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.

To provide an update on actions progressing the recommendations of the Local Government Association’s Corporate Peer Challenge.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To approve the Council’s response to the Corporate Peer Challenge attached at Appendix 2b to the Executive report, and note the actions taken already to address the recommendations made by the Peer Challenge team.

To consider and recommend to Council for approval the Blackpool Climate Action Plan in line with the Climate Emergency Declaration.

The Executive resolved as follows:

1. To recommend to the Council the Blackpool Climate Action Plan attached at Appendix 3a to the Executive report and request the Council and partners to act towards the implementation of its actions.

2. To note the monitoring agreements set out in page 19 of the action plan and summarised at paragraph of 6.6, and where relevant periodic update reports on progress or amendments to the Action Plan will be brought to the Executive.

To consider the Council’s Medium-Term Financial Sustainability Strategy (MTFSS) for the 6-year period, 2021/22 to 2026/27, overlapping and replacing the previous one which covered the 6-year period, 2016/17 to 2021/22.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To approve the Medium-Term Financial Sustainability Strategy 2021/22 – 2026/27 attached at Appendix 4a to the Executive report.

2. To initiate a period of consultation with key stakeholders before the 2022/23 Budget cycle commences.

3. To defer delivery of the 5-year Children’s Social Care medium-term financial plan by 12 months in order to give its workstreams more time in which to take effect [section 4.4].

4. To transition out the Growth and Prosperity net revenue budget target over a 2-year period, 2022/23-23/24, with any proceeds subsequently realised from the existing work programme being directed to bolstering reserves and any new proceeds being retained by Growth and Prosperity for their re-investment [section 4.4].

5. To suspend the Cash Limited Budgeting Regime to allow finances to be managed more strategically at a corporate level [paragraph 5.3].

6. To continue to plan for a level of general working balances of £6m and agree that this should be subject to ongoing review [paragraph 5.4].

7. To invite independent assurance on the robustness and validity of this Strategy and Medium-Term Financial Plan via CIPFA’s Financial Resilience Advisory Report peer review service or equivalent [paragraph 6.2].

8. To agree to receive updates of the Strategy and/or Plan on a rolling annual basis or as changing circumstances dictate.

To consider the recommendations of the Arts and Culture Scrutiny Review Panel.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To endorse the recommendation of the Scrutiny Review Panel that a new Blackpool Cultural Partnership with the key task of producing a Blackpool Cultural Plan, be established.

To consider the recommendation from the Shareholder Committee from its meeting on 8 October 2021 to amend the current powers and duties.

The Executive agreed the recommendation as outlined above namely:

To agree the amended powers and duties of the Shareholder Committee as set out in Appendix 6(a) to the Executive report.

To consider the Treasury Management Half-Yearly Progress Report for the year ended 30 September 2021 and its annexes 1 to 7.

The Executive agreed the recommendation as outlined above namely:

To note the report concerning the Treasury Management activities for the six months to 30 September 2021.

To report the level of spending and exposure against the Council’s Revenue budgets and reserves and balances for the first 5 months to 31 August 2021.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To note the report.  

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

3.      To prompt the Scrutiny Leadership Board to continue to independently review the financial and operational performances of the services listed in 2.

4.      To continue to lobby central government (HM Treasury, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (formerly the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), Department for Health and Social Care, Department for Transport, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Department for Education in particular) along with local authority peers and networks and the Local Government Association for the funding necessary to cope with the demands and new burdens presenting as a result of both Covid and within Children’s Services.