Decisions

Upgrade the Council’s parking Pay and Display machines to accept the new £1 and £2 coins being released by the Royal Mint.

The Cabinet Member agrees to the commencement of the procurement project to update the Pay and Display machines by granting full approval of the £67k capital budget in financial year 2016/17.

Replace the existing and aging ANPR camera network with modern and up to date technology to maintain the high quality enforcement within the core historic centre of Bath and outside on the priority arterial routes.

The Cabinet Member agrees to the commencement of the procurement of replacement cameras by granting full approval of the £300k capital budget.

This report presents the third monitoring information for the Authority as a whole for the financial year 2016/17 to the end of December 2016.  The report also includes a number of budget transfer requests for both revenue and capital.

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.

All recommendations were approved as set out in the report.

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet agreed to recommend:

1.  That the Council approve:

a)  The General Fund net revenue budget for 2017/18 of £112.796m and the associated Council Tax increase of 1.50% plus a further 2% precept for Adult Social Care, as set out in Appendix 2.

b)  That no Special Expenses be charged other than Town and Parish Council precepts for 2017/18.

c)   The adequacy of reserves at Appendix 2 Table 10 with a risk-assessed level of £13.5m.

d)  The individual service cash limits for 2017/18 summarised at Appendix 2 Table 6 and detailed in Annex 1.

e)  That the specific arrangements for the governance and release of reserves, including invest to save proposals, be delegated to the Council’s Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance & Efficiency and the Chief Executive.

2.  That the Council include in its Council Tax setting, the precepts set and approved by other bodies including the local precepts of Town Councils, Parish Councils and the Charter Trustees of the City of Bath, and those of the Fire and Police Authorities.

3.  That the Council notes the Section 151 officer's report on the robustness of the proposed budget and the adequacy of the Council's reserves (Appendix 2, Annex 2) and approves the conditions upon which the recommendations are made as set out throughout Appendix 2.

4.  That in relation to the capital budget the Council:

a)  approves a capital programme of £56.083m for 2017/18 and notes items for provisional approval in 2017/18 and the programme for 2018/19 to 2021/22 (including invest to earn) as shown at Appendix 2, Annex 3 including the planned sources of funding .

b)  delegates implementation, subject to consultation where appropriate, of the capital programmes set out in Annex 3i to Annex 3iii to the relevant Strategic Director in Consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Member.

c)  Approves the CIL allocations as set out in Appendix 2 and the proposed arrangements for agreeing the use of CIL for the unparished area of Bath.

d)  approves all other delegations as set out in the budget report.

e)  approves the revised Minimum Revenue Provision Policy as shown at Appendix 2, Annex 4 with the changes to become effective immediately.

f)  approves the Capital Prudential Indicators as set out in Appendix  2 Table 8.

5.  That the Council agree the Council’s proposed pay policy statement as set out in Appendix 5.

6.  Authorise the Council’s Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance & Efficiency, to make any necessary changes and presentational improvements to the draft budget proposal for submission to Council.

7.  To reduce by £30k the saving from the review of the Dog Warden Service (page 137) in 2017/18.

8.  To reduce by £50k the savings from the Parks service (page 136), in 2017/18.

9.  To provide £50k of additional funding to the Catering Service Budget to meet the increasing inflationary costs of food faced by Catering Service.

This report is to gain approval for the purchase of waste vehicles for the recycling and refuse services, both of which will have come to the end of their functional life.

The Cabinet Members agree that the capital budget up to a maximum of £6.835M be spent on waste vehicles, plant & equipment requirements.

The Council now has the power to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice to persons believed to have been fly tipping. This report seeks approval for the Council to set the fixed penalty at the maximum £400 level within Bath & North East Somerset.

The Cabinet Member agree to set the Penalty Charge for Unauthorised Deposit of Waste (Fixed Penalty Notices) at £400  (four hundred pounds) with no discount for early payment, to reflect the seriousness with which the Council views this offence and the costs incurred in issuing the FPN and clearing the fly-tip.

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

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. 

Approved as set out in the report.

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.

The Cabinet agreed on 25th January 2017 which site should be promoted as a P&R east of Bath.

This decision was Called In on the 1st February 2017.  The Monitoring Officer verified the Call In request on the 7th February 2017.

The Communities, Transport and Environment PDS Panel met on 23^rd February 2017 to hear the Call In.  The Panel dismissed the Call In.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet agreed to:

1.  Note that both sites F and B could deliver the required outcomes for a P&R site to the east of Bath.

2.  Refuse that site F with 800 or 1,200 spaces should be promoted as the preferred site for a new Park and Ride east of Bath.

3.  Authorise:-

A)  that site B with 800 spaces should be promoted as the preferred site for a new Park and Ride east of Bath based on the advice in the report, but subject to satisfactory arrangements for the purchase of the site and agreement from Highways England on access.

B)  If site B is not deliverable for the above reasons, within a reasonable timescale, then site F should be progressed.

4.  Delegate authority to the Strategic Director (Place), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, to make all necessary arrangements to implement the above, including, as necessary, the appropriation of land under Section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972.

5.  Approve all necessary expenditure to enable the site to be secured and requests the development of a full business plan for appropriate executive approval.

6.  Fully approve an additional £500,000 to support delivery of the next steps.