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 were no items of urgent business.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 1 December 2015.

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 1 December 2015 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

A presentation of the Cherwell/Solihull Partnership.

The Chairman welcomed Linda Wilson and Paul Evans of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to the meeting.

Linda Wilson and Paul Evans gave a presentation on the Solihull Partnership, a Property Services Partnership, which they advised delivered more cost-effective property maintenance services and capital works by bulk tendering, reduced contract administration and procurement time and therefore delivered better value for money.

The Committee was advised that the Solihull Partnership had been procured to carry out interim capital works and was working with Cherwell District Council Property and Facilities Management to plan and complete these works by June 2016.

The scope of on-going planned and reactive maintenance services had yet to be agreed, but once this had been ascertained a business case would be developed to enter into partnership with Solihull Property Services Partnership.

Resolved

(1)  That the presentation be noted.

Report of Director of Resources.

Purpose of Report

The purpose of this report is for the Committee to consider the earmarked reserves held by the Council.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.0      To consider the information set out in Appendices A-C in relation to earmarked reserves.

Resolved

(1)  That the report and appendices, in relation to earmarked reserves, be noted and endorsed.

The Director of Resources submitted a report on the review of reserves held by Cherwell District Council. 

The Committee were appreciative of the work that had been done in reviewing the reserves.  It had proved very useful and requested that it be repeated and included in future work programmes.

Resolved

(1)  That the figures in the appendices, in relation to earmarked reserves, be accepted and endorsed by the Committee.

Report of the Head of Finance and Procurement.

Purpose of Report

To set out the Medium Term Revenue Plan including the Revenue and Capital budget proposals for the Committee to consider and recommend to Executive.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.0   To consider the updated Medium Term Revenue Plan (MTRP), Appendix 1.

1.1  To consider the 2016/17 draft revenue budget set out at Appendix 2 before it is recommended to Executive and then Full Council in February.

1.2   To consider the 2016/17 capital programme set out at Appendix 3 before  it is recommended to Executive and then Full Council in February.

1.3  To consider and recommend to Executive the level of Council Tax increase for 2016/17 before this is formally approved by Full Council in February.

Resolved

(1) That the updated Medium Term Revenue Plan be noted.

(2) That the 2016/17 draft revenue budget be recommended to Executive to recommend to Full Council for adoption.

(3) That the 2016/17 capital programme be recommended to Executive to recommend to Full Council for adoption.

(4)  That Executive be recommended to recommend to Full Council that there be no Council Tax Increase for 2016/17.

The Head of Finance and Procurement submitted a report which set out the Medium Term Revenue Plan, draft Revenue and Capital Budget proposals for 2016/17.

The Head of Finance and Procurement gave a presentation on the Provisional Settlement for 2016/17 and beyond.  The proposal for a four year settlement was welcomed as it would give more certainty and accuracy in budget setting.

Resolved

(1) That the updated Medium Term Revenue Plan be noted.

(2) That the 2016/17 draft revenue budget be recommended to Executive to recommend to Full Council for adoption.

(3) That the 2016/17 capital programme be recommended to Executive to recommend to Full Council for adoption.

(4) That Executive be recommended to recommend to Full Council that there be no Council Tax Increase for 2016/17

(Councillor Barry Richards and Councillor Sean Woodcock requested that their abstention from the vote on resolutions 2, 3 and 4 be recorded.)

The following report contains exempt information as defined in the following paragraphs 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 item has been marked as exempt, it is for the meeting to decide whether or not to consider it 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.

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

“That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the ground that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraph 3 would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

Resolved

That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the ground that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraph 3 would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information

Exempt appendices of report of Report of the Head of Finance and procurement.

The Committee considered the exempt appendices of the report of Head of Finance and Procurement on the Medium Term Revenue Plan, Draft 2016/17 Revenue and Capital Budgets.

Resolved

(1)  That the exempt appendices be noted.

The Committee to resolve to re-admit the Press and Public.

Resolved

That the Press and Public be re-admitted.

To review the Committee Work Plan.

Resolved

(1)  That the Work Plan be noted.

The Committee considered its work plan 2015/16.

The Committee agreed that the in-depth review of reserves should remain on the work plan and requested that details be issued to Budget Planning Committee members two weeks prior to the meeting at which it would be considered to enable requests for Officers to attend the meeting for further in-depth analysis.

Resolved

(1)  That the Work Plan be noted.