Agenda and decisions

That Cabinet recommends to Full Council at its meeting on 7 March 2024 that:

             i.       the following amounts be now calculated by the council for the 2024/25 financial year, in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011:

       ii.            the figures shown as i.1. and i.3. above to be increased only by the amount of Parish Precepts for 2024/25;

     iii.          the budget amounts included in the report be the council’s budget for 2024/25; and

     iv.          the fees and charges shown in Appendices C1-C22 be implemented with effect from 1 April 2024.

That Cabinet recommend to the Full Council on 7 March 2024 the General Fund schemes set out at Appendix A to the report and the Housing Services schemes set out at Appendix B to the report as committed expenditure in the Capital Programme for 2024/25 to 2027/28.

That Cabinet recommends to the Full Council on 7 March 2024, for approval, the 2024/25 to 2027/28 Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP).

That Cabinet recommend the Pay Policy Statement for 2024/25 to Full Council for approval.

AGREED that Cabinet:

a)    subject to approval by Full Council of the Revenue Budget for 2024-25, allocates the budget proposed for 2024/25 over the activities as described in the tables in Section 2 of the report; and

b)  notes and endorses an additional £18,830 budget to be added to the 2025/26 financial year Revenue Budget to cover the shortfall in funding necessary.

AGREED that Cabinet:

a)       approve the recommendation to resume the Council’s opening hours of 9:00am - 5:00pm within the Customer Contact Centre and Housing Repairs; and

b)       note the results of customer feedback about the Customer Promise, formally adopt the Promise and embed it in the Council.

That Cabinet note the proposed schedule of attendance by Portfolio Holders at future meetings of the Policy & Performance Improvement Committee.

That Cabinet approve the Homelessness and Rough Sleeper Strategy 2024-2029 (as at Appendix 1 which has been published separately to the main agenda).

AGREED that Cabinet:

a)       note the progress of the scheme and the allocated budgets for 2024-25;

b)       approve the transfer of £17,033 from the Homelessness Reserve to revenue for the one-off items listed in the table at 4.3 (summarised at 5.2.3) of the report;

c)        approve budgetary provision a caretaker post, funded through service charges;

d)       note that costs of the caretaker role of £28,195 will be funded from the existing budget set for 2024/25; and

e)       approve additional budget of £30,000 for the purchase of a vehicle (subject to caretaker role approval) and inclusion into vehicle replacement programme.

AGREED that Cabinet approve funding of £217,000 for the installation of solar panels at The Broadleaves and Gladstone House, to be included in the Capital Budget 24/25 financed by the Major Repairs Reserve.

That Cabinet approves the recommendation to make the necessary budgetary allowance as set out in paragraph 3.1 of the report, to increase establishment by 1x FTE to create a surveyor role with a focus on damp and mould, subject to the HRA revenue budget being approved by the Full Council on 13 February which includes the funding for this role from 2024-25.

AGREED that Cabinet:

(a)    approve the draft Public Spaces Protection Orders, as set out in the report, to be issued for the first stage public consultation for a period of 6 weeks; and

(b)   delegated authority be given to the Director of Communities and Environment in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Public Protection & Community Relations, to approve amendments from the first stage consultation to be made to the final draft order to be issued for the final 4 week consultation period.

AGREED that Cabinet approve the Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy, as at Appendix A to the report.

AGREED that Cabinet approve Newark & Sherwood’s Sport & Recreation Facilities Strategy 2023-2033, as at Appendix A to the report.

AGREED that Cabinet:

a)      expresses its disappointment with the lack of progress, since19 December, to transfer the land from Southwell Leisure Centre Trust to the Council;

b)      confirms its continued commitment to invest £5.5m in the development of a new swimming facility and not to repair the current pool;

c)      confirms that the investment referred to in recommendation (b) above is subject to the freehold transfer of all land currently in the ownership of Southwell Leisure Centre Trust, it being noted that this would be subject to the agreement of the Charity Commission and for the legal agreement to include a covenant to restrict the use of the land transferred for the provision of leisure services;

d)      requests Southwell Leisure Centre Trust to agree to make a joint submission to the Charity Commission to propose the freehold disposal of all designated land in its ownership in return for the Council’s £5.5m investment in a new pool and an estimated £740,000 investment in the “dry side”, on the grounds that this is in the best interests of the beneficiaries of the charity and to enable the charity to meet its charitable objectives; and

e)      in order to avoid abortive work and costs, officers freeze any further work on the provision of a new pool until Southwell Leisure Centre Trust provide written agreement to (d) above. If and when agreement is reached the Council will commit to a 24 month project programme which will be shared with relevant stakeholders.