Agenda, decisions and minutes


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

Contact: Lesley Farrell / Joel Bliss, Democratic and Elections  Email: lesley.farrell@cherwellandsouthnorthants.gov.uk, 01295 221591

Items
No. Item

61.

Declarations of Interest

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.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

62.

Urgent Business

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

 

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.

63.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 207 KB

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2016.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Budget Planning Committee held on 29 November 2016 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

64.

Chairman's Announcements

To receive communications from the Chairman.

Minutes:

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

65.

Discretionary Rate Relief Policy pdf icon PDF 144 KB

Report of the Chief Finance Officer.

 

Purpose of report

 

Members of Budget Planning Committee are requested to consider the accompanying Discretionary Rate Relief Policy guidelines, which set out the proposals for awarding discretionary rate relief for 2017-2018 and beyond, and recommend to Executive the policy as set out in Appendix A.

 

To seek approval for the final determination of the policy guidelines to be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management due to pending legislative changes announced in Autumn Statement 2016.

 

Recommendations

            

The meeting is recommended:

 

1.1       To note the contents of the report.

 

1.2      To consider any amendments to the proposed draft Discretionary Rate Relief Policy and, if applicable, to recommend them to Executive.

 

1.3      To agree that the final content of the policy guidelines will be subject to confirmation by the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management.

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved

 

1.1         That the contents of the report be noted.

 

1.2         That the Executive be recommended to approve the discretionary Rate Relief Policy with no amendments.

 

1.3         That the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management  agree the  final content of the policy guidelines.

Minutes:

The Chief Finance Officer submitted a report on the Discretionary Rate Relief Policy which set out the proposals for awarding discretionary rate relief for 2017/2018 and beyond.

 

When presenting the report, the Business Support Unit Manager outlined new legislation being brought forward to give officers discretionary powers to provide rural businesses that fall within certain thresholds 100% business rate relief in order to support rural communities that would be otherwise diminished without the services that these businesses provide.

 

In considering the report, the committee were concerned that the policy could be misused. The Business Support Unit Manager assured the committee that the application of certain thresholds pertaining to the size, value and revenue of the businesses in question would prevent businesses from wrongly taking advantage of the scheme.

 

They were also assured that cases would be examined on their individual merits and that the cost implications would be considered as part of the decision making process.

 

Resolved

 

(1)          That the contents of the report be noted.

 

(2)          That the Executive be recommended to approve the discretionary Rate Relief Policy with no amendments.

 

(3)          That the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management agree the final content of the policy guidelines.

66.

Solihull Partnership Steering Group

Verbal update on the Solihull Partnership.

Decision:

Resolved

 

That the contents of the report be noted.

 

Minutes:

The Head of Regeneration and Housing gave a verbal update on the Solihull Partnership and highlighted three areas of progress since the last meeting:

·         Roles and responsibilities had been agreed and circulated to officers and the Solihull Partnership Steering Group.

·         Legal documents had been received and a meeting set up between Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) and Cherwell District Council (CDC) Legal departments.

·      The Commercial Director had arranged a meeting with SMBC to discuss the changes in the contract. SMBC would be looking to recover abortive costs and would be asked to submit full details. CDC would be looking at recovering costs for the consultant who had been employed. The outcome of this meeting will be reported back to the Committee.

 

The Commercial Director advised the Committee that the scope and nature of the project had changed through the Solihull Partnership’s non-delivery and as a result,   the budget and number of projects would be reduced.

 

In response to the verbal update, Members raised concerns about the increase in costs incurred because of the delays and stressed the importance that lessons should be learnt and mistakes not repeated.

 

The Lead Member for Estates and the Economy would provide an update from the Solihull Partnership Steering Group at the next meeting of the Committee.

 

Resolved

 

(1)          That the verbal update be noted.

67.

Medium Term Revenue Plan and draft 2017/18 Revenue and Capital Budgets pdf icon PDF 129 KB

The Exempt Appendices to this report will follow as they are currently being reviewed and finalised.

 

Report of the Chief Finance Officer.

