Meeting documents

SBDC Cabinet
Wednesday, 8th February, 2017 6.00 pm

  • Meeting of Cabinet, Wednesday, 8th February, 2017 6.00 pm (Item 50.)

i)                    To note the minutes of the meeting of the PAG held on 8 December 2016 and consider the Portfolio Holder’s recommendations as set out in:

 

Minute 52

Portfolio Holder Budgets

 

ii)                  To note the minutes of the meeting of the PAG held on 25 January 2017 (minutes to follow) and consider the Portfolio Holder’s recommendations as set out in:

 

Minute 62

Establishment of a Local Authority Trading Company

Minute 63

Annual Treasury Management Strategy 2017/18

Minute 64

Capital Programme 2017/18 - 2020/21

Minute 68

Gerrards Cross Police Station (report in part II of the agenda)

                    

Minutes:

 

The Cabinet received the minutes of the Resources PAG held on 8 December 2016 and 25 January 2017 and the following were the subject of a recommendation from the Portfolio Holder

 

1)     Establishment of a Local Authority Trading Company

 

Cabinet received a report which set out the proposal that the Council ("SBDC") establishes a trading company, wholly owned by the Council, to enable the Council to take advantage of the powers to trade for profit introduced under the Local Government Act 2003 and the Localism Act 2011. 

 

Having considered the advice of the Portfolio Holder, the Cabinet RESOLVED that

 

1)      the establishment of a local authority trading vehicle to allow the Council to exercise the power to trade contained in the Local Government Act 2003 and the Localism Act 2011 to facilitate income generation be approved in principle;

2)      the Interim Director of Services and Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to engage suitable external experts to advise on the detail of the governance and funding arrangements of the proposed company and to assist in the preparation of a business case as referred to in the report;

3)      budgetary provision of £25,000 be made to commission the work referred to in Recommendation 2 above, to be funded from general reserves; and

4)      a further report on the business case and recommended governance and funding arrangements be brought back to the Cabinet at the first available opportunity.

 

2)     Annual Treasury Management Strategy 2017/18

 

The Cabinet received a report on the Treasury Management Strategy for 2017/2018 and related policies and were asked to consider whether to recommend to Council that the strategy and associated polices be adopted.

 

Having considered the advice of the Portfolio Holder, the Cabinet RECOMMENDED to Council that the Treasury Management Strategy and the following appendices to the Annual Investment Strategy (Appendix 1) as listed below be approved:

·              Appendix 1A - Annual Investment Strategy Policies

·              Appendix 1B - Prudential Indicators including the borrowing limits

·              Appendix 1C - the MRP method to be used in 2017/18.

 

 

3)     Capital Programme 2017/18 - 2020/21

 

The Cabinet considered a report setting out the Capital Programme 2017/18 – 2020/21 and the Capital Strategy.

 

Having considered the advice of the Portfolio Holder, the Cabinet RECOMMENDED to Council that

i)                    The Capital Programme for 2017/18 – 2020/21 as set out in Appendix A be approved;

ii)                  The Capital Strategy as set out in Appendix B be approved; and

iii)                The implication for the Financial Strategy of the proposed programme be noted

 

 

4)     Gerrards Cross Police Station

 

The Cabinet received a report, which detailed the indicative business case for the Council’s purchase and development of the Gerrards Cross Police Station Site. 

 

Having considered the advice of the Portfolio Holder, the Cabinet RECOMMENDED to Council to: 

 

a.         make budgetary provision of £4,222,500 from the Capital Receipts Reserves to enable the continued purchase of the site and meet the associated expenditure required by the Council to meet its obligations in acquiring the site; and 

 

b.         add £5.3M budgetary provision to the Capital Programme, which will result in additional borrowing to enable the site to be redeveloped for housing and to authorise the Head of Environment to draw down expenditure up to £800k from the Capital Programme to initiate the scope of works required to bring the site to development.

 

And RESOLVED that

 

a.       the Head of Environment be authorised to undertake the procurement process for the demolition of the current police station and ex-police houses on a phased basis, following the receipt of planning permission;

 

b.      a project manager and developer be appointed through the Scape framework agreement, to obtain detailed design and planning approval for housing on the Gerrards Cross Police station site and to provide the detailed business plan at an estimated cost of £800k. A further report to be presented on the detailed business plan before moving to the development phase;

 

c.       the Head of Healthy Communities be authorised to enter in to agreement with Buckinghamshire Housing Association to continue to manage the ex-police houses for use as emergency accommodation for a 12 month period from; 1st June 2017, with the option to extend for further rolling 3 month periods; and

 

d.      the Head of Healthy Communities, in consultation with the Head of Environment, be authorised to spend £10k to develop a business plan and planning proposals for emergency accommodation to be delivered on Council owned land or through the acquisition of property in the district.

 

And further

 

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the PAG held on 8 December 2016 and 25 January 2017 be noted.

 

Supporting documents: