Meeting documents

Venue: Room 6, Capswood, Oxford Road, Denham

Contact: Kulvinder Tumber 

Items
No. Item

17.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 95 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 4 July 2016.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 4 July 2016 were confirmed and signed by the Leader.

18.

Forward Plan of Executive Decisions

To note the 28 Day Notice of decisions to be taken by:

Minutes:

The Cabinet received a copy of the 28 day Notice and Forward Plan prepared in accordance with Regulation 9 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 setting out the key (and non-key) decisions the Cabinet was intending to make at public and private meetings.

 

The Cabinet also received a copy of the 28 day Notice setting out the key (and non-key) decisions the Chiltern and South Bucks Joint Committee were intending to make at public and private meetings.

 

RESOLVED that the 28 day Notices and Forward Plan be noted.    

19.

Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017 - 2022 pdf icon PDF 78 KB

To consider report of the Director of Resources.

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered a report containing the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy which is integral to complying with the Prudential Code that will enable the Council to undertake external borrowing as part of the financing of the Strategy.

 

Members recognised the need to have a clear financial strategy to tackle the challenges to be faced in the coming years and discussed the importance of adapting to a new and different funding regime due to Central Government grants being withdrawn by 2020 and the introduction of an "additional tariff" to be paid back to the Treasury.  It was discussed that if no action was taken to address this change, it would result in a funding gap of up to £1.6m by 2019/20.

 

As the financial strategy will require capital investment for the authority in excess of available capital resource there would be a requirement to undertake Prudential Borrowing, which would require the authority to meet the requirements of the Prudential Code.

 

The key principles underpinning the strategy are:

 

§    The matching of expenditure and income in the medium term

§       Optimising the use of Council assets to deliver or help finance Council priorities

§    Aligning new expenditure to key Council priorities and to continue to provide value for money

§    Having in place sound financial processes to control and monitor expenditure

§    Awareness of the financial risks facing the authority and using this to inform the authority’s level of financial reserves

 

The financial forecast in the Strategy assumes grant funding and tariff levels as included in the last Financial Settlement data.  The Government had made an offer to local authorities that they can ask for these figures to remain unchanged over the period of the current spending review (i.e. until 2020/21).  It was proposed that the Council accepts this offer on the basis of providing some certainty for planning purposes.

 

In response to the Government request, a joint efficiency plan had been produced for South Bucks and Chiltern District Councils.

 

The Medium Term Financial Strategy was the main driver for the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy, especially as the authority was proposing to move from being debt free to Prudential borrowing, in light of this, it was noted the Treasury Management Strategy will need to be updated as part of its normal annual review, to reflect the new Medium Term Financial Strategy.   

 

Following a question and answer session, it was clarified, if agreed, that the updated Medium Term Financial Strategy and Treasury Management Strategy would take effect from its Council Meeting in February 2017 and kept under annual review.

 

Members welcomed the strategy and it was

 

RESOLVED that:

 

1.       The Treasury Management Strategy be updated to reflect the implications of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

2.       Council indicates its interest in taking up the Governments Four Year Funding Offer, and the Joint Efficiency Plan produced with Chiltern DC (Appendix B to the report), be agreed.

 

Furthermore it was RECOMMENDED to Council that the

 

1.    Medium Term Financial Strategy (shown as Appendix A  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

20.

Performance Management Quarterly Report Quarter 1 pdf icon PDF 61 KB

To consider report of the Acting Chief Executive.

Minutes:

The Cabinet received a report outlining the performance of Council services against performance indicators and service objectives during Q1 April – June 2016/17. 

 

Of the nine off-target PIs, five were priority PIs.

Sickness - working days lost due to sickness was off target mainly due to long-term sick absence. This relates to seven cases of long-term sickness absence. Personnel Committee are kept fully informed.

 

Housing - a national increase in demand for temporary accommodation and lack of affordable housing. 

Processing of HB/CTB claims – speed of processing - This is expected to improve in Q2. There is usually lower performance during the first part of the year.

ICT Helpdesk – issues resolved within agreed timescales was off target due to an increase in workload caused by single network migrations at the same time as reduced capacity in the service.

Household refuse collections - number of containers missed per month was off target due to vehicle breakdowns and PDA (palmtop computer) issues).

After a question and answer session members noted the staff sickness PI’s only included staff paid via SBDC payroll and did not include all staff working within a shared service.  To be able to review the implications on service delivery and resilience, members stressed it would be helpful to receive the staff sickness PI’s for both authorities. 

 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

 

21.

Environment

No meeting was held.

 

Minutes:

No meeting was held.

22.

Resources pdf icon PDF 91 KB

To note the minutes of the meeting of the PAG held on 27 September 2016 and consider the Portfolio Holder’s recommendations as set out in:

 

Minute 43 – South Bucks Car Parks Review

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet received the minutes of the Resources Advisory Group held on 27 September 2016 and the following was the subject of a recommendation from the Portfolio Holder.

 

After considering the advice of the Portfolio Holder the Cabinet:

 

RESOLVED that

 

Beaconsfield, Burnham, Farnham Common

 

1.         New car park charges for 2017/18, as outlined at Appendix C of the report be introduced.

2.         An 8hr tariff on all car parks in Beaconsfield for 2017/18 be introduced.

 

Gerrards Cross

 

Following completion of the proposed multi-storey car park that:

 

3.         New car park charges, as outlined at Appendix D, of the report be introduced,

4.         An 8hr tariff on Packhorse Road and Station Road car parks be introduced. 

 

All Car Parks (proposed for 2017/18)

 

5.         Extend the car park charging periods from 08:00-18:00 to 08:00-20:00.

6.         Amend the Off Street Parking Places Order to allow flexibility to designate short stay parking bays in long stay car parks where there is a need to do so to support the local community and authority be given to  the Head of Environment in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder to make the changes where appropriate.

7.         Introduce resident parking permits, to be valid Monday to Friday 6pm to 8am and all day Saturday/Sunday.    

8.         Introduce new season ticket prices to maintain a daily charge versus season ticket cost ratio.

9.         Introduce a 12-month season ticket to provide more options to the customer and align season ticket periods with Chiltern District Council.

And

 

10.     Authority be delegated to the Head of Environment to publish the necessary statutory Notice of proposed Amendments to the Off Street Parking Places Order.

 

11.     If no valid objections are received in response to publication of the Notice, authority be delegated to the Interim Director of Services to make and publicise the necessary Amendment Order.

 

12.     If valid objections are received in response to publication of the  Notice, authority be delegated to the Interim Director of Services to deal with any such objections after consultation with the Portfolio Holder and to make and publicise the necessary Amendment Order with or without modifications as considered appropriate.

 

And that the minutes of the Resources Advisory Group held on 27 September 2016 be noted.

 

23.

Healthy Communities pdf icon PDF 75 KB

To note the minutes of the meeting of the PAG held on 15 September 2016.

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet received the minutes of the Health Communities Policy Advisory Group held on 15 September 2016.

 

Members were pleased to support local voluntary organisations such as the Rape Crisis (Wycombe, Chiltern and South Bucks), and were informed by Cllr. Kelly that an invitation had been extended to Members by Sue Lemon to visit the Rape Crisis offices (open every Thursday afternoon) in order to see the benefits of the funding.  

 

RESOLVED that the minutes be noted.

24.

Any other business which the Leader decides is urgent

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.  

25.

Exclusion of Public

The Leader to move the following resolution:-

 

"that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1974 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act "

 

Minutes:

"that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1974 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act "

Paragraph 1

information relating to any individual

 

26.

Sustainable Development

To receive the Part II minutes of the meeting held on 8 September 2016 and and consider the Portfolio Holder’s recommendations as set out in:

 

Minute 48 – HS2 Update.

Minutes:

Members were updated regarding the ongoing negotiations of the five Buckinghamshire authorities within HS2 concerning attaining an agreement on a SLA that would cover the Councils’ costs when dealing with requests for works in connection with the construction of HS2.

 

RESOLVED 

1.       That progress made with regard to the Colne Valley Regional Park Panel be noted

2.       That position on assurances received from HS2 on the Colne Valley and the HEX Langley Depot be noted

3.       That the on-going negotiations with HS2 to agree a Service Level Agreement to cover future resources in dealing with Schedule 17 (of the HS2 Hybrid Bill) approvals (and Section 61 applications of the Control of Pollution Act) be noted

4.       That the Acting Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader and Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to approve any future settlement of the Service Level Agreement be agreed

5.       To support Bucks CC with their petition to the House of Lord on:-

a.       HGV issues in Iver;

b.      Increasing the Community and Environment Fund and Business and Local Economy Fund; and

c.       Appropriate sanctions being imposed on contractors for any breaches of the Code of Construction Practice in consultation with local authorities

6.       That additional funding of £42,321 be provided on a contingency basis from the General Reserve until the end of April 2017 to cover the continuation of the existing HS2 Team with additional staff costs which are intended to be recoverable from HS2 and the latest position on expenditure be noted.

 

27.

Resources PAG

To receive the Part II minutes of the meeting held on 27 September 2016.

Minutes:

The Cabinet received the minutes of the Resources Policy Advisory Group held on 27 September 2016.

 

Members were advised a Cabinet meeting would be arranged to gain decisions on the next stage of the feasibility work for the Gerrards Cross Car Park.

 

RESOLVED that the minutes be noted.

 

28.

Termination of Meeting