Meeting documents

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Miss S Brown (Deputy Cabinet Member for Community), C Etholen (Deputy Cabinet Member for Digital Development and Customer Services), T Green (Chairman of Council), M Harris (Deputy Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration), G Hall (Deputy Cabinet Member for Environment), D Johncock (Cabinet Member for Planning) and Mrs J Langley (Cabinet Member for Housing).

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 4 June 2018 be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

There were no declarations of interest.

The report before Cabinet sought approval to forward fund improvements to the road infrastructure, including the design work and establishment of the project team for the Abbey Barn Lane realignment scheme. The report outlined the delivery of the scheme, the current progress and the next steps.

Cabinet recalled that the Council had submitted its proposed Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate for examination in March 2018. The Council had received approval for the realignment of Abbey Barn Lane from the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) Scheme. It was noted that whilst an announcement that the Council had secured the HIF funding was made in February 2018, the Council had not yet received the funding, including Homes England’s terms and conditions. It was reported that Homes England were further scrutinising successful bids in more detail.

As a result, approval was sought to forward fund early work to keep on track with the programme for delivering the Housing Infrastructure Fund scheme. The report before Cabinet also sought delegated authority to release the Housing Infrastructure Funding, when available, back to the Council.

The following decisions were made as the Council had received an "in principle" approval of £7.5m for a scheme to realign Abbey Barn Lane and reconfiguration of the junction with Kingsmead Road/Abbey Barn Lane through the Housing Infrastructure Fund; this was subject to detailed terms and conditions and receipt of the funding. To ensure that the Council could keep on track with the programme for delivering the HIF scheme, some forward funding for design work and establishment of the project team was sought. This would then be reclaimed once the HIF funding was received. If the HIF funding was not ultimately released then the funding would likely be at risk as the scheme as currently envisaged could not go ahead due to funding shortfalls.

RESOLVED: That (i) Cabinet agree to forward fund design work and project team costs relating to the Housing Infrastructure Fund bid for the realignment of Abbey Barn Lane up to £250,000 on the basis that this would be recovered from the Housing Infrastructure Fund if and when the funding was released to the Council from Homes England. Delegated authority be granted to the Head of Finance in consultation with the Head of Democratic Legal and Policy Services to release these funds;

(ii)       delegated authority be granted to  the Corporate Director in consultation with the Head of Finance,  Cabinet Member for Finance and the Cabinet Member for Planning, to release Housing Infrastructure Fund monies, once the funds had been released to the Council and subject to detailed terms and conditions (when available); and

(iii)      Delegated authority be granted to the Head of Finance in consultation with the Head of Democratic Legal and Policy Services to agree the Housing Infrastructure Fund terms and conditions, once they become available.  

The report before Cabinet set out the position for all revenue accounts and capital spending for the first 2 months of 2018/19. Cabinet considered the actions set out in the report and whether any further action was necessary.

The following decisions were made as the Cabinet approved a budget each year within the context of a Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) to achieve the Council’s priorities. The report updated Cabinet Members on the 2018/19 forecast position as at period 2.

RESOLVED: That (i)  the forecast outturn position for the financial year 2018/19 as at end of May 2018 be noted;

(i)     a virement of £175k between contingency and capital financing charges to correct the baseline budget be approved; and

(ii)    the revised capital programme for 2018/19 as set out in paragraph 15 table 1 of the report  and virements as detailed in paragraph 17 of the report be approved.

Cabinet was provided with an update on the medium term financial projection for the Council’s General Fund Revenue account to 2022/23, including the key budget assumptions which required Cabinet approval.

The following recommendations were made as the preparation of a Medium Term Financial Strategy was the first stage in the annual budget planning cycle, leading to the budget and council tax setting for 2019/20. The Strategy also provided a framework for delivering corporate priorities and addressing issues arising from risks and opportunities identified within the Strategy. 

