Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Suite, Castle House, Great North Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 1BY

Contact: Nigel Hill Tel: 01636 655243 Email:  Nigel.hill@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

63.

Minutes from the meeting held on 11 February 2020 pdf icon PDF 244 KB

Minutes:

AGREED      (unanimously) that the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 11 February 2020 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

64.

Declarations of Interest by Members and Officers and as to the Party Whip

Minutes:

NOTED       (a)     the interests declared as shown in the schedule circulated at the meeting; and

 

(b)     the additional interests which were declared at the meeting as follows:

 

Councillors S. Carlton and M. Skinner – Agenda Item No. 17 – Appointment of Representatives on Outside Bodies and Council Owned Companies –- Personal Interests as Directors of Southwell Leisure Centre Trust and Active4Today.

65.

Declarations of any Intentions to Record the Meeting

All Members to note the meeting is to be live streamed by the Council.

Minutes:

Other than the Council recording in accordance with usual practice, there were no declarations of intention to record the meeting.  The Chairman advised that the meeting was being streamed live.

66.

Revenue Budget and Council Tax Setting 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 675 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Leader of the Council relating to the Revenue Budget and Council Tax Setting for 2020/21.

 

The report indicated that, in setting the level of Council Tax for 2020/2021, it was necessary to consider the requirements of the Council Tax Collection Fund for 2020/2021.  This incorporated the District Council’s Council Tax Requirement, Parish Council Precepts and the Council Tax requirements of Nottinghamshire County Council, the Nottinghamshire Police & Crime Commissioner and the Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service.

 

The Policy & Finance Committee, at its meeting held on 20 February 2020, recommended that the District Council's Council Tax Requirement for 2020/2021, excluding Parish Council precepts, should be £13,523,390.00 as detailed in the Council's Budget Book for 2020/2021.  As part of the budget process, the views of the operational committees had been taken into account along with views of the Commercial Ratepayers through the statutory consultation.

 

It was reported that all Parish Council precepts had been received.  Parish precepts totalled £3,108,508.79.  Consequently the total Council Tax Requirement for the District Council was £16,631,898.79.

 

Nottinghamshire County Council had set a precept on Newark & Sherwood District Council’s Collection fund for 2020/2021 of £60,215,720.  The Nottinghamshire Police & Crime Commissioner has set a precept on Newark & Sherwood District Council's Collection fund for 2020/2021 of £8,996,168.56 and the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service had proposed a precept on Newark & Sherwood District Council’s Collection fund for 2020/2021 of £3,191,733.30.

 

AGREED      (with 27 votes for and 8 against) that the recommendations as set out in the report and attached as Appendix A to these minutes be approved.

 

In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 28a.1 a recorded vote was taken as follows:

 

Councillor

Vote

Mrs Kathleen Arnold

Against

Roger Blaney

For

Louis Brailsford

For

Lee Brazier

Against

Malcolm Brock

For

Mrs Betty Brooks

For

Mrs Irene Brown

Against

Michael Brown

For

Scott Carlton

For

Max Cope

For

Mrs Rita Crowe

For

Robert Crowe

For

Donna Cumberlidge

Against

Maureen Dobson

For

Keith Girling

For

Laurence Goff

Against

Peter Harris

For

Rhona Holloway

For

Mrs Lydia Hurst

For

Roger Jackson

For

Bruce Laughton

For

Johno Lee

For

David Lloyd

For

Mrs Sylvia Michael

For

Neal Mitchell

Against

Paul Peacock

Against

Mrs Penny Rainbow

For

Mrs Sue Saddington

For

Mathew Skinner

For

Tom Smith

For

Ivor Walker

For

Keith Walker

For

Tim Wendels

For

Mrs Ronnie White

For

Mrs Yvonne Woodhead

Against

 

 

67.

Medium Term Financial Plan - 2020/21 to 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 257 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer which sought approval for the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for the four financial years between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2024 (2020/21 to 2023/24).  A copy of the Plan was attached as an Appendix to the report.

