Issue - meetings

RECOMMENDATIONS:

That Cabinet recommends to Council:

1.     The Capital Investment Strategy be approved including:

a)    the Capital Programme and Capital Programme Financing (Appendices A and B to the report);

b)    the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy Statement (Appendix E);

c)    the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy (Appendix G); and

d)    the prudential indicators detailed in the report and Appendix F.

Councillor Power (Cabinet Member for Finance and Value) moved that the recommended minute of Cabinet be approved and adopted (seconded by Councillor Tod, Leader & Cabinet Member for Asset Management).

Council proceeded to ask questions and debate the matters in the recommended minute of Cabinet and the report.

RESOLVED:

That the recommended minute of Cabinet held 9 February 2023 (as follows) be approved and adopted:

1.            The Capital Investment Strategy be approved including:

a)    the Capital Programme and Capital Programme Financing (Appendices A and B to the report);

b)    the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy Statement (Appendix E);

c)    the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy (Appendix G); and

d)    the prudential indicators detailed in the report and Appendix F.

That it be recommended to Council*:

1.      The Capital Investment Strategy be approved including:

·       the Capital Programme and Capital Programme Financing (Appendices A and B to report CAB3389);

·       the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy Statement (Appendix E);

·       the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy (Appendix G); and

·       the prudential indicators detailed in the report and Appendix F.

That Cabinet:

2.      Subject to Council approval of the capital programme, approves

a)    IMT equipment and software expenditure (£120,000 in 2023/24) as detailed in paragraph 11.8.7; and

b)    up to £320,000 of additional expenditure for the demolition of Friarsgate Medical Centre in respect of the overage payable as detailed in paragraph 11.2.4.

3.      Delegate authority to the Corporate Head of Service: Economy & Communities, in consultation with the S151 officer, to incur capital expenditure in accordance with the requirements of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund as detailed in paragraph 11.2.4 of report CAB3389.

4.      Notes the requirement to ensure Members have the right knowledge and skills to undertake their governance role and that the ongoing support and training offered to members is continued and enhanced as required.

*NB recommendations to Council are not subject to call-in.

Councillor Power introduced the report which detailed the spending required to deliver the capital spending programme over the next 10 years.

The Chief Executive and Councillor Power provided an update of the matters discussed during consideration of this report at Scrutiny Committee on 7 February 2023 which were noted by Cabinet.  The Committee did not forward any issues for the attention of Cabinet. 

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons set out above and outlined in the report.

RECOMMENDED (TO COUNCIL):

1.       The Capital Investment Strategy be approved including:

a)    the Capital Programme and Capital Programme Financing (Appendices A and B to the report);

b)    the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy Statement (Appendix E);

c)    the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy (Appendix G); and

d)    the prudential indicators detailed in the report and Appendix F.

RESOLVED:

1.         That subject to Council approval of the capital programme:

a)         IMT equipment and software expenditure (£120,000 in 2023/24) be approved, as detailed in paragraph 11.8.7 of the report; and

b)         up to £320,000 of additional expenditure for the demolition of Friarsgate Medical Centre in respect of the overage payable be approved, as detailed in paragraph 11.2.4 of the report.

2.         That authority be delegated to the Corporate Head of Service: Economy & Communities, in consultation with the S151 officer, to incur capital expenditure in accordance with the requirements of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund as detailed in paragraph 11.2.4 of the report.

3.         That the requirement to ensure Members have the right knowledge and skills to undertake their governance role be noted and that the ongoing support and training offered to members is continued and enhanced as required.

Report reference: SC084 and CAB3389

Recommendation

It is recommended that scrutiny committee comment on the proposals within the attached cabinet report, ref CAB3389 which is to be considered by cabinet at its meeting on the 9 February 2023.

Councillor Power, Cabinet Member for Finance and Value; introduced the report, ref SC084 and CAB3389 which set out proposals for the Capital Investment Strategy 2022-2032, which was available here.  

The report recommended that the committee comment on the proposals within the attached cabinet report, ref CAB3389 which was to be considered by the cabinet at its meeting on 9 February 2023.

The committee proceeded to ask questions and debate the report in detail. In summary, questions relating to the following matters were raised.

1.    The relationship between the raising of CIL monies and the resulting expenditure.

2.    The reasons for the variance in general fund reserves.

3.    The demolition costs related to the River Park Leisure Centre and the associated capital receipt.

4.    The use and purpose of council assets as part of the Central Winchester Regeneration project and any implications to the council’s revenue.

5.    Clarification of the elements of the capital programme referred to in the chart on page 152 “General Fund Capital Programme Revenue Consequences”

These points were responded to by Councillor Tod, Leader and Cabinet Member for Asset Management, Councillor Power, Cabinet Member for Finance and Value, Liz Keys, Corporate Head of Finance, Laura Taylor, Chief Executive, and Neil Aitken, Service Lead – Finance accordingly and were noted by Councillor Power, Cabinet Member for Finance and Value.

RESOLVED

1.    That the report be noted

That cabinet considers all the committee’s comments raised during the discussion of the item.