Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Chair will draw attention to the emergency evacuation procedure as set out in the Notes

The Senior Democratic Services Officer drew attention to the evacuation procedure as set out in the Agenda.

At this point in the meeting declarations of interest are received from Members in any of the agenda items under consideration at the meeting. Members are asked to indicate:

(a) The agenda item number in which they have an interest to declare.

(b) The nature of their interest.

(c) Whether their interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an other interest,  (as defined in Part 2, A and B of the Code of Conduct and Rules for Registration of Interests)

Any Member who needs to clarify any matters relating to the declaration of interests is recommended to seek advice from the Council’s Monitoring Officeror a member of his staff before the meeting to expedite dealing with the item during the meeting.

Councillors Paul Myers and Michael Evans declared an Other interest in agenda item ‘Budget and Council Tax 2017/18 and Financial Outlook 2017/18 to 2019/20’ as they were members of the Midsomer Norton Town Council.

Questions submitted before the deadline will receive a reply from an appropriate Cabinet member or a promise to respond within 5 days of the meeting.  Councillors may ask one supplementary question for each question they submitted, up to a maximum of two per Councillor.

There were 24 questions from Councillors and 1 question from members of the public.

[Copies of the questions and responses, including supplementary questions and responses if any, have been placed on the Minute book as Appendix 1 and are available on the Council's website.]

Councillors and members of the public may register their intention to make a statement if they notify the subject matter of their statement before the deadline.  Statements are limited to 3 minutes each.  The speaker may then be asked by Cabinet members to answer factual questions arising out of their statement.

Kathleen Hovland presented a petition to the Cabinet asking the Council, and their contractors, to ensure the status of the swimming pool as a competitive, as well as a community pool by providing an ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) compliant 8 lane width pool with gallery extension.  Kathleen Hovland also read out the statement in support of the petition (attached as Appendix and available on the Minute Book at Democratic Services).

Pat Mason read out the statement (attached as Appendix and available on the Minute Book at Democratic Services) where she expressed her concerns on the withdrawal of the subsidy for the 6/7 Bus Route.

Rosemary Naish (Chair of Clutton Parish Council) read out the statement (attached as Appendix and available on the Minute Book at Democratic Services) where she expressed her concerns about the safety of the access to the Maynard Terrace.

Councillor Karen Warrington (Clutton Ward Councillor) also expressed her concerns about the safety of the access to the Maynard Terrace and asked the Cabinet to work with developers on this matter.

David Redgewell read out the statement (attached as Appendix and available on the Minute Book at Democratic Services) where he expressed his concern over potential loss of bus services.

Sue Porter addressed the Cabinet on behalf of 31 residents from Lyncombe Vale Rd and Rosemount Lane in Widcombe.  The residents expressed their concerns on the traffic in these roads, in particular to free parking which had created serious road safety issues.  Sue Porter also said that residents had asked the Council in 2006 to register this as Residents Parking Zone (RPZ) but that no resolution had happened so far. 

Nicholas Beach addressed the Cabinet with the continual problems that residents of Perrymead in Widcombe had suffered from the free parking, and asked the Cabinet to introduce RPZs in that area.

Councillor Ian Gilchrist (Widcombe Ward Councillor) addressed the Cabinet by supporting the residents who expressed their concerns on traffic and parking related issues in Widcombe Ward.  Councillor Gilchrist said that residents had been waiting for 10 years for the Council to implement some measures in terms of the RPZs, and that had not happened yet.  Councillor Gilchrist concluded his statement by asking the Cabinet to consider Widcombe residents requests for the RPZs when setting up the budget.

Councillors Karen Walker and Sarah Bevan (Peasedown St John Ward Councillors) read out the statement (attached as Appendix and available on the Minute Book at Democratic Services) with the Peasedown St John residents’ ‘wish list’ for the forthcoming Council budget.

Councillor Dine Romero read out a statement on behalf of Councillor Alison Millar.  Councillor Alison Millar said that she had received many representations from the residents living East of Bath since the Cabinet made their decision on the Park and Ride East of Bath.  Most of the people were amazed that the Cabinet went ahead with the decision which would ’blight’ Meadows.  Councillor Alison Millar also said in her statement that 13 opposition Councillors had signed the Call In  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 14^th November 2016 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

This is a standard agenda item, to cover any reports originally placed on the Weekly list for single Member decision making, which have subsequently been the subject of a Cabinet Member requisition to the full Cabinet, under the Council’s procedural rules

This is a standing agenda item (Constitution rule 14, part 4D – Executive Procedure Rules) for matters referred by Policy Development and Scrutiny bodies.  The Chair of the relevant PDS Panel will have the right to attend and to introduce the Panel’s recommendations to Cabinet.

