Issue - meetings

To receive the Leader’s report on the work of the Executive since the Council meeting held on 30 November 2017.

Council is asked to resolve a recommendation in respect of:

• the release of capital funding in 2016/17 from the 2017/18 Capital Programme to fund the investment at South Hill Park.

·         the Local Council Tax Discount Scheme and the Local Council Tax Discount Summary Scheme

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Bettison OBE, presented his report on the work

of the Executive since that reported at the Council meeting on 30 November 2016.

The Executive had met once on 13 December 2016.

The Leader highlighted the following matters that had been considered:

·         Revenue and capital proposals had been agreed for consultation and the Local Government Finance settlement had been published in late December. Government figures assumed a 5% Council Tax increase and 900 new houses by April 2017. There would be a further review at the February meeting of the Executive.

·         £190k improvement work at South Hill Park was being recommended to Council.

·         Some work had been undertaken on a Local Council Tax Discount Scheme to support the most vulnerable in the Borough. The Leader reported that a great deal of work had gone into this scheme and he outlined the key elements of the scheme.

·         The Leader thanked Overview and Scrutiny Members for a very comprehensive and valuable piece of work on GP capacity. He reported that the Executive had fully endorsed two of the recommendations made and amended and accepted the third recommendation made.

·         The Leader reported that the Council Plan Overview Report showed that more than 90% of key actions were on track or completed.

Councillors Birch and Heydon declared an interest in the Capital Programme part of this item as Board Members of the Downshire Homes Board. 

In response to a query about the Local Council Tax Discount Scheme, the Executive Member for Adult Social Care, Health & Housing reported that a great deal of work had gone into developing this Scheme and the Scheme had been consulted upon. There was a hardship fund available for those in genuine difficulty. The Scheme would be reviewed on an annual basis and if it was discovered that disproportionate hardship was being caused, the Scheme could be adjusted.

The agenda report contained recommendations that the Council was asked to

resolve.

The Mayor declared an affected interest in Agenda Item 5: Executive Report, recommendation 5.1.2 which related to South Hill Park, of which the Mayor was a trustee. The Mayor left the room whilst this item was discussed.

On the proposition of Councillor Heydon, Executive Member for Transformation and Finance, seconded by Councillor McCracken, Executive Member for Culture,

Corporate Services and Public Protection, it was

RESOLVED that:

i)              £190,000 capital funding be released in 2016/17 from the 2017/18 Capital Programme to fund the investment required at South Hill Park

On the proposition of Councillor Birch, Executive Member for Adult Social Care, Health & Housing, seconded by Councillor McCracken, Executive Member for Culture, Corporate Services and Public Protection, it was RESOLVED that:

ii)             the Local Council Tax Discount Scheme and the Local Council Tax Discount Summary Scheme be adopted

iii)            the operation of the Local Council Tax Discount Scheme be delegated to the Director of Adult Social Care, Health & Housing