Meeting documents

Following the County Council’s decision at its meeting on 21^st September 2017, a presentation of Certificate of Appointment will be made by the Lord Lieutenant to Mrs Margaret Aston.

The Chairman, Mrs P Birchley, opened the meeting by welcoming Mrs M Aston to the meeting as an Honorary Alderman.  The Lord Lieutenant, Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, presented Mrs Aston with certificate of appointment.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 23^rd November 2017.

RESOLVED:  The minutes of the meeting held on 27 November 2017 were agreed as a correct record.

No petitions were received

Apologies were received from Mr A Collingwood, Mr D Hayday, Mrs G Miscampbell OBE, Mr K Ross, Mr N Hussain, Mr P Kara High Sheriff and Mr B Allen.

The Chairman confirmed that written questions and responses to Cabinet Members had been published online.

Mrs Birchley gave the following update of her recent activities as Chairman since the last meeting in November:

• Had taken children in care to see the pantomimes at Aylesbury and Wycombe.
• Had attended the opening of the University of Buckingham Medical School Academic Centre, opened by HRH The Duke of Kent on 20 February 2018.
• The Chairman was due to host a celebration that evening of the success of Buckinghamshire businesses.  The event was being held to celebrate those companies that had been awarded the Queens award over the last five years.
• There would be a reception to mark the closure of the County Court in Market Square, Aylesbury where Mrs Birchley would be paying tribute.
• On 25 April there would be a dinner hosted by the Chairman held for mental health charities in Buckinghamshire at Dorney Wood and Mrs Birchley urged Councillors to show their support.

There were no declarations of interest.

To note the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

Mr R Ambrose, Director of Finance and Assets, presented his report informing Members that the council continued to experience reduced funding and increased demand on services.

Mr Ambrose stated that there had been a robust budget setting process and that the budget had been through extensive scrutiny including by the Council’s finance teams, the Corporate Management Team, Cabinet Members and the budget scrutiny exercise as carried out by the Finance and Resources Select Committee in January 2018.

Mr Ambrose brought Members’ attention to three key risks in the budget (in paragraph 22 of the report), highlighting:

• Achievability of the reductions – savings were complex and required extensive consultation and involvement of partners.
• Demand led budget - client numbers and levels of need for statutory services.
• Care market sustainability – pressures within the provider market for care services and the risk that additional costs would fall to the County Council.

Mr Ambrose stated that there was a contingency budget in place to help manage areas of uncertainty within the budget.  General reserves were also held for unforeseeable spending requirements and provided stability to the Medium Term Financial Planning.  A review of the reserves had taken place as part of the budget process and general reserves have increased slightly in the last few years following previous reductions.

Mr Ambrose confirmed that due to a slight overall underspend being forecast in 2017/18 the level of general fund reserves was likely to be approximately £25m at the end of this financial year, equating to 7.4% of the net budget requirement.

In summary Mr Ambrose considered the budget put forward to Members was robust and sustainable.

To consider and approve the Revenue Budget, the Council Tax Requirement and the Capital Programme for 2018/19 as recommended by Cabinet, and to note the Budget Scrutiny Report of the Finance, Performance and Resources Select Committee and the Business Unit Plans.

Mr M Tett, Leader of the Council, presented his report the presentation of which is appended to the minutes. 

Mr Tett outlined the budget process that had taken place including aligning the budget with the Council’s priorities, public consultations and the internal budget scrutiny process.

Members were reminded that Buckinghamshire had taken the Coalition Government’s ‘Council Tax freeze grant’ which now permanently reduced council tax bases.

Nationally, councils were experiencing a rapid growth of demand for Adult Social Care and Children’s Services.  Despite these challenges, Buckinghamshire was not in a dire financial position and much of this was due to the strong leadership role of Members, and predecessor county councillors, who had taken to tightly control of the finances.  Mr Tett stated that many unpopular decisions had been taken, but as a result the Council continues to run a balanced budget despite all the pressures.

