Cabinet - Tuesday, 23rd August, 2016 7.00 pm - Agenda and minutes

Venue: Concorde Room, Council Offices, Farnborough

Contact: Chris Todd, Democratic Services  on 01252 398825 or e-mail:  chris.todd@rushmoor.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

31.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 171 KB

            To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 26th July, 2016 (copy attached).

 

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 26th July, 2016 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

 

32.

FINANCIAL MATTERS

Presented By: Leader of the Council

32a

Revenue Budget Monitoring and Forecasting 2016/17 - Position at July, 2016 pdf icon PDF 426 KB

            To consider the Head of Financial Services’ Report No. FIN1615 (copy attached), which sets out the Council’s anticipated financial position for 2016/17 based on the monitoring exercise carried out in July, 2016.

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered the Head of Financial Services’ Report No. FIN1615, which set out the anticipated financial position for 2016/17, based on the monitoring exercise carried out during July 2016. It was explained that the final outturn position for 2015/16 had shown a marked improvement in the general fund balance of over £0.5 million, which had taken the balance from £1.492 million as shown in the budget to £2 million, which was at the top of the range set out in the Medium Term Financial Strategy. The Report explained that the Directors’ Management Board had carried out a budget challenge exercise to identify ongoing, permanent reductions in net spend. This exercise had identified a total of £357,000 of net reductions, which was made up of reductions in expenditure and increases in income. The Cabinet was informed that the operation of the Business Rate Retention Scheme had caused large variances between accounting years and this unpredictability represented a risk to the Council. Significant adverse variances in the current year had occurred in respect of the operation of markets and car boot sales, parking penalty charge income and car parking income in general. The Report set out the reasons for these shortfalls.

 

Members considered the Report and expressed satisfaction with the improved revenue budget position and the measures put in place to ensure further progress in the future.

 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that the latest Revenue Budget monitoring position, as set out in the Head of Financial Services’ Report No. FIN1615, be noted.

 

32b

Capital Programme Monitoring and Forecasting 2016/17 - Position at July, 2016 pdf icon PDF 129 KB

To consider the Head of Financial Services’ Report No. FIN1616 (copy attached), which sets out the Council’s position regarding the Capital Programme for 2016/17 based on the monitoring exercise carried out during July, 2016.

Minutes:

The Cabinet received the Head of Financial Services’ Report No. FIN1616, which provided the latest forecast regarding the Council’s Capital Programme for 2016/17. The Report advised that the approved Capital Programme for 2016/17 totalled £30,183,000. This figure included several significant property acquisitions, purchased as part of the Council’s sustainability plans, which would start to generate additional revenue income for the Council within the 2016/17 financial year and in future years. It was also reported that the Council would need to borrow money to finance part of its capital programme and that borrowing rates were very low at the current time. The recent monitoring exercise had identified that, due to a number of slippages and underspends, the forecasted outturn was approximately £27,388,000, with a forecasted net reduction in spend of £2,795,000 against the approved Programme. The identified areas of slippage included works at Aldershot Railway Station, under the Activation Aldershot scheme, and works at the new Council depot site.

 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that the latest Capital Programme monitoring position, as set out in the Head of Financial Services’ Report No. FIN1616, be noted.

33.

RUSHMOOR GOOD CAUSES LOTTERY pdf icon PDF 95 KB

To consider the Corporate Director’s Report No. CD1603 (copy attached), which seeks approval in principle to the establishment of a local good causes lottery.

 

Presented By: Concessions and Community Support

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered the Corporate Director’s Report No. CD1603, which set out a proposal to establish a local good causes lottery.

 

                        The Report explained that the provision of a local lottery would support the Council’s voluntary and community sectors, whilst moving the Council away from being a direct funding provider to the role of enabler. It would also allow the voluntary and community sectors to access lottery funding that was designed for them and at no cost to them. It was explained that Aylesbury Vale District Council had launched the first online local authority lottery in November 2015 and this was, currently, well established. It was proposed to design the Rushmoor delivery model on the successful scheme at Aylesbury but with changes, where necessary, to take account of local circumstances. The potential delivery model was set out in the Report and, as part of the process, the Council would have to procure an External Lottery Manager for the scheme.