 

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:

          

1.1  To consider and recommend the Medium Term Revenue Plan (MTRP) set out in Appendix 1 to Executive and then Full Council in February.

 

1.2  To consider and recommend the 2017/18 draft revenue budget set out in Appendix 2 to Executive and then Full Council in February.

 

1.3  To consider and recommend the 2017/18 capital programme set out in Appendix 3 to Executive and then Full Council in February.

 

1.4  To consider and recommend the list of reserves set out in Appendix 4 to Executive and then Full Council in February

 

1.5  To consider and recommend to Executive the level of Council Tax increase for 2017/18 before this is formally approved by Full Council in February.

Decision:

Resolved

 

1.1    That the Medium Term Revenue Plan (MTRP) be recommended to Executive and then Council.

 

1.2    That the 2017/18 draft revenue budget be recommended to Executive and then Council.

 

1.3    That the 2017/18 capital programme be recommended to Executive and then Council.

 

1.4    That the list of reserves be recommended to Executive and then Council.

 

1.5    That the level of the Council Tax increase of 0% for 2017/18 be recommended to Executive and then Council.

 

1.6    That it be recommended to Executive that a single up-front payment be made to the Pension Fund Actuary instead of spreading the payment over a 3 year period.

Minutes:

The Chief Finance Officer submitted a report on the proposed Medium Term Revenue Plan (MTRP) including the Revenue and Capital budget proposals for the committee to consider for recommendation to Executive

 

In introducing the report, the Chief Finance Officer advised the Committee that the Efficiency Plan had been accepted and a Medium Term Settlement agreed which included a four year New Homes Bonus scheme

 

The Chief Finance Officer further advised that the Pension Fund Actuary had recently completed a review of the fund and proposed revised contributions for the Council over the next three years. As an alternative the Council could make a single up-front payment creating a 7% saving for the Council. The Committee was asked to consider the upfront payment and recommend to Executive.

 

Resolved

 

(1)     That the Medium Term Revenue Plan (MTRP) be recommended to Executive to recommend to Full Council for adoption.

 

(2)     That the 2017/18 draft revenue budget be recommended to Executive to recommend to Full Council for adoption.

 

(3)     That the 2017/18 capital programme be recommended to Executive to recommend to Full Council for adoption.

 

(4)     That the list of reserves be recommended to Executive to recommend to Full Council for adoption.

 

(5)     That Executive be recommended to recommend to Full Council that the level of the Council Tax increase for 2017/18 be 0%.

 

(6)     That Executive be recommended to agree that that a single up-front payment be made to the Pension Fund Actuary instead of spreading the payment over a 3 year period.

68.

Review of Committee Work Plan pdf icon PDF 5 KB

To review the Committee Work Plan.

Decision:

Resolved:

 

That the contents of the Committee Work Plan be noted.

Minutes:

The Committee considered its work programme. The Solihull Partnership and Solihull Partnership Steering Group would remain on the Committee work plan until all issues had been resolved.

 

Resolved:

 

(1)  That the Committee Work Plan be noted.

69.

Exclusion of Press and Public

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.”

 

 

Minutes:

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.

70.

Exempt Appendices: Medium Term Revenue Plan and draft 2017/18 Revenue and Capital Budgets

**The Exempt Appendices to The Medium Term Revenue Plan will follow as thy are currently being reviewed and finalised.**

Minutes:

The Committee reviewed the exempt appendices.

 

Resolved

 

(1)               That the exempt appendices be noted.

71.

Car Parks

Exempt report of the Director of Operation Delivery.

 

Decision:

Resolved

 

That Executive be recommended to include the Car Parks Improvement Project to the 2017/18 draft Capital Programme.

Minutes:

The Director of Operational Delivery submitted an exempt report which sought consideration of a 2017/18 capital programme project associated with investment in the council’s car parks to deliver improved customer service and financial efficiencies.

 

Resolved

 

(1)  That Executive be recommended to include the Car Parks Improvement Project in the 2017/18 draft Capital Programme.