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.

Councillor Hussain declared a general non-statutory interest in any discussion on Banbury Museum as a Trustee of Banbury Museum.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 14 September 2021.

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 14 September 2021 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

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

There were no matters of urgent business.

***The report and appendices for this item are to follow as they are currently being reviewed and finalised***

Resolved

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

The Director of Finance submitted a report which summarised Cherwell District Council’s forecast revenue and capital outturn position for 2021/22 as at September 2021 for the Committee to consider the financial aspects of the report.

The Chairman advised the Committee that prior to the meeting, he  had raised a number of queries on the report with the Assistant Director of Finance.  The Chairman accepted that there had not been enough time to answer all the questions and requested that responses be circulated to all Members of the Committee outside of the meeting.

In introducing the report, the Assistant Director of Finance explained that the improvement of the presentation of the Performance, Finance and Risk Monitoring report was ongoing.  Some changes could be made relatively quickly but others took a bit longer as they needed to be reworked and presented in a different way.

In response to Members’ comments about the potential delays in the Food and Garden Waste Project roll out, the Chief Executive explained that there was currently a problem with supplies, but it was anticipated that there would not be a delay in roll out of this project.

In response to Members’ questions regarding the forecast reduction in care park income, the Assistant Director of Finance undertook to provide further information to the Committee.  The Assistant Director of Finance explained that Finance Business Partners met with Service Managers monthly to review financial forecasts, which inform the following years budget.

In response to questions from the Committee regarding aged debt, the Assistant Director of Finance explained that the monitoring of aged debt and virements was a new aspect of the monitoring report and had been added as it was required by the Financial Management Code. In terms of reporting write offs, the Assistant Director of Finance agreed that this should be added to the monitoring report.

The Director for Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer advised the Committee that the Finance Procedure Rules were being reviewed as part of the Constitution Review and undertook to review the governance of the aged debt write off with the Assistant Director of Finance and report back to the Committee.

Resolved

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

Report of Director of Finance

Purpose of report

To update the Committee on the Council’s self-assessment against the requirements of CIPFA’s Financial Management Code.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1     to note the Council’s self-assessment against the requirements of CIPFA’s Financial Management Code.

Resolved

(1)      That the Council’s self-assessment against the requirements of CIPFA’s Financial Management Code be noted.

The Director of Finance submitted a report which updated the Committee on the Council’s self-assessment against the requirements of CIPFA’s Financial Management Code.

The Assistant Director of Finance explained that the council was compliant with all aspects of the Financial Management Code but would always drive continuous improvement and look for ways to improve.

Resolved

(1)      That the Council’s self-assessment against the requirements of CIPFA’s Financial Management Code be noted.

To review the Committee Work Plan.

Resolved

(1)      That the Committee Work Plan be noted.

The Committee considered it’s work plan.

Resolved

(1)      That the Committee Work Plan be noted.

The following report(s) 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 item(s) 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.

Should Members decide not to make a decision in public, they are recommended to resolve as follows:

“That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part I, 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 grounds that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part I, 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.

Verbal update on the Castle Quay development from the Corporate Director-Commercial Development, Assets and Investment and the Property and Investment Consultant.

Resolved

(1)      That the exempt presentation be noted.

The Corporate Director Commercial Development, Assets and Investment gave an exempt presentation which gave an update on the Castle Quay waterside development

The Committee thanked the Corporate Director Commercial Development, Assets and Investment for the comprehensive presentation and agreed it would be helpful for information to be shared with all Members, acknowledging the confidential nature.

Resolved

(1)      That the exempt presentation be noted.