Agenda and minutes

1.1       RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 11 January 2010 be confirmed and signed as an accurate record of the proceedings, and that the outstanding actions be noted.

2.1       There were no apologies for absence.

If a Councillor has any prejudicial or personal interest in a particular report he/she should declare the existence and nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of the item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a prejudicial interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter. The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken, unless a dispensation has been obtained from the Standards Committee.

Where members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance, then the Councillor with a prejudicial interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration, unless the disability has been removed by the Standards Committee.

Councillor Mark Loveday declared a prejudicial interest in item 12 (Ravenscourt Park Station Access) as jointly owning a property affected by the proposed scheme.  He left the meeting during the discussion and did not vote on the item.

Councillor Michael Cartwright declared a prejudicial interest in item 17.4  (Appointment of Council representatives to St Paul’s Court Ltd) as a shareholder in St Paul’s Court Ltd.  The item was noted by Cabinet without discussion.  He stayed during the item as it was not voted on.  The decision had already been taken by the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services on 13 January 2010.  

RESOLVED:

1.         To approve the changes to the capital programme as set out in appendix 1. 

2.         To approve a revenue virement totalling £337,000 as set out in Appendix 2.  

RESOLVED

RESOLVED:

1.           To approve that the General Fund Capital Programme is £32.768m for 2010/11.

2.           To approve that any new receipts which exceed the target of £2.5m per annum be set aside for debt redemption.

3.           To approve new borrowing, up to the level of the minimum revenue provision, from 2011/12 onwards.

4.           To approve that 25% of future receipts generated for the decent neighbourhoods programme be used to support general capital investment.

5.           To approve the following initiatives within the capital programme:

·  The continuation of the rolling programmes for Corporate Planned Maintenance (£2.5m), repairs to carriageways and footways (£2.1m), private sector housing grants (£0.45m) and Disabled Access Works (£0.25m)

·  The establishment of new rolling programmes for Parks Investment (£0.5m), IT infrastructure (£0.8m) and a contribution to the Invest to Save Fund (£0.75m).

6.           To note that use of the new rolling programmes will be subject to a formal evaluation process.

7.           To approve, subject to agreement of the overall programme, prudential borrowing of £5.6m regarding Building Schools for the Future.

8.           To note the level of resource forecast (Table 5) and indicative expenditure for the decent neighbourhoods programme as detailed in Appendix 2.

9.           To note the level of resource forecast and indicative expenditure for the Housing Revenue Account as detailed in Appendix 3.

10.      To approve that the capital contingency of £2.5m and unused sums regarding the reserve set aside for Imperial Wharf be placed in a capital reserve.

11.      To approve the prudential indicators as set out in Appendix 4 to the report.

12.      To approve the following annual Minimum Revenue Provision: (Appendix 5).

·            For debt which is supported through Formula Grant this authority will calculate the Minimum Revenue Provision in accordance with current regulations (namely 4% of the Capital Financing requirement net of adjustment A).

·            For debt which has arisen through prudential borrowing it shall be written down in equal instalments over the estimated asset life. The debt write-off will commence the year after an asset  comes into use.

RESOLVED:

1.   That the 2010/2011 Corporate Planned Maintenance Programme and scheme budgets (Appendices A and B to this report) be approved, subject to any amendments as agreed for operational reasons by the Assistant Director  Building and Property Management and the Director of Finance and Corporate Services.

2.   That the Corporate Planned Maintenance Programme be monitored, including operational changes made by the Assistant Director  Building and Property Management and the Director of Finance and Corporate Services, via progress reports to the Deputy Leader.

RESOLVED

1.      That the customer experience on the H&F website be significantly improved by providing the ability for residents to transact with direct access to their council tax account, and/or their housing benefits account, together with the ability to complete a visitor parking permit application.  This project will also deliver radical improvement in personalisation, accessibility and usability for customers using the website.

2.      That capital investment of £600,000 be allocated for website improvements from the Invest to Save Fund.

3.      To note the ongoing net revenue savings of £21,620 per annum in year one rising to £71,557 per annum by year three, to be built into the council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy.