Recommended: That (i) the financial projections within the 5-year MTFS be noted, and the Strategy approved;

(ii)    A revenue savings target of £331k be approved for the 2019/20 budget-setting process;

(iii)  A further revenue savings target of £1.822m for the three years 2020/21, 2021/22 & 2022/23 be approved for the duration of this MTFS;

(iv)  The Head of Finance & Commercial  to work with the Council’s Strategic Management Board (SMB) and Portfolio Holders to deliver options that would achieve the saving targets identified within the Strategy;

(v)    The Budget Setting Process be approved to support the delivery of this process for 2019/20;

(vi)  The Head of Finance & Commercial be requested to revise the MTFS and re-present to Cabinet and Council for approval if material changes to forecasts were required following future Government announcements; 

(vii)  The revised Capital Plan incorporating the adjustments set out in section 8 of the report be approved; and

(viii)   The key principles, as set out in section 8.4 of the report, that any new Capital proposal needed to demonstrate that it provided Value for Money, was affordable within a prescribed Capital budget envelope, was clearly aligned with the Council’s strategy, and, in the case of "Invest to Save" or investment proposals, delivered a return above a prescribed threshold, be approved. 

The report before Cabinet sought approval to adopt revisions to the Statement of Community Involvement to meet the requirements of the Town and Country Planning Act 2017. The requirement to review the Statement of Community Involvement every 5 years from adoption came into force in April 2018.

It was noted that the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) set out the Council’s approach to community involvement in planning. Members were informed that the Statement had been updated in relation to the Council’s policies for giving advice or assistance on neighbourhood planning. Cabinet were informed that the Statement would be updated again, following the adoption of the Local Plan.

The following recommendations were made as the Council had a statutory obligation to review its Statement of Community Involvement every 5 years from adoption. Following the review the Council was required to either update the Statement of Community Involvement or if it wound not do so, to publish reasons for their decision. To comply with new statutory requirements it was recommended that a minor update to the Statement of Community Involvement was adopted now, but that a fuller review of the Statement of Community Involvement was undertaken once the Local Plan was adopted.

Recommended: That (i) the outcome of the Statement of Community Involvement ("SCI") review as set out in the report be agreed; and

(ii)    the Statement of Community Involvement update as set out at Appendix A of the report be agreed and the revised Statement of Community Involvement adopted. 

Cabinet was advised that the Local Government and Housing Act required the Monitoring Officer to report to Cabinet, if any decision or omission had given rise to maladministration. The Ombudsman had recently found that the Council was at fault in relation to the way in which it had dealt with the recording of the postal address for a Wycombe District resident. As recommended by the Ombudsman, the Council had apologised and made a compensation payment.

The following decisions were made as the Local Government Ombudsman ("the Ombudsman") had made a finding of fault with injustice, which required the Monitoring Officer, having consulted with the Head of Paid Service and Section 151 Officer, to present a report to Cabinet.

RESOLVED: That (i) the Ombudsman’s findings be noted;

(ii)    the action already taken to comply with the Ombudsman’s recommendations be noted; and

(iii)  the steps that had been taken to address the finding be noted.

Cabinet received the following files on actions taken under delegated powers:

Community                                                               C/29/18 – C/38/18

Finance                                                              F/05/18 – F/06/18

Housing                                                             H/04/18

Planning & Sustainability                                                PS/08/18 – PS/16/18

RESOLVED: That pursuant to Regulation 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Minute Nos 16, 17 and 21, because of their reference to matters which contain exempt information as defined as follows:

Minute 16 – Budget Monitoring Report For Period Ending 31 May 2018 – Appendix B

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) (Paragraph 3, Part 1 of Schedule 12A, Local Government Act 1972)

(The need to maintain the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure, because disclosure could prejudice the Council’s position in any future tender process or negotiations)

Minute 17 – Medium Term Financial Strategy Refresh –Appendix A CAP1, Appendix A CAP2 and Appendix A CAP3

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) (Paragraph 3, Part 1 of Schedule 12A, Local Government Act 1972)

(The need to maintain the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure, because disclosure could prejudice the Council’s position in any future tender process or negotiations)

Minute 21 - File on Action taken under Exempt Delegated  Powers

Economic Development and Regeneration sheet nos: EDR/21//18 – EDR/31/18

             Environment sheet no: E/02/18

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) (Paragraph 3, Part 1 of Schedule 12A, Local Government Act 1972)

(The need to maintain the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure, because disclosure could prejudice the Council’s position in any future tender process or negotiations)

Cabinet received the following files on exempt actions taken under delegated

powers:

Economic Development & Regeneration Sheet Nos: EDR/21/18 - EDR/31/18

Environment Sheet No: E/2/18