Members heard that the past year had been one of the most challenging.  Reports in the autumn appeared to show each portfolio on track; however it soon became apparent that the Council faced renewed pressures in both Adult Social Care and Children’s.  In the new year this had resulted in the forecast deficits having grown significantly.  Through tough financial controls and clear leadership Mr Tett confirmed that the Council was now back on track to come in within the approved budget. The latest forecast for year-end showed that the Council were on track to come in or below budget due to reducing the overspend and increasing income.

Mr Tett confirmed that while overall Local Government ‘Spending Power’ had increased, the cost for delivering Buckinghamshire services had increased far more, seeing more demand from fast growing and an aging population, care and safeguarding of more children and new responsibilities not fully funded. 

Mr Tett reported that he had been lobbying extensively via Members of Parliament, the Local Government Association and directly with Ministers for a number of key and increasingly urgent issues:

• The importance of the Green Paper on the financing of Adult Social Care produced in the summer and the need for this not to be developed in isolation.
• Seeing the design and implementation of the Local Government ‘Fair Funding’ review. 
• The need to resolve the issue of the return of Business Rates to Local Government
• The need to see the end of ‘negative Revenue Support Grant’.  This coming year saw Buckinghamshire, along with Dorset become the first of County Councils to lose all RSG.

Mr Tett thanked ‘Team Bucks’ who were working with the Council on the challenges ahead.  This included the local NHS and Health service, the Parish, Town and District councils, Bucks MPs and the voluntary and community organisations across the county.  He also thanked the Police, Emergency services, the Bucks Local Enterprise Partnership and to all Council staff.

Mr Tett’s presentation took Members through Government Grants, Local Government settlement headlines, Funding, income from business rates, expenditure pressures, efficiencies and income, service reductions, general reserves, the Capital programme and proposed council tax  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To approve the Treasury Management Policy Statement, Treasury Management Strategy Statement, the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement and the Annual Investment Strategy for 2018/19 together with the Prudential Indicators for the next four years.

Mr G Williams presented the report to Council and Members were asked to consider the Annual Treasury Management Policy Statement, Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Annual Investment Strategy and the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement for 2018/19, together with the Prudential Indicators for the next four years.

Mr Williams highlighted the following points to Members:

• The current portfolio position with a net cash borrowing of £213m as at December 2017. 
• Borrowing undertaken for the Council’s property investments.
• Average cash balance at £30m at any one time.
• The use of derivatives had been discussed at the last Regulatory and Audit Committee and Mr Williams confirmed that there currently were not any.
• A number of Lender Option, Borrower Option (LOBOs) had been retired and those remaining were being kept under review to ensure value for money.
• Ongoing discussions with advisors regarding current low interest rates and borrowing for longer tenures.

RESOLVED:

The Council  APPROVED the Treasury Management Policy Statement, Treasury Management Strategy Statement, the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement and the Annual Investment Strategy.

To note the Public Sector Audit Appointments.

Mr D Martin presented the report to Council.  Mr Martin stated that at the meeting of Full Council held on 24 November 2016 it was agreed that Buckinghamshire County Council would opt into sector led arrangements, where auditor appointments would be made by a sector led body. The body authorised for such purposes was the Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited (PSAA).  Mr Martin confirmed that this was the most cost effective route for the Council.

RESOLVED:  Council NOTED the report and the appointment of Grant Thornton as the Council’s external auditors.

To consider and approve the recommendations as set out in the report.

Mr B Chapple presented the report which asked Council to consider the Draft Submission Buckinghamshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2016-2036 for Regulation 19 consultation and thereafter submission of the Plan to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for examination.

Mr Chapple outlined the background to the plan and commented on the formal consultation that had received 220 representation, the details of which and the assessment were set out in the previous Cabinet report.

Mr Chapple confirmed that the next steps for the plan would be submission to the Secretary of State followed by an Examination in Public, the meeting of which would be open for the public to attend and view but not take. 

RESOLVED: Council APPROVED the proposed submission draft of the Buckinghamshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2016-2036.

There were none.

RESOLVED: Council NOTED the report

RESOLVED: Council NOTED the report

Thursday 26^th April 2018 at 9.30am at The Oculus, AVDC, Aylesbury

Thursday 26 April 2018, 9.30am, The Oculus, Aylesbury Vale District Council.