The Chair invited Councillor Sarah Bevan, as Resources PDS Chair, to address the Cabinet.

The Chair informed the meeting that the Cabinet had received a copy of draft minutes of the last Resources PDS meeting along with the summary of findings from other PDS Panels.

Councillor Sarah Bevan read out the following statement to the Cabinet:

‘At Resources PDS panel on Monday 30th January we discussed the proposed budget after receiving an overview from Tim Richens and Andrew Pate.

No decisions or resolutions were passed, but members did raise some queries and views, as Cllr Gerrish will recall.

As you will all be aware, in the case of critical views raised by members, the PDS panel, whilst listening to and addressing those views with officers, awaits any party political points from the relevant political groups to be raised by their own groups, with Cabinet and at Full Council.

So I’m presenting the following comments as the view of the panel as a whole:

The panel were interested in how the new business rates retention scheme might work.  They noted the benefits from being in the pilot for the next two years but wondered if those benefits would continue beyond that. The panel understood that as the method of funding local government - with full business rates retention - has not yet been agreed meaning it’s difficult to say. So this adds to the risks towards the end of the three year plan.

Business rates appeals is another risk that was noted. This is now a local risk not a government risk.

The fact that this Council does not get recompensed for the costs of the city hosting an increasing number of students has been highlighted by the panel before - and is an issue for future funding systems.  It was noted that this has recently been fed back to government for consideration by the leader of the Council as well as in response to routine consultations.

Although the panel had a number of questions no changes were proposed.  As in previous years there were requests for more information including about libraries.  It was noted that each PDS panel may want to use the budget as a reference when developing their own workplans.

On libraries it was noted that consultation is taking place starting with Bath for which materials have been posted on the web site, or will be, later today I’m told.

The panel also looked at the notes from the Community Area Forums and the other PDS panels.  It supported the idea of the Forums receiving the notes which summarise the answers to the questions they raised and receiving further feedback.  Better attendance at their future meetings with wider public engagement was also encouraged.

An equalities analysis was noted and the importance of this understood.  The analysis highlighted a number of areas for concern but the work to minimise impacts was well received.  On social care it was also noted that there wasn’t a cut in funding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 76.

This report lists Cabinet Single Member decisions taken and published since the last Cabinet meeting.

The Cabinet agreed to note the report.

This report presents the financial monitoring information for the Authority as a whole for the financial year 2016/17 to the end of December 2016.

Councillor Charles Gerrish introduced the report by saying that this report had presented the financial monitoring information for the Authority as a whole for the financial year 2016/17 to the end of December 2016.  The report outlined the Council’s current financial position for the 2016/17 financial year to the end of December 2016 by Cabinet Portfolio. It also shown that the current forecast outturn position was an overspend of £1,039,000 or 0.37% of the gross expenditure budget (excluding Schools).  Strategic Directors would need to work towards managing within budget in the current year for their respective service areas, using action plans to achieve this, including not committing any unnecessary expenditure and stringent budgetary control.

The forecast outturn position included the requirement for the delivery of £12.644m savings as part of the approved budget for 2016/17, a significant element of which had been confirmed as delivered.

Councillor Charles Gerrish moved the recommendations.

Councillor Michael Evans seconded the motion by highlighting pressures within his Cabinet portfolio (Children Services) with forecast of £1,488,000 overspend, which was due to a number of pressures.

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet agreed:

1.  Strategic Directors need to work towards managing within budget in the current year for their respective service areas, using action plans to achieve this, including not committing any unnecessary expenditure and stringent budgetary control.

2.  This year’s revenue budget position as shown in Appendix 2 is noted.

3.  The capital expenditure position for the Council in the financial year to the end of September and the year-end projections detailed in Appendix 3 are noted.

4.  The revenue virements listed for approval in Appendix 4(i) are agreed, and those listed for information are noted.

5.  The changes in the capital programme listed in Appendix 5(i) are noted.

This report presents the Cabinet's revenue and capital budgets for the 2017/18 financial year together with a proposal for a Council Tax level for 2017/18.

Vishaka Robinson gave a statement (attached as Appendix and available on the Minute Book at Democratic Services) speaking against central library move proposals.

Daniel Carey gave a statement (attached as Appendix and available on the Minute Book at Democratic Services) expressing his concern on the consultation for the central library move proposals.

Mary English gave a statement (attached as Appendix and available on the Minute Book at Democratic Services) speaking against central library move proposals.

