Agenda and decisions

To receive apologies for absence and notification of substitutions.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2024 as a correct record.

To receive any disclosures of interest from councillors in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct for members.

The Chair, or their nominee, to answer any questions raised by members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 40.

At the time of publication of this agenda no questions were received.

Committee is asked to:

1)    Note the Annual Report as part of the presentation to the Committee by the Board of Directors of Knowle Green Estates Limited (KGE)

2)    Give consideration to future Council representation on the Board following the Chief Finance Officer of the Council stepping down from the Board; and

3)    Give consideration as to how the Council wishes to see KGE move forward as set out in paragraph 1.4 of the report

Committee resolved to:

1.    Note the Annual Report of Knowle Green Estates Ltd; and

2.    Set up a Task & Finish Group to consider the future Council representation on the Board following the Chief Finance Officer of the council stepping down and to consider how the Council wishes to move Knowle Green Estates forward.

Committee is asked to note the forecast overspend of £896,000 for 2024-25 as at 30^th September 2024.

The Committee resolved to note the report.

Committee is asked to note the capital expenditure forecast overspend of £1.157m for 2024-25 as at 30 September 2024.

The Committee resolved to note the report.

Committee is asked to note the revenue impacts of the Eclipse Leisure Centre for the outline budget period.

The Committee resolved to note the revenue impacts of the Eclipse Leisure Centre for the outline budget period.

Committee is asked to note the Draft Initial Budget, Fees and Charges Schedule, Capital Items, Revenue Growth and Savings items for 2025-26 budget for Corporate Policy and Resources.

The Committee resolved to note the draft initial budget, Fees & Charges Schedule, Capital Items, Revenue Growth and Savings items for 2025-26 for Corporate Policy & Resources Committee.

To consider recommending to Council:

A)    The gross Council Tax Base for 2025/26 is determined at 41,875.9 (2024/25: 41,305) as Band D equivalents after taking account of the Council’s agreed Council Tax Support Scheme, and

B)    The net Council Tax Base for 2025/26 calculated as Band D equivalents, is determined at 40,620 (2024/25: 39,241) after adjustment by 3% to allow for: irrecoverable amounts, appeals and property base changes.

Members are reminded that pursuant to the Local Government Finance Act 1992 a member of a local authority who has not paid an amount due in respect of council tax for at least two months after it became due and who attends a meeting  at which the level of council tax is considered must disclose that s106 applies to them and refrain from voting on any question with respect to that matter. Failure to comply amounts to a criminal offence.

Please seek and advice from Monitoring Officer if in any doubt prior to the meeting taking place.

The Committee resolved to approve:

1.    The gross Council Tax Base for 2025/26 is determined at 41,875.90 as Band D equivalents after taking into account of the Council’s agreed Council Tax Support Scheme; and

2.    The net Council Tax Base for 2025/26 calculated as Band D equivalents, is determined at 40,620 after an adjustment by 3% to allow for irrecoverable amounts, appeals and property base changes.

Committee is asked to:

1.

a)    Note the proposed Outline Budget parameters for 2025-28 to  2028-29    and the issues and challenges raised in the Report.

b)    Note the current projected Budget shortfalls over the outline periods set out in Table 1 (section 6 )

c)     Subject to the recommendation of the Commercial Assets Sub Committee, agree in principle to the use of £1m per annum (pa) in 2026/2027 up to £5m pa in 2030/31 revenue income from investment assets to accelerate the building up of the investment sinking fund reserves, resulting in less income to support annual service provision.

2.

a)    Agree the Outline Corporate Transformation Programme covering the  years 2025 to 2031 which is fundamentally focused on closing the Outline Budget Gaps for the years 2025-26 to 2028-29 to ensure the ongoing financial viability of the Council. (Appendix 2).

b)    Agree to set up a Members Transformation Board, with draft terms of reference to be brought back to the next meeting of the Committee.

c)     Create a Transformation Reserve by setting aside £0.5m from Revenue to pump prime resourcing of the Outline Transformation Programme over the Outline Budget period

The Committee resolved to:

1a. note the proposed Outline Budget parameters for 2025-28 to 2028-29 and the issues and challenges raised in the report,

1b. note the current projected Budget shortfalls over the outlined periods set out in the report,

1c. subject to a recommendation of the Commercial Assets Sub-Committee, agree in principle to the use of £1m per annum in 2026/27 up to £5m per annum in 2030/31 revenue income from investment assets to accelerate the building up of the investment sinking fund reserves, resulting in less income to support annual service provision,

2a. agree the Outline Corporate Transformation Programme covering the year 2025-26 to 2028-29 to ensure he ongoing financial viability of the Council; and

2b. agree to set up a Members Transformation Board, with draft Terms of Reference to be brought back to the next meeting of the Committee.