 

The MTFP aimed to provide both Members and Officers with a clear financial framework for delivering the Council’s Community Plan objectives over the next four years.  It set out the Council’s spending plans to support its strategic priorities over the current financial year and the following three years and detailed how that spend would be funded through grants, fees and charges, local taxation, reserves and other income.  The MTFP showed that the Council was able to set a balanced budget for 2020/21, though will need to raise additional income to pay for service delivery in future years. 

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Medium Term Financial Plan for 2020/21 to 2023/24 be approved and the Council remind the Government of their declared intent to exempt public conveniences from business rates and request this now be adopted as policy.

68.

Capital Programme 2020/21 - 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 244 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer which set out the proposed Capital Programme for the period 2020/21 to 2023/24.  Following the Policy & Finance Committee’s consideration of the Capital Programme at its meeting on 20 February 2020 and in accordance with Financial Regulation 6.2.3, the final programme was recommended to Council for approval.  Attached as Appendix 1 to the report was the report submitted to Policy & Finance Committee held on 20 February 2020 which detailed the resources available, the Council’s existing committed programme and the priority schemes identified.

 

The Capital Programme for 2020/21 to 2023/24 proposed investment of £96.2m over the 4 year programme, including Housing Services £56.47m (made up of Property Investment and the New Build Programme) and General Fund £39.73m (made up of various general fund projects). The expenditure was financed by a combination of Government Grants, Third Party Contributions, Capital Receipts, Revenue Support (through the HRA Major Repairs Reserve and General Fund reserves) and borrowing.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

 

(a)          the General Fund schemes shown in Appendix A and the housing services programme shown in Appendix B be approved as committed expenditure in the Capital Programme;

 

(b)          the Capital Programme be managed in accordance with Financial Regulation 6.2.3;

 

(c)          in accordance with the delegation to the Section 151 Officer in the Council’s Constitution to arrange financing of the Council’s Capital Programme, the Capital Programme for the financial years 2020/21 to 2023/24 be financed to maximise the resources available, having regard to the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and subsequent legislation; and

 

(d)          any changes above the limit delegated to the Section 151 Officer (i.e. £10,000), either in funding or the total cost of the capital scheme, be reported to the Policy & Finance Committee for consideration.

 

69.

Capital Strategy 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 256 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director - Resources and Section 151 Officer which sought approval for the Capital Strategy 2020/21 which incorporated the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy and Capital Prudential Indicators.  The Strategy had been updated in accordance with the latest guidance.

 

The Capital Strategy outlined the principles and framework that shaped the Council’s capital decisions.  The principle aim was to deliver a programme of capital investment that contributed to the achievement of the Council’s priorities and objectives as set out in the Corporate Plan.  The Strategy was attached as appendices to the report.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Council approved each of the following key elements:

 

(a)     the Capital Strategy 2020/21;

 

(b)     the Capital Prudential Indicators and Limits for 2020/21, contained within Appendix A to the report;

 

(c)     the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy Statement as contained within Appendix C to the report, which sets out the Council’s policy on MRP; and

 

(d)     the flexible use of the Capital Receipts Strategy as contained within Appendix D to the report.

 

70.

Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 262 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director - Resources and Section 151 Officer which sought approval for the Treasury Management Strategy Statement for 2020/21. This Statement incorporated the Borrowing Strategy, Investment Strategy and Treasury Prudential Indicators updated in accordance with the latest guidance. The Statement was attached as Appendix A to the report.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

 

(a)     the Treasury Management Strategy 2020/21, incorporating the Borrowing Strategy and the Annual Investment Strategy be approved;

 

(b)     the Treasury Prudential Indicators and Limits be approved; and

 

(c)     the Authorised Limit Treasury Prudential Indicator be approved.

 

71.

