STATEMENT OF DECISIONS MADE AT A MEETING OF THE BOARD
HELD ON
21st FEBRUARY 2008
PRESENT:
Councillor Brian
Silvester
(Leader of the Council – in the Chair)
Councillor Rachel
Bailey
(Portfolio Holder for Planning)
Councillor David
Brickhill
(Portfolio Holder for Economic Development)
Councillor John
Dwyer
(Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities)
Councillor John
Hatfield
(Portfolio Holder for Finance)
Councillor John
Hammond
(Portfolio Holder for Local Environment)
Councillor Bill
McGinnis
(Portfolio Holder for
Leisure)
Councillor Margaret
Simon
(Portfolio Holder for Customers)
Councillor Ray
Westwood
(Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods)
Councillor Jacqui
Weatherill
(Portfolio Holder for Human Resources)
NON-BOARD MEMBERS IN
ATTENDANCE:
Councillors W T Beard, R Cartlidge, B Evans, S
W Hogben and A Moran).
OFFICERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Paul
Ancell
(Chief Executive)
Jenny
Cross
(Executive Director, Treasury and Corporate Support)
Paul
Goodwin
(Assistant Director, Accountancy & Audit)
Chris
Henshall
(Monitoring Officer)
Carol
Jones
(Democratic Services Officer)
David
Marren
(Executive Director, Direct Services)
Alan
Millington
(Strategic Manager, Planning & Development)
Rachel
Welch
(Strategic Manager, Organisation)
NOTE: The following Decisions should
be read in conjunction with the corresponding reports which
accompanied the Board Agenda issued on 13th February
2008, together with additional reports issued on 18th
February 2008. The agenda and reports are available on the
Council’s Internet Website. http://www.crewe-nantwich.gov.uk/
115. DECLARATIONS OF
INTEREST
Councillor D Brickhill declared a personal
interest in the proceedings in respect of any item which may have a
County Council implication, on the basis that he was a County
Councillor.
No other Member made any declaration of
interest at this point in the proceedings.
116. BOARD DECISIONS
– 3rd JANUARY 2008
The Board received the Statement of Decisions
made at a meeting held on 3rd January 2008.
117. RECONSIDERATION
OF DECISIONS
No decisions had been referred back to the
Board for reconsideration.
118. CONSIDERATION
OF SCRUTINY COMMITTEE COMMENTS/ RECOMMENDATIONS
There were no comments/recommendations from
the Scrutiny Committees on this occasion.
119. BUDGET AND
COUNCIL TAX 2008-2009 AND
BUDGET
PROSPECTS 2008-2012
The Board considered the report of
Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder for Finance.
The report invited the Board to recommend to
Council at its meeting on 27th February 2008, approval
of the Capital Programme and the setting of a sustainable Revenue
Budget and Council Tax for 2008/2009, along with associated
amendments to the Scales of Fees and Charges.
The Board expressed its thanks to staff in
Treasury and Corporate Support for their timely contribution to the
preparation of the draft budget.
RECOMMENDATION TO
COUNCIL:
That the following be approved
–
(A) The General Revenue
Account service revised budgets for 2007/08 and budgets for
2008/09, as shown in the Consultation Draft Budget;
(B)
The General Revenue Account
amendments, base budget growth and special items, listed in
Appendices A to C of the report submitted;
(C)
The Capital Programme as
shown in the Consultation Draft Budget (Section C, cream
pages);
(D)
The amendments to the
Capital Programme, listed in Appendix D of the report
submitted;
(E)
The Scale of Fees and
Charges as shown in the Consultation Draft Budget (Section D,
purple pages), as amended by the changes described in paragraph 3.5
of the report submitted;
(F)
That the General Fund
reserves floor and ceiling remain at £1,250,000 and £1,500,000
respectively to cover the assessed risks;
(G)
That the amounts to be set
in accordance with Sections 32-36 of the Local Government Finance
Act 1992 for the chargeable financial year commencing 1 April 2008
as the amounts of Council Tax for the Borough of Crewe &
Nantwich be as set out in Appendix F of the report submitted;
and
(H)
That the Council sets its
medium-term financial strategy of maintaining an increase of no
more than inflation in Council Tax for each of the next three years
and to achieve this makes appropriate changes to the base budget
by, among other things, developing further efficiency gains to
ensure that the Council maintains a sustainable budget
position.
Alternative Options:
There were many options available to Members
when considering the Council’s Budget and these will no doubt have
been further explored during the consultation period.
Reasons for the Decision:
(a) The
Consultation Draft Budget 2008/2009 has been considered
in various consultation exercises during January and
February 2008.
(b) The Budget
considers the use of revenue resources in the context of the
Revenue Strategy.
(c) The Budget
includes activities which contribute positively, directly
or indirectly, to reducing anti-social behaviour.
(d) The Revenue
Budget and Capital Programme contribute to the delivery of the
Council’s corporate priorities, other service objectives and
statutory responsibilities.
120. CAPITAL FINANCE:
PRUDENTIAL INDICATORS AND TREASURY MANAGEMENT
The Board considered the report of
Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder for Finance.
