understand how the IT bids link to the priorities within the Council’s IT Strategy.

(4)          That the Interim Head of Finance and Procurement  be requested to liaise with the Chairman of the Budget Planning Committee to identify further improvements to the bid scoring process.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Resources detailing the scoring totals and rankings of the various capital bids given initial consideration at the informal Budget Planning Committee meetings held on 5 and 20 November 2013.

The Committee agreed that the informal meetings had been extremely useful.

It had been very helpful and this practice should be retained in future years. The scoring method however needed to be further refined, for example, to include information regarding any matched funding. The Chairman agreed to liaise with the Interim Head of Finance and Procurement to review the process.

The Committee considered Bid 27 (Hyper V Environment - IT Hardware), which had been deferred from the informal meeting on 20 November, the Committee reviewed the ranking order. In response to advice from the Interim Head of Finance and Procurement regarding the potential to fund some schemes from revenue, the Committee agreed that alternative methods for funding needed to be investigated.   

Resolved

(1)          That, all schemes scoring 21 points or more be recommended to Executive for approval (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) with the following two exceptions:

(a)  Bid 24 is to be subject to a review of the funding options to determine the most efficient means of addressing the replacement of the vehicles.

(b)  Bid 39 is to be subject to consideration of funding through the revenue budget.

(2)          That a report be submitted to a future meeting advising on the suitability of alternative funding methods such as loans and rural grants.

(3)          That the Budget Planning Committee considers establishing a Working Review group to understand how the IT bids link to the priorities within the Council’s IT Strategy.

(4)          That the Interim Head of Finance and Procurement  be requested to liaise with the Chairman of the Budget Planning Committee to identify further improvements to the bid scoring process.

** Please note the report and appendix will follow as the informal Budget Planning Committee meeting will be held after agenda dispatch **

Exempt Report of Interim Head of Finance and Procurement.

Purpose of report

To provide the Budget Planning Committee with the latest position for the 2014-15 budget and beyond.

Resolved

(1)            That this item be deferred for consideration at the next meeting of the Committee.

The Director of Resources submitted a report which provided Members with the latest position for the 2014-15 budget and beyond.

The Committee agreed to defer consideration of this item to their next meeting.

Resolved

(1)          That this item be deferred for consideration at the next meeting of the Committee.