Agenda and draft minutes

To confirm the minutes from the previous meeting

There were no minutes to be agreed.

To receive any apologies for absence

Apologies received from Cllr Adshead, Cllr Mclean, Cllr Link, Cllr Conway, Cllr Hearn, Co–Opted TLC Members Cook and Howard and Officer Elliott Brooks.

To receive any declarations of interest

A member with a disclosable pecuniary interest or a personal interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered -

(i)            must disclose the interest at the start of the meeting or when the interest becomes apparent

and, if the interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest, or a personal interest which is also prejudicial

(ii)           may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter (and must withdraw to the public seating area) unless they have been granted a dispensation.

A member who discloses at a meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which is not registered in the Members’ Register of Interests, or is not the subject of a pending notification, must notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest within 28 days of the disclosure.

Disclosable pecuniary interests, personal and prejudicial interests are defined in Part 2 of the Code of Conduct For Members

[If a member is in any doubt as to whether they have an interest which should be declared they should seek the advice of the Monitoring Officer before the start of the meeting]

There was no declaration of interest.

An opportunity for members of the public to make statements or ask questions in accordance with the rules as to public participation

There was no public participation.

None.

R Baker introduced the report by saying the key changes had been highlighted in the presentation. Key things to note were that this version included the fees and charges and capital financing which had not been in the last version seen by the Committee.

Cllr Wyatt-Lowe referred to page 6 what rates of housing increase was included in the assumptions for  the new homes bonus.

R Baker said that the £2.2m would be based on averages, and is based on a 4 year rather than 6 year settlement, on the assumption as one year drops out another comes in.

Cllr Wyatt-Lowe asked what the chances of achieving it?

R Baker said we would have to wait until all the consultations have come out. The basis for the grant depends on the revised distribution menthod.

M Gaynor said that the consultation very clearly indicated that payments would reduce from the cumulative within a rolling 6 years to 4 years and that £800M will be top sliced for social care.

Cllr Mahmood asked if the increase in council tax sum includes the new homes.

R Baker said yes they are included in the additional growth.

Cllr Mahmood referred to the growth for the Strategic Housing Officer on page 11, does this give us the return we need, and is 44 thousand a good investment.

J Hedger said that this has been grant funded for two years. 160 families are in the scheme if they didn’t have that scheme we would have to house them. It’s a key post and we need to bring in future schemes like this. There are also opportunities for income generation from having this post.

Cllr Bassadone asked why some of the items are in red?

R Baker said those are the changes since the last financial report.

Cllr W Wyatt-Lowe referred to page 12, the reduction in39/41 The Marlowe’s this is such a high amount?

R Baker said the building is being leased to the health trust and so the council no longer have the liability for Business Rates and utilities.

M Gaynor added to that saying that we have had no income from it last year so following a rent free period then the rent will start to kick in and then increase.

R Baker said confirmed that this would be included into future budgets.

Cllr W Wyatt-Low referred to page 14 regarding the customer services unit and the contractual reductions.

R Baker said it was one of the contractual reduction built into the contract when the service was tendered a few years ago. This is in the last in the contract and it will be up for renewal in the next year.

Cllr W Wyatt-Lowe referred to appendix D do we have to do heritage?

R Baker said there is 58 thousand for a grant to the Heritage Trust it and it’s not a statutory service.

M Gaynor went on to add more information on what the Trust do including storage of heritage items  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Agreed