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Agenda item

Recommendations of Cabinet or Committees to Council for decision

To consider the recommendations made by Cabinet or Committees since the last ordinary Council meeting relating to the following matters:

 

Cabinet - 7 March 2022

 

i.                   Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy 2022/23

 

General Purposes and Audit Committee - 16 February 2022

 

i.                   Appointment of External Auditors

 

Appointments Committee - 17 February 2022

 

i.                 Pay Policy Statement 2022/23

 

Minutes:

The recommendations to Council were taken in two blocs. The first bloc included recommendations 1.1, 1.2, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, and 1.14. The second bloc included recommendations 1.10, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19, 1.20 and 1.21.

 

RESOLVED: The Members of Council resolved to agree the following recommendations:

 

1.1        The General Fund revenue budget for 2022/23 as set out in appendices 1A to 1D;

1.2        The Council’s request for a capitalisation direction from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities [DLUHC] of up to £50m for 2021/22 and up to £25m for 2022/23 as set out in paragraph 9.26 of the report;

1.3        1.99% increase for Croydon Services in 2022/23 (in line with government’s core spending power assumptions) as detailed in Section 10 of the report and Appendix 1E;

1.4        A 1.00% increase in 2022/23 for the Adult Social Care Precept (in line with government’s core spending power assumptions) as detailed in Section 10 of the report and Appendix 1E;

1.5        To note the draft Greater London Authority precept on the Collection Fund and increase of 8.8% as set out in Appendix 1F;

1.6        With reference to the principles for 2022/23 determined by the Secretary of State under Section52ZC (1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended) confirm that in accordance with Section 52ZB (1) the Council Tax and GLA precept referred to above are not excessive in terms of the most recently issued principles and as such to note that no referendum is required. This is detailed further in section 10 of the report;

1.7        The calculation of budget requirement and council tax as set out in Appendix 1E and 1F including the GLA increase will result in a total increase of 4.11% in the overall council tax bill for Croydon;

1.8        The revenue budget assumptions as detailed in the report and the associated appendices;

1.9        The detailed programme of revenue savings, income and growth items, by directorate, as set out in Appendix 1B;

1.10    That based on the advice of the Pension Fund Actuary and the Fund's independent investment advisors (as provided to the Pension Committee), and upon the wording of the Hymans Robertson recently issued Draft Rates and Adjustments Certificate, the Council agrees not to progress plans to transfer properties to the Pension Fund (as detailed in Section 12 of the report);

1.11    The Council’s 2022/23 HRA revenue budget as set out in Section 15 of the report;

1.12    The amendment to the previously approved General Fund capital budget to reflect the change in requested transformation funding requests (to be financed by the use of flexible capital receipts) as detailed in section 16 of the report;

1.13    The list of individual transformation projects as detailed in Section 16 of the report;

1.14    In relation to the Facility Agreement with Brick By Brick Croydon Ltd:

i.                 Approve variations to the Facility Agreement to: a. change the repayment structure to allow flexibility in the way the Council can apply repayments, as explained in section 9 of the report; and b. reflect the inclusion of £1.379m of outstanding liabilities post the Fairfield Halls expenditure review.

ii.                Approve that the Section 151 Officer shall be authorised to finalise the varied terms thereof and make decisions in respect of the loan repayment application (in consultation with the Brick By Brick Shareholder Cabinet Advisory Board)

iii.               Note that these changes shall be reported to Cabinet as part of the next Brick By Brick quarterly update in addition to briefings to the Brick By Brick Shareholder Cabinet Advisory Board;

1.15    In exercising its functions including in making decisions on the setting of the 2022/23 budget and proposed changes, due regard is to be had to the public sector equalities duties as detailed in Section 20 of the report;

1.16    That in setting the Budget and Council Tax members must have regard to the Section 151 Officer's statutory report under Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 on the robustness of the estimates made for the purposes of the Council Tax calculations and the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves as set out in Section 11 of the report, and in particular the risks relating to the accounting treatment of Croydon Affordable Homes and Croydon Affordable Tenures leases;

1.17    Consider the comments and recommendations from the budget engagement with local residents, businesses and representatives of non[1]domestic rate payers as set out in Appendix 1I;

1.18    Note the planned contribution to reserves set out in Section 11 of the report which will be confirmed subject to the final 2021/22 outturn and reported to Cabinet as part of the Outturn report in July 2022;

1.19    In respect of the Council’s public sector equalities duties, where the setting of the capital, revenue and HRA budget result in new policies or policy change the relevant service department will carry out an equality impact assessment to secure delivery of that duty including such consultation as may be required; and

1.20   The recommendations and comments of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee and the General Purposes and Audit Committee as will be communicated as draft minutes or verbally reported to this meeting.

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