Agenda and decisions

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned either a

(a)   personal interest

(b)   prejudicial interest

(c)    disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI)

and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

The Executive resolved as follows:

1. To note the report.  

2. To continue to lobby Government (HM Treasury, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education in particular) along with local authority peers, the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services for more funding to cope with the mounting demand and new burdens presenting in Children’s Services.

3.      To require the respective directors and Director of Resources to continue to closely monitor and manage service financial and operational performances, specifically Children’s Services, Strategic Leisure Assets and Parking Services.

The Executive resolved as follows:

1. To recommend to Council the £1,544,000 Social Care Support Grant is allocated in full to Children’s Social Care (ref. paragraph 4.7 of the Executive report).

2. To recommend to Council the level of net expenditure for the draft General Fund Revenue Budget 2019/20 of £124,073,000 (ref. paragraph 6.2 of the Executive report).

3. To recommend to Council a level of budget savings of £9.0m (ref. paragraphs 7.1 and 7.2 and Appendix 2 to the Executive report).

4. To recommend to Council that the Chief Executive be authorised to take any necessary steps to ensure all staffing savings are achieved (ref. paragraph 8.1 of the Executive report).

5. To recommend to Council that the Business Loans Fund is increased from £100m to £200m with immediate effect (ref. paragraph 8.3 of the Executive report).

6. To recommend to Council that the target level of working balances remains at £6m (ref. paragraph 10.4 of the Executive report).

7. To recommend a detailed review of earmarked reserves takes place at Provisional Outturn 2018/19 to reprioritise and unearmark funds to replenish working balances to their target level in 2019/20 should this be necessary (ref. paragraph 10.4 of the Executive report).

8. To recommend to Council that the 2019/20 costs of £1.188m associated with the Ofsted action plan are agreed and met from higher than anticipated returns from the Business Loans Fund (ref. paragraph 10.5           of the Executive report).

9. To note the report of the Budget Scrutiny Review Panel as attached at Appendix 3 to the Executive report and agree no direct actions arising from that review.

10. To note that the Director of Resources had attended the Blackpool Business Leaders Group meeting on the 25 January 2019 to present the General Fund Revenue Budget and that the group had made no recommendations on the proposed budget.

11. To consider any further facts and information that which subsequently come to light and report the details to the meeting of the Executive on 25 February 2019.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To recommend to the Council to approve the Capital Strategy 2019/20 to 2021/22 incorporating the Property Investment Strategy 2019/20.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To recommend to Council:

1.      To approve the Capital Programme for 2019/20 as set out at Appendices A and B, to the Executive report.

2. To adopt the Single Capital Pot approach as outlined in Section 4 with a top slice of 12.5% to allow for investment in key priority areas and overspends that are not otherwise fundable (reference paragraph 4.2 of the Executive report).

3. To approve the Capital Prudential Indicators as identified in Appendix C, to the Executive report.

4. To agree that Executive approval will continue to be required for all Prudential borrowing schemes (reference paragraph 3.1, of the Executive report).

The Executive resolved as follows:

To recommend to the Council:

1. To approve the Treasury Management Strategy 2019/20 including both the Borrowing and Investment Strategies which are set out in Annex C and Annex D to the Executive report.

2. To adopt the Treasury Management Policy Statement, the three key principles and four clauses taken from CIPFA’s Treasury Management in Public Services Code of Practice and Cross Sectoral Guidance Notes (2017 Edition) and set out in Annex B to the Executive report.

3. To approve the revised Prudential Indicators and limits for 2018/19 and the new Prudential Indicators and limits for 2019/20 – 2021/22 which are set out in Annex E to the Executive report.

4. To approve the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement for 2019/20, which will ensure a prudent Minimum Revenue Provision charge in the annual statement of accounts. The policy is set out in Annex F to the Executive report.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To recommend to the Council:

1. That a rent reduction of a minimum of 1% is implemented for all Housing Revenue account properties in 2019/20.

2. The minimum level of Housing Revenue Account balances remain protected at £1 million, as previously agreed.

3. That de-pooled services (as detailed in Appendix C, to the Executive report) and that other service charges (as detailed in Appendices D and E, to the Executive report) are charged as outlined.

(This item to be considered in private by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972 as the report contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information))

It is considered on balance that the public interest would not be served by publishing the information as it could prejudice the proposed investment.

Notification has been given on the 4 January 2019 that this item was to be considered in private and no representations have been received in response to this notification.

The Executive resolved as follows:

1. That under Section 100 (A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the Executive meeting during consideration of this item and decision on the grounds that it would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person.
2. To authorise in principal the provision of business loan in the terms as outlined in the exempt report to the Executive.  

3. To delegate authority to the Chief Executive after consultation with Officers on the Business Loans Panel and completing due diligence to finalise specific terms of the loan including appropriate interest rate, repayment conditions and legal conditions, plus any related fees to be applied.

4. To authorise the Head of Legal to ensure that the appropriate legal documentation for the loan facility and associated security charges are put in place.