Agenda item

To consider any recommendations of the Cabinet affecting the budget and policy framework (Report of the Cabinet to follow).

The Council noted that the Cabinet meeting held on 18 February 2014 had not been quorate and therefore no decisions had been made.  However the agenda items were discussed and the recommendations from that meeting had been circulated.

 

A special meeting of the Cabinet hade taken place 5.30 p.m. prior to the Council meeting where it had ratified the outcomes from the previous inquorate meeting.

 

Article 4 of the Council’s Constitution provided that only the full Council may exercise the functions of approving, adopting or amending the policy framework and budget and adopting or changing the Constitution.  At its meeting on 14 January 2014 the Cabinet made recommendations in respect of:

 

The Future Provision of CCTV Services in South Holland

 

Consideration was given to the joint report of the Portfolio Holder for Localism and Big Society and the Community Development Manager which sought consideration of the future of CCTV services in the district and recommended a preferred approach for systems improvements.

 

DECISION:

 

a)         That Option 4 be progressed – to enter into a partnership agreement with Boston Borough Council to transfer the operation of the CCTV service to Boston Borough Council for an improved monitoring service;

 

b)         That the Council reviews the level of future camera provision to make the system fit for purpose and to reflect the financial commitment from partners;

 

c)         That local partners including Lincolnshire Police, Parish Councils and businesses continue to be engaged on revenue funding for each of the towns, the number of cameras in each location and on future partnership working;

 

d)         That £31,000 allocated in reserves be released from the Council Tax reserve as capital funding contribution; and

 

e)         That delegated authority be given to the Community Development Manager in consultation with Portfolio Holder for Big Society and Localism to implement any changes to the CCTV system that involve partners and are within the budget identified.

 

f)          That the contract period be agreed as 3.5 years plus a possible extension of 2 years; and

 

g)         That monitoring information on the operation of the CCTV service be reported on a regular basis

 

General Fund Draft Estimates and Financial Medium Term Plan

 

The Council considered the joint report of the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Finance and Democratic Services and the Assistant Director – Finance (S151) which sought consideration of the General Fund revenue and capital estimates and the Financial Medium Tern Plan, the Capital Strategy and the Treasury Management Strategy Statement.

 

In discussing the report the Portfolio Holder answered questions raised by members of the Council.

 

DECISION:

 

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

 

b)         That the Council Tax for a Band D property in 2014-15, to be set at £155.61, be approved;

 

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

 

d)         That the Spalding Special Expense for a Band D property in 2014-15, to be set at £23.22, be approved;

 

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

 

f)          That the Capital Strategy and Programme (within Appendices E and F) be approved;

 

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

 

h)         To award relief to all businesses that fall within Government’s criteria equally; and to delegate the determination of the final scheme guidelines to the Assistant Director of Finance in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Finance and Democratic Services, following publication of the final scheme by Government.

 

Under the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 a recorded vote was required for this decision. The vote was as follows:

 

For	Against	Abstain	Apolgies / Not Present
Alcock Aley Ashby Biggadike MD Booth Brewis Casson Chandler Clark Coupland Creese Dark Gambba-Jones Grocock Harrison Howard King Lawton Miller Perkins Przyszlak Rudkin Seymour Slade Sneath Taylor Tennant Wilkinson Woolf Worth	(None)	(None)	Avery Booth Johnson Newton Porter Puttick DJ Wilkinson
Total 30	Total 0	Total 0	Total 7

 

Financial Performance Quarter 3 2013-14

 

The Council received the joint report of the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Finance and Democratic Services and the Assistant Director Finance (S151) which sought consideration of the General Fund revenue and capital estimates and the Financial Medium Term Plan, the Capital Strategy and the Treasury Management Strategy Statement.

 

DECISION:

 

a)         That the recommendations be approved in respect of the contributions to and from reserves as shown in Appendix 1, Section 1- Revenue:

 

·      That £84,000 be transferred back from reserves to fund revenues and benefits caseload, funded by revenues new burdens grant income transferred to reserve in Quarter Two;

·      That the compensation for the cessation of the recycling contract was transferred to reserve and released over the remainder of the contract term; and

·      That £410,000 be transferred to reserve from budget challenge outcomes and other budget savings in Quarter Two and Three.

 

b)         That the recommendations be approved in respect of the budget virements as shown in Appendix 1, Section 1- Revenue:

 

·      That the budget virements in Table 4 be approved as at Quarter Three.

 

c)         That the recommendations be approved in Section 3-Capital:

 

·      That the slippage from the HRA New Builds £260,000 be rolled forward into the capital programme for 2014-15;

·      That a revenue contribution from the ICT budget be made to the value of £15,900 to fund the RDS licences, funded by revenue;

·      That the Planning PSICA (Partnership Scheme in Conservation Area) grants budget of £91,000, funded by English Heritage be added to the capital programme;

·      That the £1,000 budget for retention money for the South Holland Centre main roof renewal be added to the capital programme;

·      That the £20,400 budget for Christmas Lights be funded by the Spalding Special reserve, as previously agreed by Cabinet on 4 September 2012, be added to the capital programme;

·      That the £50,000 additional budget for statutory disabled adaptations to council-owned housing stock be added to the capital programme, funded from HRA balances; and

·      That the Decent Homes budget be increased by £60,000 due to increase in demand to be funded by the Regional Housing Grant fund.