Dionne Pemberton gave a statement (attached as Appendix and available on the Minute Book at Democratic Services) speaking against central library move proposals.

Paul Stansall addressed the Cabinet by saying that Lewis House, as proposed new venue for the library, was not the right use class in planning terms for that purpose.  Paul Stansall also expressed his concerns in terms of the health and safety of the Lewis House, in particular that escape stairs contravene building regulations.

Luke John Emmett addressed the Cabinet by saying that cultural organisations (i.e. Bath University) would be affected with any arts cuts, which would be detrimental to the area.  The cuts in arts would also create negative impact on the economy. Luke John Emmett also said that £1 invested in arts returns between £2 - £7 of income. 

Jacob Bishop-Ponte addressed the Cabinet by expressing his concerns on cuts in youth services.  Jacob Bishop-Ponte believed that youth services would disappear in near future because of those cuts and that responsibility put on Town Councils was not reasonable.  Jacob Bishop-Ponte concluded his statement by saying that the budget had let down young people.

Councillor Andrew Furse asked how £5.9m of spent on libraries would create £800k of savings.  Councillor Andrew Furse also said that the budget cuts would have an impact on young and vulnerable people, that cuts to arts would be significant and that there would be a shift in frontline services.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson gave a statement (attached as Appendix and available on the Minute Book at Democratic Services) speaking against the budget cuts.

Councillor Joe Rayment said that to him it looked like that the Cabinet had not had meaningful consultation with the public about the budget, and that the budget had been set at the last minute.

Councillor Dine Romero expressed her concerns that the budget would create long term adverse impact on youth service, and that it would affect young and most vulnerable residents.  Councillor Dine Romero also said that would have to pay more for services from the Council and that there would be expensive consequences to these cuts.

Councillor Paul May said that the administration care about services for residents.  The whole budget process had been quite stressful due to the level of cuts in funding from the central government. Councillor Paul May thanked everyone involved in the process.

Councillor Charles Gerrish said that answers to comments from Councillor Furse were included in the Q&A sheet for this meeting.  Councillor Charles Gerrish also said, in response to comments from Councillor Dine  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79.

In February 2012 the Council adopted the 2011 edition of the CIPFA Treasury Management in the Public Services: Code of Practice, which requires the Council to approve a Treasury Management Strategy before the start of each financial year, review performance during the year, and approve an annual report after the end of each financial year.

This report gives details of performance against the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy and Annual Investment Plan 2016/17 for the first nine months of 2016/17.

Councillor Charles Gerrish introduced the report by saying that this report had given details of performance against the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy and Annual Investment Plan 2016/17 for the first nine months of 2016/17.

Councillor Charles Gerrish moved the recommendations.

Councillor Tim Warren seconded the motion.

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet agreed:

1.  The Treasury Management Report to 31st December 2016, prepared in accordance with the CIPFA Treasury Code of Practice, is noted

2.  The Treasury Management Indicators to 31th December 2016 are noted. 

In February 2012, the Council adopted the revised CIPFA Treasury Management in Public services Code of Practice 2011 Edition, which requires the Council to approve a Treasury Management Strategy before the start of each financial year and for this to be scrutinised by an individual / group of individuals or committee.

In addition, the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) issued revised guidance on local authority investments in March 2010 that requires the Council to approve an investment strategy before the start of each financial year.

This report fulfils the Council’s legal obligation under the Local Government Act 2003 to have regard to both the CIPFA Code and the CLG Guidance.

Councillor Andrew Furse commented that this was an improvement from previous years.

Councillor Charles introduced the report by saying that this report fulfils the Council’s legal obligation under the Local Government Act 2003 to have regard to both the CIPFA Code and the CLG Guidance. The suggested strategy for 2017/18 was based on the Treasury Officers’ views on interest rates, supplemented with leading market forecasts provided by the Council’s treasury advisor.

Councillor Charles Gerrish moved the recommendations.

Councillor Tim Warren seconded the motion. 

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet agreed to:

1.  Recommend the actions proposed within the Treasury Management Strategy Statement (Appendix 1).

2.  Recommend the Investment Strategy as detailed in Appendix 2.

3.  Recommend to February Council for approval that decisions to borrow from the Local Government Association (LGA) Bond Agency, as detailed in Appendix 1, are delegated to the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance & Efficiency.

4.  Note the Treasury Management Indicators detailed in Appendix 1 and delegate authority for updating the indicators prior to approval at Full Council on 14th February 2017 to the Chief Finance Officer and Cabinet Member for Finance & Efficiency, in light of any changes to the recommended budget as set out in the Budget Report elsewhere on the agenda for this meeting.