Investment Strategy 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 246 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer which sought approval for the Investment Strategy for 2020/21. This Investment Strategy met the requirements of statutory guidance issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Investment Guidance in January 2018.  The definition of an investment covered all of the financial assets of the Council, as well as the other non-financial assets that the organisation holds, primarily or partially to generate a profit including investment property portfolios. The Strategy therefore, may include investments that were not managed as part of normal treasury management processes or under treasury management delegations. A copy of the Investment Strategy was attached as Appendix A to the report.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

 

(a)     the Investment Strategy 2020/21 be approved; and

 

(b)     the Investment Prudential Indicators and Limits be approved.

 

72.

Pay Policy Statement 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 606 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Director – Governance & Organisational Development which sought approval of the Pay Policy Statement for 2020/21.  In accordance with Section 38(1) of the Localism Act 2011, the Council was required to produce a Pay Policy Statement for each financial year.  The Pay Policy Statement set out the authority’s policies for the financial year relating to:

 

   the remuneration of the authority’s lowest-paid employees (together with a definition of “lowest-paid employees”) and the reasons for adopting that definition;

   the relationship between remuneration of Chief Officers and that of other officers (pay multiples); and

   the remuneration of Chief Officers.

 

It was noted that the Pay Policy Statement had been updated to reflect changes to the living wage; transfer of the Housing Management Service in-house on 1 February 2020; and deputising Director duties. 

 

The Policy & Finance Committee, at their meeting held on 20 February 2020, recommended the Pay Policy Statement to the Council for adoption.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Pay Policy Statement for 2020/21 be approved.

 

73.

Castle House Concessions Policy pdf icon PDF 264 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director - Resources and S151 Officer, which sought approval for a Castle House Concessions Policy for use for the 2020/21 financial year.  The proposed Policy was attached as Appendix A to the report.

 

The Council had developed such a Policy in order to ensure a transparent process of approving concessions on desk licence fees for partners within Castle House.

 

The Policy sought applicants where they were non-public sector bodies for renewal on an annual basis.  Applicants would be assessed against three levels of criteria as detailed in the report.  Where these criteria were met, the Section 151 Officer would have discretion to award a maximum 50% concession, with awards at 25% or 10% respectively, based on an assessment of financial information.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Castle House Concessions Policy, as set out in the appendix to the report, be approved and delegated authority to agree concessions for partners at Castle House within the scope of the policy be granted to Chief Officers in accordance with the general delegation to Chief Officers under the Council’s Constitution (Part Two, Paragraph 7.2).

 

74.

Appointment of Representatives on Outside Bodies and Council Owned Companies - Southwell Leisure Centre Trust and Active4Today pdf icon PDF 236 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Chief Executive which sought to change appointments on the Southwell Leisure Centre Board of Trustees and the Active4Today Board.  The changes were proposed following a review of the governance and financial arrangements between the Council and Active4Today and due to a resignation from the Southwell Leisure Centre Trust.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

 

(a)          Councillor Keith Girling, Deborah Johnson and Nick Wilson be appointed as Directors of Active4Today replacing Councillor David Lloyd, John Robinson and Sanjiv Kohli; and

 

(b)          Councillor Bruce Laughton be appointed as a District Council representative on Southwell Leisure Centre Trust to replace Andrew Gregory.

 

75.

Bulcote Neighbourhood Plan Referendum pdf icon PDF 242 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Director - Growth & Regeneration, which sought to approve the arrangements for the Neighbourhood Plan Referendum in Bulcote.  The Plan had been subject to independent examination and had met the Basic Conditions and the other statutory requirements.  It was therefore proposed that the Plan proceed to Referendum to take place on the same day as the Police & Crime Commissioner election on 7 May 2020. 

 

AGREED      that the Chief Executive as Returning Officer, be authorised to arrange the referendum for the Bulcote Neighbourhood Plan on Thursday, 7 May 2020.

 

76.

Minutes for Noting

76a

Policy & Finance Committee - 20 February 2020 pdf icon PDF 258 KB

76b

Planning Committee - 4 February 2020 pdf icon PDF 329 KB

76c

Audit & Accounts Committee - 5 February 2020 pdf icon PDF 238 KB