Committee is asked to:

1.     Note the forecast Council Reserves balances for the four years ending 31 March 2029

2.     Note a further report will come to Committee in February once the final budget has been finalised 

3.     Agree to repurpose £8.71m of earmarked Revenue Reserves to offset abortive project management costs on Council housing regeneration sites, that must  be re-charged from Capital to the Revenue Budget

4.     Repurpose the Green Belt fighting fund reserve (£900k) to become a Local Plan Resources funding reserve to be applied in 2025-26 and 2026-27 to help fund Strategic Planning

5.     To apply a further £700k of Social Housing Initiatives Reserve in 2025-26 to offset Revenue pressures arising from Homelessness

The Committee resolved to:

1.    Note the forecast Council Reserves balances for the four years ending 31 March 2029,

2.    Note a further report will come to the Committee in February once the final budget has been finalised,

3.    Agree to repurpose £8.71m of earmarked Revenue Reserves to offset abortive project management costs on Council housing regeneration site, that must be re-charged from Capital to the Revenue Budget,

4.    Repurpose the Green Belt fighting fund reserve (£900k) to become a Local Plan Resources Funding Reserve to be applied in 2025-26 and 2026-27 to help fund Strategic Planning; and

5.    To apply a further £700k of Social Housing Initiatives Reserve in 2025-26 to offset revenue pressures arising from homelessness.

Committee is asked to consider recommending to Council to:

1)    Approve a net budget of up to £739,000 to undertake improvement Mechanical and Electrical Plant replacement works at Sunbury Leisure Centre;

2)    Approve a contingency budget in the amount that equals 10% of the total project cost (shown in Appendix 1)

3)     Delegate authority to the Group Head of Assets in consultation with the  Chair and Vice Chair of Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to agree requests for expenditure from the contingency budget.

4)    Delegate authority to the Group Head of Assets in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to appoint the preferred bidder as set out in this report to undertake the Mechanical and Electrical Plant works. 

5)    Delegate Authority to the Group Head of Corporate Governance to enter into necessary legal documentation to formalise the appointment of the contractor.

Appendix 1 contains exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006 Paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information because, disclosure to the public would prejudice the financial position of the authority in any  contract or other type of negotiation with a prospective purchaser who could then know the position of the Council. 

The Committee resolved to:

1.    Approve a net budget of up to £739,000 to undertake improvement mechanical and electrical plant replacement works at Sunbury Leisure Centre,

2.    Approve a contingency budget in the amount that equals 10% of the total project cost,

3.    Delegate authority to the Group Head of Assets in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Corporate Policy & Resources Committee to agree requests for expenditure from the contingency budget,

4.    Delegate authority to the Group Head of Assets in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of Corporate Policy & Resources Committee to appoint the preferred bidder as set out in this report to undertake the mechanical and electrical plant works; and

5.    Delegate authority to the Group Head of Corporate Governance to enter into necessary legal documentation to formalise the appointment of the Contractor.

Committee will be asked to consider a recommendation to Council to approve progression of an assets disposals programme of Council owned land and property in order to generate capital receipts

This item will be considered by the Business, Infrastructure and Growth Committee on Thursday, 5 December 2024.

This report will be published after its consideration by that Committee.

The Committee resolved to recommend to Council that it approves progressions of an assets disposal programme of Council owned land and property in order to generate capital receipts.

Committee is asked to recommend to Council the appointment of Mark Bunney as the Independent Member of the Commercial Assets Sub-Committee.

The Committee resolved to recommend to Council that it approves the appointment of Mark Bunney as the Independent Member of the Commercial Assets Sub-Committee.

The Committee is asked to:

1.    Approve the Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk Policy 2024-2028; and

2.    Approve to delegate authority to the Strategic Safeguarding Lead in consultation with the Chair of the Community Wellbeing and Housing Committee to approve minor amendments and updates to the Policy.

The Committee resolved to:

1.    Approve the Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk Policy 2024-28; and

2.    Approve to delegate authority to the Strategic Safeguarding Lead in consultation with the chair of the Community Wellbeing & Housing Committee to approve minor amendments and updates to the Policy

To consider the appointment of a charity trustee to Staines Parochial Charity.

The Committee resolved to approve the appointment of June Stillwell as a Charity Trustee

To consider appointments of representative trustees to Laleham Charities – Hodgson and Reeve.

The Committee resolved to approve the appointments of Barry Morgan and Jo Smith as a Charity Trustees.

To consider the Forward Plan for committee business.

To note those urgent actions which have been taken by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader since the last Corporate Policy and Resources meeting on 15 October 2024.

To move the exclusion of the Press/Public for the following items, in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006.

Committee is asked to consider recommending to Council that:

1.     The recommended tender option be approved

2.     The Council enter into a contract (subject to the required standstill period) with the recommended bidder;

3.     Authority to the Group Head of Corporate Governance be delegated to enter into the contract and any other associated documentation in connection with the solar car park project

4.     To agree a supplementary capital estimate for the current year 2024/25.

This report contains exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006 Paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information because, disclosure to the public would prejudice the financial position of the authority in any contract or other type of negotiation with the proposed contractor who could then know the position of the Council. 

The Committee resolved to:

1.    Approve the recommended tender option,

2.    Approve the Council entering into a contract (subject to the required standstill period) with the recommended bidder,

3.    Authorise the Group Head of Corporate Governance to be delegated to enter into the contract and any other associated documentation in connection with the solar car park project; and

4.    Agree a supplementary capital estimate for the current year.