Agenda and minutes

To sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 13 January 2015 (copy enclosed). 

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 January 2015 were signed by the

Leader as a correct record.

(Members are no longer required to declare personal or prejudicial interests but are to declare any new Disclosable Pecuniary Interests that are not currently included within their Register of Interests.

Members are reminded that under the Code of Conduct they are not to participate in the whole of an agenda item to which they have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest.  In the interests of transparency, members may also wish to declare any other interests that they have, in relation to an agenda item, that supports the Nolan principles detailed within the Code of Conduct.)   

No interests were declared.

No questions were raised under Cabinet Procedure Rule 2.4.

There were no matters subject to call-in.

There were no matters arising from the Policy Development and Performance Monitoring Panels.

This report provides information on the draft year end financial position of the Council, as at 30 December 2014. For information and to approve recommendations.  (Joint report of the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Finance and Democratic Services and the Executive Director (Place) (S151) enclosed.)

Consideration was given to the joint report of the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Finance and Democratic Services and the Executive Director (Place) (S151) which provided information on the draft year end financial position of the Council, as at 30 December 2014.  The report was for information and asked members to approve recommendations.  A copy of the Financial Report for the quarter ending 30 December 2014 was attached as Appendix 1 within the report.

DECISION:

That the report and Appendix 1 be noted.

(Other options considered:

·         Do nothing; or

·         To note the report and approve the recommendations detailed in appendix 1 with amendments..

Reasons for decision:

·         To provide timely information to Members on the overall finances of the Council and to make the best use of resources available.)

To consider the Draft Budget, Medium Term Financial Plan and Corporate Plan.  (Joint report of the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Finance and Strategic Planning, the Portfolio Holder for Internal Services, Performance & Business Development and the Executive Director (Place) (S151) enclosed.)

Consideration was given to the joint report of the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Finance and Strategic Planning, Portfolio Holder for Internal Services, Performance & Business Development and the Executive Director (Place) (S151) which sought consideration of the Draft Budget, Medium Term Financial Plan and Corporate Plan and to make recommendations to full Council.  Copies of the relative appendices were attached as Appendix A – J within the report.

The Portfolio Holder for Strategic Finance and Strategic Planning advised that an additional item for a £30,000 spend on an air quality monitoring system in Spalding was to be added to the Capital Programme, and that this would be considered by Council at its meeting on 25 February 2015, alongside the recommendations to Full Council detailed within the report under consideration.

The following comments were made:

·         The Corporate Plan and priorities had been well-scrutinised, having been considered by both the Performance Monitoring and Policy Development Panels, and having gone through a consultation process.

·         Council Tax payers would now have the opportunity to spread their payments over 12 months rather than 10, and as many people as possible should be encouraged to do this.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

a)      That the General Fund revenue estimates (Appendix A), use of reserves (Appendix D) and Fees and Charges (Appendix H) be approved;

b)      That the Council Tax for a Band D property in 2015-16, to be set at £154.84, be approved;

c)      That the Spalding Special Expenses estimates (Appendix C) be approved;

d)      That the Spalding Special Expense for a Band D property in 2015-16, to be set at £23.10, be approved;

e)      That the Medium Term Financial Plan (Appendices A and B) be approved;

f)       That the Capital Strategy and Programme (Appendices E and F) be approved, including the delegation to the Chief Executive to purchase land or property assets that support the Council’s priorities, and to also include the information raised by the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Finance and Strategic Planning, with regard to the additional spend of an air quality monitoring system for Spalding, to be incorporated within the Capital Programme;

g)      That the Treasury Management Strategy Statement, including the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy and Annual Investment Strategy (Appendix G) be approved;

h)      That the authority extends its discretionary business rates relief scheme to include the extension of transitional relief to business premises with a rateable value equal to or less that £50,000 in accordance with Government guidelines, delegating to the Section 151 Officer the development and inclusion of an addendum to the current Discretionary Rate Relief Policy to cover this scheme; and

i)       That the Corporate Plan and priorities be approved.

(Other options considered:

·         Do nothing; or

·         To note the report and approve the recommendations without amendments..

Reasons for decision:

·         That the draft capital and revenue budget estimates, medium term financial plan and capital strategy were noted as part of the consultation.  Any feedback as a result of the consultation had been considered before the final position was presented  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

To recommend writing off irrecoverable debts.  (Joint report of the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Finance and Democratic Services and the Assistant Director Finance (S151 Officer) enclosed.)

(Please note that the appendices associated with this report are not for publication by virtue of Paragraphs 1 (Information relating to any individual), 2 (Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual) and 3 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)) in Part 1 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972, and are therefore attached to this agenda as Item 12.)

Consideration was given to the joint report of the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Strategic Finance and Strategic Planning and the Finance Manager which recommended writing off irrecoverable debts.

A breakdown of the individual debts were attached as item 12 within the agenda, which was not for publication by virtue of Paragraphs 1 (Information relating to any individual), 2 (Information which is likely to reveal the identity of

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

Members agreed that, as only the principles of the report would be discussed rather than individual cases; there was no need for the meeting to go into private session. 

Comment was made that if it was clear that older debts could not be recovered, they were written off against the bad debt reserve and came off the list of debtors. However, a record was still kept in case of any possible future recovery.  It was also stated that in the attempted recovery of debts, although information was not shared with other authorities, credit reference agencies were used.

DECISION:

That the following debts be written off:

Council Tax                                   £ 4,362.26

Business Rates                            £ 17,983.98

Former Tenant Arrears                £ 1,306.33

Total:                                               £ 23,652.57

(Other options considered:

·         Do nothing; or

·         Approve the recommendations with amendments

Reasons for decision:

·         All recovery methods available had been considered and where appropriate pursued before making the decision to write off.)