Decision details

As in  report

Cabinet RECOMMENDED to Council that:

(a)        The General Fund Capital Programme and the associated funding up to the year ending 31 March 2021, as set out in Appendix A1 of the report is approved as submitted.

(b)        The revenue estimates for 2016-17 are approved as submitted in the General Fund summary, as set out in Appendix B1 of the supplementary report.

(c)        The precautionary items for the General Fund, as set out in Appendix B2 of           the report, are approved.

(d)        The Medium Term Financial Strategy for the General Fund, as set out in Appendix B3 of the report in the supplementary agenda, is approved based on the assumptions set out in the report.

(e)        The fees and charges proposed for 2016-17, as set out in Appendix B4 of the report, are approved.

(f)        The Executive Management Team be instructed to identify additional income/ savings of £300,000 in 2016-17, rising to £930,000 from 2017-18.

(g)        The Council Tax requirement for 2016-17 is £7,852,090.

(h)        The Council sets the amount of Council Tax for each of the relevant categories of dwelling in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 on the basis of a District Council Tax for general expenses on a Band D property of £130.31 plus the relevant amounts required by the precepts of Parish Councils, Cambridgeshire County Council, the Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner and the Cambridgeshire Fire Authority, details of those precepts and their effect to be circulated with the formal resolution required at the Council meeting.

(i)         The Housing Revenue Account revenue budget, summarised in the Housing Revenue Account Summary Forecast 2015-16 to 2020-21, as set out in Appendix G of the Housing Revenue Account budget setting report, in the context of the updated 30 Year Housing Revenue Account Business Plan, is approved.

(j)         Subject to paragraph (x) below, council dwellings rents for existing tenants be reduced by 1%, in line with legislative requirements, anticipated to be introduced as part of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill 2015, with effect from 4th April 2016.

(k)        The inclusion of an ongoing savings target for Housing Revenue Account services for the period from 2017-18 to 2020-21, at the initial rate of £250,000 per annum, recognising the financial constraints placed upon the Housing Revenue Account by changes in national housing policy, is approved.

(l)         Inflationary increases of 1.4% in garage rents for 2016-17, in line with the base rate of inflation for the year assumed in the Housing Revenue Account Budget Setting Report, is approved.

(m)      Proposed service charges for Housing Revenue Account services and facilities provided to both tenants and leaseholders, as set out in Appendix B of the Housing Revenue Account budget setting report, is approved.

(n)        The charge for the cost of the provision of the alarm service in sheltered housing is set at £3 a week.

(o)        The latest budget, spend profile and funding mix for each of the schemes in the new build programme, as set out in Section 5 and Appendix E of the Housing Revenue Account budget setting report, is approved.

(p)        The required level of additional funding for new build investment between 2016-17 and  2020-21 to ensure that commitments can be met in respect of the investment of all right to buy receipts retained by the authority, up to the end of December 2015, is approved to earmark.

(q)        The revised Housing Capital Investment Plan, as set out in Appendix H of the Housing Revenue Account budget setting report, in the context of the updated 30 Year Housing Revenue Account Business Plan, is approved.

(r)        Delegation is given to the Executive Director (Corporate Services) in consultation with the Leader, to allow the Self-Build Vanguard scheme to proceed during 2016-17, should the business case presented be financially viable for both the General Fund and the Housing Revenue Account.

(s)        The borrowing and investment strategy for the year to 31 March 2017, as set out in Appendix D1 of the report, is approved.

(t)         The prudential indicators required by the Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities for the year to 31 March 2017, as set out in Appendix D2 of the report, are approved.

(u)        The Capital Strategy 2016-17 to 2020-21 and Corporate Asset Management Plan 2016-17 to 2020-21, as set out in Appendices D4 and D5, is approved;

(v)        Any unspent New Homes Bonus money allocated to the City Deal be approved to roll forward to 2017-18.

(w)       The Executive Director, Corporate Services, be given delegated authority to issue the final version of the Estimates Book, incorporating the amendments required from Council’s decisions.

(x)        The Government’s exemption of supported housing from the 1% rent cut is noted.

In respect of resolution (x) above, Cabinet REQUESTED that the Executive Director and the Director of Housing prepare an updated Housing Revenue Account budget setting report, Housing Revenue Account revenue budget and Housing Revenue Account capital programme for consideration at the Council meeting on 25 February 2016.