4.      To approve that the Invest to Save Fund be topped up with a £1m transfer from the Housing Benefit Reserve.

RESOLVED:

1.      To adopt the new CIPFA’s Treasury Management in the Public Services Code of Practice, with effect from 1^st April 2010.

2.      To adopt the Treasury Management Policy Statement and clauses as per paragraphs 2 and 3 of the report.

3.      To approve the future borrowing and investment strategies.

4.      In relation to the Council’s overall borrowing for the financial year 2010/11, approve the Prudential Indicators as set out in Section 3 of this report.

5.      To approved the methodology for establishing credit criteria.

6.      To delegate future amendments to the credit criteria methodology to Cabinet.

Councillor Aherne noted that the report highlighted the monthly cost associated with transport had decreased by an average of 50% during the year with a reduction of 60% in the number of journeys undertaken by looked after children.  He inquired how the reductions had been achieved.

Councillor Gore explained that the Council had encouraged contact with birth parents in the foster care house where possible.  Alternatively, Ascham house contact centre was used.  This policy had led to a reduction in the number of journeys taken, the disruption to the home routine and associated transport costs.  The council pays for all transport cost.

RESOLVED:

1.   To note the service reviews and other mitigating action within Children Services to address spending pressures within the Complex Needs division.

2.   To note that the 2010-11 estimates contain a growth proposal of £1m in recognition of the continued spending pressure faced by the Complex Needs division following the Baby Peter case.

3.   To approve a virement of £1m in 2009-10 from reserves to support spending pressures faced by the Complex Needs division following the Baby Peter case.

In response to a query by Councillor Aherne about the location of the Sawley Road entrance to the park, officers clarified that the entrance will be dealt with in the S106 obligations.  Cabinet was reassured that there will be no net loss of green space as a consequence of the scheme.

RESOLVED:

1.  To approve the proposed swap of land within Wormholt Park with land at Sawley Road and Bryony Road as detailed in appendix 1.

2. To approve that the additional land required for the Site A scheme as detailed in appendix 2 be added at nil   consideration to the land already leased to Building Better Health (White City) Limited under the lease dated 27^th February 2007.

Cabinet were informed that an aspect of the scheme might not be carried out.  Members requested a report back on which parts of the proposal were implemented.

RESOLVED:

That the Director of Environment be authorised to take the decision whether or not to implement the improvement works outlined in Section 4, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for environment, following public consultation.

RESOLVED:

1.      That the Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2010/11 as set out in Appendix 1 be approved.

2.      That an average increase in weekly rent of 1.31%, in line with the rent restructuring system be agreed.

3.      That the Medium Term Financial Strategy for the HRA as set out in Appendix 1 be endorsed.

4.      That the efficiency proposals set out in the Appendices to this report be approved.

5.      That the increases in service charges and other fees and charges as set out in the body of the report be approved.

RESOLVED:

That the Riverside Walk Enhancement Report attached as the Appendix to this report be adopted as a policy document.

RESOLVED:

1.       That the Council calls-off the hire of specialised vehicles required for the statutory SEN home-to-school transport service from a supplier on the ESPO framework contract.

2.       That the hire arrangement for these vehicles runs until the end of the school academic year, July 2011.

3.       That, on urgency grounds, the award of this contract, likely be valued at around £350,000 for a 12-month period and around £500,00 for an 18-month period, be delegated to the Directors of Finance & Corporate Services, Residents Services, and Children’s Services.

4.       That these Directors be authorised to agree payments in advance to the successful contractor if this is deemed to be in the Council’s financial and legal interests. 

X.X      The Forward Plan was noted.

X.X      The summary was noted.

The Cabinet is invited to resolve, under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business, on the grounds that they contain the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in paragraph 3of Schedule 12A of the said Act, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption currently outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

RESOLVED:

That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the remaining items of business on the grounds that they contain information relating to the financial or business affairs of a person (including the authority) as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption currently outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

[The following is a public summary of the exempt information under S.100C (2) of the Local Government Act 1972.  Exempt minutes exist as a separate document.]

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 11 January 2010 be confirmed and signed as an accurate record of the proceedings, and that the outstanding actions be noted.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.