The report covered the various requirements
of both the Prudential Code for Capital Finance and the Code of
Practice on Treasury Management. It also met the requirements
of anticipated new guidance in respect of the Minimum Revenue
Provision (MRP), being an annual charge to the revenue account
relating to debt.
RECOMMENDATION TO
COUNCIL:
(A)
That the Prudential Indicators for 2008/2009 in Appendix A
of the report be approved;
(B)
That the policy set out in the Annual Minimum Revenue
Provision Statement 2008/2009 in Appendix B be approved;
and
(C)
That the Treasury Management Strategy for 2008/2009 in
Appendix C and the revised list of Approved Organisations for
investment at Appendix D be approved.
Alternative Options:
As outlined in the report.
Reasons for the Decision:
(a) The
Prudential Code requires the Council to set a range of indicators
for 2008/2009 and subsequent years, as part of its budget-setting
process.
(b) The
objective of the professional code is to provide a framework for
local authority capital finance and treasury management which will
ensure that capital expenditure plans are affordable, all external
borrowing and other long-term liabilities are within prudent and
sustainable levels and treasury management decisions are taken in
accordance with professional good practice.
(c) In
taking such decision the Council is accountable and the framework
supports local strategic planning, asset management planning and
proper options appraisal.
121. 2007/2008
FINANCIAL MONITORING REPORT – TO 31 DECEMBER 2007
The Board considered, for information, the
report of Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder for
Finance.
The report provided details of actual
expenditure and income in the current financial year 2007/2008 to
31st December 2007, compared with profiled
budgets. The report also summarised the projected out-turn for
2007/2008.
122. CREWE AND
NANTWICH BOROUGH COUNCIL – SCHEME OF MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES
2008/2009
The Board considered the report of
Councillor Margaret Simon, Portfolio Holder for Customers.
In accordance with the Local Authorities
(Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003, the Council was
required to appoint an Independent Remuneration Panel every four
years to carry out a comprehensive review of Members’
Allowances.
Following its appointment in September 2007
the current Independent Remuneration Panel had met on
five occasions to consider the structure and content of the
2008/2009 Scheme of Members’ Allowances. The
report provided details of the final report of the Panel
together with a draft Scheme incorporating the changes
proposed.
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL:
(A) That
the index applied to the 2008/2009 Scheme of Members’ Allowances be
that of the Average Earning (Excluding Bonuses) Public Sector
Inflation Rate as published in November 2007;
(B) That
the remaining recommendations set out in the Final Report of the
Independent Remuneration Panel be accepted and implemented, subject
to Paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 of the draft Scheme of Members
Allowances 2008/2009 being amended, by adding the following
sentence -
“That where a venue is not
well-served by public transport and a Member believes it is not
practicable to use the train, he/she is required to seek
authorisation from the Chief Executive, or, in his absence, a
Member of the Senior Management Team, relating to the mileage which
can reasonably be claimed for the journey”.
DECISION
That the Board expresses its thanks
to the Independent Remuneration Panel for its time and commitment
to the work undertaken during the review.
Alternative Options:
To amend or reject the recommendations of the
Independent Remuneration Panel.
Reasons for the Decision:
(a)
The Council will have complied with
the requirements of the Local Authorities (Members’
Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 in both reviewing the
scheme and having a place in the Scheme of
Allowances which reflects the various roles of elected Members of
the Borough.
(b) The
Council has taken into account, as required under Paragraph 19 (1)
of the 2003 Regulations, the recommendations of the
Independent Remuneration Panel.
(c)
The previous index applied to the
Scheme was the Average Gross National Annual Wage
(AGNAW). This statistic is no longer produced and the Use of
the Average Earnings (Excluding Bonuses) Public Sector Inflation
Rate is considered to be a more appropriate comparable alternative
measure.
(d) There will
be occasions when it is more practicable for a Member to use
his/her car to travel to a venue which is not well-served by public
transport and for this reason Paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 of the
Draft Scheme was amended.
(Note: During discussion,
Councillor B Evans declared a personal interest in this item, on
the basis that he had already made his views known about the
proposed scheme.)
123.
ECO-TOWNS
The Board considered the report of
Councillor Rachel Bailey, Portfolio Holder for Planning.
In July 2007, the Government issued an
Eco-Towns Prospectus and the report provided an outline of the
initiative.
The Prospectus had resulted in a bid for a
scheme within the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich. It was
reported at the meeting that the bid had been withdrawn.
Notwithstanding this, the Board wished to make formal comments on
the concept of Eco-Towns.
DECISION:
(A)
That the Board endorse the views, as detailed in the
report, with the addition of the following –
“That the Board opposes any proposal for an Eco-Town within the
confines of the borough.”
(B)
That the Board expresses its strongest possible
reservations to the Government Office for the
North-West.
Alternative Option
Await the outcome of the Government’s
short-listing process.
Reasons for the
Decision:
(a) Eco-Towns
could have a significant negative impact on the borough, dependent
on the location of such a town.
(b) The
Government’s policy is to build on “brownfield land” wherever
possible, and there were few sites within the borough which would
be appropriate for an Eco-Town.
124. REPORT OF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIRECT SERVICES
(FOR INFORMATION)
In accordance with Contract Regulations, the
Executive Director, Direct Services reported on tenders that
had recently been invited and
received.
………………………………….Signed