Agenda and minutes

Councillor Nick McDonald  -  work commitments

Councillor Sam Webster declared an interest in item 4 – facilitation of loans to Nottingham City Homes as he is a Director of Nottingham City Homes Ltd.

Last meeting held on 22 November 2016 (for confirmation).

The minutes of the meeting held on 22 November 2016 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

Report of Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration

The Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration introduced the report on the facilitation of loans to Nottingham City Homes.

The loans are for the purchase and development of rented housing over the next three years subject to the Chief Finance Officer approving each business case and loan security.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  approve a loan facility to Nottingham City Homes, noting that each individual loan will require a decision by the Leader, Executive Board, or the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing (dependant on the value) with an accompanying business case;

(2)  approve the £0.500m charge to Nottingham City Homes for a one-off arrangement fee for the loan facility.

Reasons for Decisions

The loans are to support Nottingham City Homes (NCH) in purchasing and developing rented housing over the next 3 years, and each business case will need to come via the appropriate decision making route (dependant on value).

Loan proposals to NCH will be on market terms in compliance with State Aid regulations which includes the charging of an arrangement fee for such a facility.

Other options considered

The Council could develop and purchase rented housing – the Council already has a programme of delivering around 300 new build properties with further schemes being explored.  If the financing had not been granted to NCH then the corporate plan for creating new homes for the citizens of Nottingham would be more challenging to deliver.

Report of Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration

The Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration introduced the Review of 2016/17 Revenue and Capital Budgets for Quarter 2.

The report provides an up to date assessment of the Council’s current and forecast year-end financial position for the General Fund revenue account, Capital Programme and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) based on activity to the end of September 2016.

Council Tax and Business Rate collection is slightly ahead of target, as is the Adult Services debt.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  note:

a) the overall current (medium case) forecast net overspend of £2.014m before retention of traded surplus, as set out in paragraph 2.2 and Appendix A of the report;

b) the management action being taken to control the identified cost pressures across services, as set out in Appendix B of the report;

c) the progress on the implementation of cost reductions and pressures as set out in paragraph 2.5 of the report;

d) the forecast working balance of £4.025m on the HRA, as set out in paragraph 2.7 of the report;

e) the forecast position on the Capital Programme, as set out in paragraph 2.9 of the report;

f) the Capital Programme projections at Quarter 2, as set out in paragraph 2.9 (table 6) of the report;

g) the additions to the Capital Programme listed in Appendix E of the report;

h) the refreshed Capital Programme, including schemes in development, as set out in paragraph 2.9 (tables 7, 8 and 9) of the report.

(2)  approve the movements of resources set out in paragraph 2.6 and Appendix D of the report;

(3)  note and endorse the allocations from the corporate contingency as set out in paragraph 2.4 of the report.

Reasons for decisions

The report enables formal monitoring of progress against the 2016/17 budget alongside the impact of actual and planned management action.  The approval for virements of budgets is required by corporate financial procedures.

Other options considered

No other options were considered as the Council is required to ensure that, at a corporate level, expenditure and income are kept within approved budget levels and this report sets out how this is being managed.

Report of Leader/Portfolio Holder for Strategic Regeneration and Development, and the Portfolio Holder for Early Intervention and Early Years.

The Portfolio Holder for Early Intervention and Early Years introduced the Nottingham Plan 15/16 Annual Report.  The Nottingham Plan to 2020 helps the City Council and partners set out a vision of what Nottingham should look like by 2030 – this update shows the progress in achieving these ambitions.

The update contains information on:

·  Helping people into work;

·  The completion of the tram network;

·  Events that have taken place in Nottingham, such as the AEGON Nottingham Open, Nottingham Oktoberfest, and Nottingham City of Football;

Board members also added that there had been a fall in unemployment, as well as a fall in the number of young people involved in crime.  Teenage pregnancy continues to fall, and the carbon emissions target has been reached.  However, there is still plenty to work at, including the overall level of deprivation in Nottingham.

RESOLVED to approve the Nottingham Plan Annual Report Year 6 and note the progress against Nottingham Plan targets for 15/16 (Year 6), as set out in the report.

Reason for decision

The performance of the Nottingham Plan to 2020 is publicly reported to local citizens and partners.

Other options considered

No other options were considered as it has been agreed that annual performance of the plan is considered by the One Nottingham Board and the City Council.

Report of Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration

The Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration introduced the Budget Consultation 2017/18 – the report contains draft proposals for the revenue element of the Council’s draft Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for 2017/18 to 2019/20.

The final overall proposals for the MTFP, including any changes arising from consultation will be considered by Executive Board in February 2017 for recommendation to Full Council in March 2017.

RESOLVED to note, and endorse and release the MTFP proposals as set out in paragraph 2.5 and Table 4 of the report for formal public consultation, noting that further details relating to individual consultation proposals are contained in Appendix 1a-j of the report.

Reasons for decision

To enable the release of details for public consultation.

The details of proposals may change during the consultation period and this may impact on the way in which identified savings will be delivered.

Other options considered

Throughout the budget process a range of different options are considered including various levels of Council Tax, as well as investment and cost reductions.  The report presented the overall set of current draft proposals which together sought to balance levels of investment, income, cost reductions and an appropriate level of council tax.