Agenda and decisions

To approve the minutes of the Cabinet meeting, 22^nd November 2023

Members and co-opted Members of the Council are reminded that, in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct and the statutory provisions of the Localism Act, they are required to consider in advance of each meeting whether they have a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI), an other registrable interest (ORI) or a non-registrable interest (NRI) in relation to any matter on the agenda. If advice is needed, Members should contact the Monitoring Officer in good time before the meeting.

If any Member or co-opted Member of the Council identifies a DPI or ORI which they have not already registered on the Council’s register of interests or which requires updating, they should complete the disclosure form which can be obtained from Democratic Services at any time, copies of which will be available at the meeting for return to the Monitoring Officer.

Members and co-opted Members are required to disclose any DPIs and ORIs at the meeting.

-      Where the matter relates to a DPI they may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not stay in the meeting unless granted a dispensation.

-      Where the matter relates to an ORI they may not vote on the matter unless granted a dispensation.

-      Where a Member or co-opted Member has an NRI which directly relates to their financial interest or wellbeing, or that of a relative or close associate, they must disclose the interest at the meeting, may not take part in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not stay in the meeting unless granted a dispensation. Where a matter affects the NRI of a Member or co-opted Member, section 9 of Appendix B of the Code of Conduct sets out the test which must be applied by the Member to decide whether disclosure is required.

The Chair will invite Members to make their disclosure orally at the commencement of Agenda item 3, to be recorded in the minutes.

To receive notice of any business not on the agenda which in the opinion of the Chair, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

RESOLVED:

1.1.         Approve the responses and action plans attached to this report as Appendices 1, 2 & 3; and

1.2.         Delegate authority to the officers identified in Appendices 1, 2 & 3 to report back to the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, or relevant Sub-Committee, within the periods specified in the agreed responses and action plans, and on progress made in implementing any action plan.

RESOLVED:

1.1.          Note the benefits of listening to the community and families, who have responded on the proposal to reduce the number of MNS within the borough, via closure or amalgamation. The responses of which are included in the analysis of the feedback to the informal consultation (Appendix 1).

1.2.         Note that doing nothing is not an option; but request that officers explore and carry out more detailed modelling of other options suggested as part of the consultation process, to determine if any of these are feasible and will make MNS financially viable. This is to be done in collaboration with the MNS within the next 3 months. (Noting that other options may also develop through this process.

1.3.         Note, if after further exploration a sustainable model is not achievable there would be a requirement to return to the proposal within the informal consultation.

1.4.         Implement any actions, that came forward as part of the consultation, that can be delivered immediately, with the MNS that have a financial deficit, so that current deficit does not increase further but reduces.

RESOLVED: To

1.1.         Consider:

1.1.1     The feedback received from the Homes Scrutiny Committee held on 23^rd October,

1.1.2     The feedback received on the draft Housing Strategy 2023-2028 from residents and partners via the engagement and consultation process as detailed in Appendix B, and

1.1.3     The Equalities Impact Assessment detailed in Appendix C

1.1.4     The Housing Delivery Plan detailed in Appendix D

1.2.         Delegate authority to Corporate Director to make minor amendments in conjunction with Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member prior to publication.

1.3.         Agree the Housing Strategy 2023- 2028 as detailed in Appendix A; and

1.4.         RECOMMEND the Housing Strategy 2023- 2028 to Full Council for adoption.

RESOLVED:

1.1.         To agree the Local Implementation Plan delivery programme for 2024/25 including:

• Central Croydon (£1,800,000)

• Corridors (£1,025,000)

• Neighbourhoods (£375,000)

• School Streets (£250,000)

• Road Safety (£200,000)

• Active Travel (£394,000)

• Bus Priority (£550,000)

• Cycle Parking (£100,000)

• Cycle Training (£130,000)

as set out at in the Appendix A to this report and forming the third year of the Local Implementation Plan Delivery Plan to be submitted to Transport for London to release Local Implementation Plan (LIP) Funding for 2024/25.

1.2.         To agree that the Corporate Director, Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery (in consultation with the Mayor and the Cabinet Member for Streets and Environment) finalise and approve the Local Implementation Plan 2024/25 delivery programme for submission to Transport for London, making any necessary adjustments to the programme prior to and post submission.

1.3.         To agree the expenditure in 2024/25 set out in this report and Appendix A, subject to funds having been confirmed and allocated by external funders and Council funding agreed by Budget Council.

RESOLVED:

1.1.         To note the General Fund revenue budget outturn is forecast to breakeven at Period 6, after the forecast utilisation of £63m capitalisation directions requested from DLUHC, £3.5m of the corporate risk contingency budget and £2.2m of the corporate economic demand pressures budget. It is not planned to utilise the risk contingency budget and directorates will work to bring the service directorate positions within budget.

1.2.         To approve the movement of £2.2m economic demand pressures budget from Corporate to the Housing directorate as set out in paragraph 4.95. This is a budget transfer within directorates, not a change to overall budget, and is in line with the intended purpose of the £5.5m economic demand pressures budget agreed at full Council in March 2023.