 

Members were supportive of the suggested approach and it was agreed that, in due course, all local charities would be contacted in order to promote the lottery.

 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

 

(i)           the principle of establishing a Rushmoor Good Causes Lottery, as set out in the Corporate Director’s Report No. CD1603, be approved;

 

(ii)          the Corporate Director, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Concessions and Community Support, be authorised to finalise the details of the scheme;

 

(iii)         the Borough Services Policy and Review Panel, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Concessions and Community Support, be requested to oversee the development of the eligibility criteria for the good causes wishing to apply to join the scheme;

 

(iv)         the commencement of the procurement process to secure an External Lottery Manager be approved; and

 

(v)          the awarding of the contract, based on the procurement criteria specified in the tender process, be approved.

34.

WARD COMMUNITY GRANT SCHEME pdf icon PDF 72 KB

To consider the Corporate Director’s Report No. CD1602 (copy attached), which sets out a proposal to develop a Ward Community Grant Scheme.

Presented By: Concessions and Community Support

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered the Corporate Director’s Report No. CD1602, which set out a proposal to establish a pilot Ward Community Grant Scheme.

 

Members were informed that the proposal was to make £6,500 of the current year’s Community Grant Fund budget available to support the pilot scheme, whereby ward councillors would play a greater role in sponsoring community and voluntary groups in their own wards. The total allocation for grants during the pilot period would be £500 per ward per year and the details of the proposed pilot scheme were set out in Appendix 1 to the Report. 

 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

 

(i)           the adoption of a Ward Community Grant Scheme on a pilot basis, as set out in Appendix 1 to the Corporate Director’s Report No. CD1602, be approved; and

 

(ii)          the Cabinet Member for Concessions and Community Support be requested to review the effectiveness of this pilot scheme and report back to the Cabinet by 31st March, 2017.

35.

KPI LIMITED - ALTERATION TO DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT pdf icon PDF 126 KB

To receive a report from the Chief Executive, which sets out a request from KPI Limited for an amendment to the development agreement, to enable them to bring forward proposals for the next phase.

Presented By: Environment and Service Delivery

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered the Chief Executive’s Report No. CEX1601, which provided details of a request by Key Property Investments Limited (KPI) to amend the existing development agreement with the Council, in order to enable the company to bring forward proposals for the outstanding phases of the Farnborough Town Centre North Queensmead redevelopment.

 

Members were reminded that the redevelopment of Farnborough town centre had been broken down into four development phases. Phases one and two had been completed but there had been some delays in completing the remaining two phases, caused in part by the impacts of the financial recession. The Council, as the freeholder of the site, had entered into a development agreement with KPI Limited at the outset of the scheme. This agreement had provided the Council with ‘step-in’ rights at a certain point in time, should the development be stalled. This would enable the Council to appoint a new development partner to complete the scheme. The existing agreement stated a step-in date of March 2017. It was reported that KPI Limited had made a request that the time before step-in rights became active be extended by five years. The Council was keen to support the continued implementation of the consented scheme with KPI Limited as the preferred development partner. It was felt, however, that a five year extension would be too long, particularly given that the proposal had been with consent for approximately twelve years. It was, therefore, proposed that KPI Limited should be granted a two year extension, with the possibility of further extensions being granted, subject to there being clear evidence of progress being made.

 

The Cabinet expressed its support for this approach and stressed the importance of good communication by KPI Limited as the remaining phases were progressed. It was also agreed that KPI Limited should be invited to sign up to the Council’s Good Homes Charter, in relation to the provision of the residential accommodation within the scheme.

 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that the proposed amendment to the development agreement between Rushmoor Borough Council and KPI Limited, to allow an additional two years before the step-in rights are activated, was approved.