1.3.         To note the progress in MTFS savings achievement as set out in paragraph 4.105.

1.4.         To note the work that has commenced on the Council’s Transformation Programme as set out from paragraph 4.100.

1.5.         To note the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) revenue budget outturn is forecast to overspend by £12.0m.

1.6.         To note the General Fund capital programme 2023-24 forecast underspend of £17.6m against the revised capital budget of £144.7m.

1.7.         To note the HRA capital programme 2023-24 forecast overspend of £5.7m against the revised capital budget of £33.2m.

1.8.         To note the Council’s historic borrowing and debt burden continues to be critical to the sustainability of the Council’s revenue budget. Dialogue with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) continues, and the Council is seeking further financial support from Government in regards to its level of indebtedness and balancing the budget to ensure it can deliver sustainable local government services.

1.9.         To note that the Council continues to operate Spend Control Panels to ensure that tight financial control and assurance oversight are maintained.

1.10.     To note that current forecasts are based on the best available information at the time and will be subject to review and change during the financial year.

RESOLVED:

1.1.         Have due regard to the equalities impact assessment in Appendix 2 in making the decisions set out in these recommendations.

1.2.         Approve the fees and charges as set out in Appendix 1 to the extent that they fall within the authority of the Executive to determine.

1.3.         Note that changes to parking charges are linked to the parking policy transformation and separate consultation is taking place on the draft parking policy.

1.4.         Approve delegation for further in-year amendments to fees and charges for the financial year 2024-25, to the relevant Corporate Director following consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member and the Executive Mayor.

RESOLVED:

1.1.         Approve the Council’s 2023-29 General Fund Capital Programme which includes planned expenditure of £486.53m (including capitalisation directions) across the six years.

1.2.         Approve the Council incurring nil borrowing for 2023-24, with borrowing projected of £28.38m in 2024-25 and £175.17m over the four years after 2024-25. The cost of this borrowing will be factored into the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan for final agreement at Full Council resulting in 2024-25 total interest charge and Minimum Revenue Provision of £72.5m.

1.3.         Approve the Council 2024-25 Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Programme with a total investment planned of £57.26m with borrowing of £24.80m.

1.4.         Approve an increase to the 2023-24 HRA capital budget from £33.248m to £37.162m, owing to increased major repairs and improvements, with this £3.914m increase funded by HRA reserves.

1.5.         Approve the Council’s Capital Strategy, as detailed within Appendix A of this report.

1.6.         Note the Council’s historic legacy borrowing and debt burden continues to be critical to the sustainability of the Council’s revenue budget. Dialogue with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) continues, and the Council is seeking further financial support from Government in regards to its level of indebtedness and balancing the budget to ensure it can deliver sustainable local government services.

RESOLVED:

1.1.         To approve the update to the Annual Procurement Plan for 2023/24 as set out in Appendix A.

1.2.         To approve the delegated decisions in the revised APP to those Lead Members or Officers as stated in Appendix A that includes the procurement strategy and award decisions, the duration of the contracts and contract values.

1.3.         The delegated decisions shall only be exercised following recommendations from the Contracts & Commissioning Board, which include approval from both the Lead Cabinet Member and the Cabinet Member for Finance.

1.4.         To allow for minor changes to proceed whilst retaining the agreed delegated so long as none of the following thresholds for changes are exceeded:

i.                 Contract value exceeds that proposed in the APP/Quarterly Update Report, by the lesser of £500K or 25%, or the new aggregate value exceeds £1m and it becomes a key decision

ii.                Substantial / material changes to procurement from that defined in the APP/Quarterly Update Report e.g. material risks are identified

(Should either of those thresholds be exceeded, the delegation cannot be exercised, and the decision shall be recommended to the Executive Mayor, unless a further delegation is approved. Where a delegated decision is a Key Decision to Officers, it must be made in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member).

RESOLVED:

1.1.         To note the progress made on tranche 1 disposals.

1.2.         To approve tranche 2 of sites for disposals as set out in Appendix 1 of this report together with indicative values in Appendix 1 (exempt appendix) of the Part B report.

1.3.         To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Resources and s151 Officer to agree, in consultation with the Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Finance, the terms and final price for each disposal included within tranche 2.

1.4.         The delegations in this report shall only be exercised following:

i.                 sign off of a business case/ financial assessment by the Corporate Management Team (CMT)

ii.                formal Red Book valuation, if required, on a property to be sold; and

iii.              formal marketing unless there is a clear special purchaser or offer made considerably in excess of the market value.

1.5.         To note that the target value for disposals for tranche 2 is £24.8m and that disposals of tranche 2 assets will commence immediately alongside tranche 1 disposals.

1.6.         To seek approval to commence consultation with the Voluntary Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) on the proposed amendments to the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Policy set out in paragraphs 4.15 to 4.21 and to delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Resources and S151 Officer, in consultation with the Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture, to approve a final amended CAT Policy (Draft in Part A Appendix 3) having considered the feedback provided through the consultation with VCFS organisations.

The following motion is to be moved and seconded where it is proposed to exclude the press and public from the remainder of a meeting:

“That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information falling within those paragraphs indicated in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.”