Agenda and minutes

Any Member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or an Affected Interest in a matter should withdraw from the meeting when the matter is under consideration and should notify the Democratic Services Officer in attendance that they are withdrawing as they have such an interest. If the Interest is not entered on the register of Members interests the Monitoring Officer must be notified of the interest within 28 days.

Councillor Mrs Hayes declared a personal interest in Item 9 as a member of South Hill Park Arts Centre’s Board.

Councillors Brunel-Walker, McCracken and Turrell declared a personal interest in Item 11 as Members of Bracknell Town Council.

To consider and approve the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 7 January 2014.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive on 7 January 2011 together with the accompanying decision records be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Leader.

There were no urgent items of business.

The Executive considered the reports submitted on the items listed below and the decisions taken are recorded in the decision sheets attached to these minutes and summarised below:

To consider the outcomes of the consultation process on the future of the in house Dementia Home Care Service.

RESOLVED that

1          The support for people with Dementia be commissioned from the independent sector and that the Council should no longer provide this service;

2          The detailed work with the families of the people supported by the service commence with a view to securing alternative support at the same level; and

3          Staff working in the dementia home care service are subject to the Organisational Change protocol and a separate report for the Employment Sub Committee is presented to consider the staffing implications as a consequence of accepting recommendation 2.1.

To consider the initial joint plan for the use of the Better Care Fund.

RESOLVED that

1          The submission of the template attached as Annex A to the report be approved.

2          The establishment of a Better Care Board as set out in 5.3.5 of the report,  with the addition of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Health and Well Being Board, be approved; and

3          Additional resources for staff to programme manage our approach be agreed to be delegated to the Director of Adult Social Care, Health and Housing in conjunction with the Executive Member within the funding envelope.

To receive and consider a report setting out the proposed capital programme prior to its submission to the Council for approval on 26 February 2014.

RESOLVED that the Executive

1          Recommends to the Council

a)      General Fund capital funding of £8.428m for 2014/15 in respect of those schemes listed in Annexes A – E.

b)      The inclusion of an additional budget of £1m for Invest to Save schemes.

c)      The inclusion of £1.335m of expenditure to be funded from S106 as outlined in paragraph 5.20.

d)      That those schemes that attract external grant funding are included within the Capital Programme at the level of funding received.

2                    That capital schemes that require external funding can only proceed once the Council is certain of receiving the grant be agreed.

3          The indicative programme for 2015/16 and 2016/17 be reviewed in the light of resources available and spending priorities in December 2014.

To consider a report seeking the Executive’s approval of the proposed budget and Council Tax level for 2014/15 prior to its submission to Council for approval on 26 February 2014.

RESOLVED that the Executive, in recommending to Council a budget and Council Tax level for 2014/15:

1          Confirms the original budget proposals, subject to the revisions in section 7.4 and those decisions to be taken elsewhere on this agenda on the capital programme and the Dementia Home Care Service;

2          The provision for inflation of £1.875m (section 7.2) be agreed;

3          The additional budget proposals as set out in Annexe A and Annexe D and in sections 6.2,6.3 and 7.3 be agreed;

4          That the Council should fund the Schools budgets at the level set out in section 8.1 subject to any amendments made by the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Learning be agreed;

5          Includes a general contingency of £1.000m, use of which is to be authorised by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Borough Treasurer in accordance with the delegations included in the Council’s constitution (section 9.6);

6          Subject to the above recommendations, confirms the draft budget proposals;

7          The Net Revenue Budget before allowance for loss of interest from any use of balances as set out in Annexe G be approved;

8          A contribution from revenue balances (before loss of interest on use of balances) to support revenue expenditure as set out in paragraph 11.4 be agreed;

9          Recommends that the council tax requirement, excluding Parish and Town Council precepts, be set as £45.944m;

10        Recommends no change in the Council Tax for the Council’s services. The Valuation Bands therefore remain as follows:

11        Recommends that the Council approves the following indicators, limits, strategies and policies included in Annexe E:

·      The Prudential Indicators and Limits for 2014/15 to 2016/17 contained within Annexe E(i);

·      The Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy contained within Annexe E(ii);

·      The Treasury Management Strategy Statement, and the Treasury Prudential Indicators contained in Annexe E(iii);

·      The Authorised Limit Prudential Indicator in Annexe E(iii);

·      The Investment Strategy 2014/15 to 2016/17 and Treasury Management Limits on Activity contained in Annexe E(iv);

12        The virements relating to the 2013/14 budget as set out in Annexe H be approved.

To consider a report seeking approval of the annual revenue grant for South Hill Park Arts Centre.

RESOLVED that

1          An annual grant of £428,360 plus inflation of £4,280 subject to Council approval be awarded to South Hill Park Trust Ltd for 2014/15.

2          The draft Partnership Agreement detailed in the whole of Appendix B to the report be approved as the basis on which the grant is awarded.

3          Payment of the grant is conditional on the Partnership Agreement being signed and the Director of Environment, Culture and Communities in consultation with the Executive Member for Culture, Corporate Services and Public Protection be given the delegated authority to agree changes to this draft Partnership Agreement including future plans and performance indicators for 2014/15.

4          The Director of Environment, Culture and Communities or the Director of Corporate Services in consultation with the Executive Member for Culture, Corporate Services and Public Protection be given delegated authority to agree any minor variations from the approved maintenance budgets. 

5          The Overview and Scrutiny Panel for Environment, Culture and Communities be requested to include a review of the grant awarded to South Hill Park Trust as part of its current consideration of cultural services.

To approve to adopt a revised Statement of Community Involvement.

RESOLVED that

1          The revised Statement of Community Involvement (at Appendix A) be adopted (incorporating changes outlined in Appendix B), which will replace the existing SCI, adopted in 2006. 

2          The Consultation Statement (at Appendix C) be noted.

To approve the designation of neighbourhood areas covering the areas of Binfield Parish and Bracknell Town.

RESOLVED that

1          The administrative area of Binfield Parish as shown on the map at Appendix A to the report be designated as a Neighbourhood Area.

2          The administrative area of Bracknell Town as shown on the map at Appendix B to the report be designated as a Neighbourhood Area.

To approve the proposed consultation on the budget savings from Aiming High for Disabled Children.

RESOLVED that

1          The proposed timescale for achieving the Aiming High savings be noted.

2          The proposed consultation and associated timetable be approved.

To consider a report outlining the current position regarding young people Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) and to endorse the NEET Strategy.

RESOLVED that the revised Bracknell Forest NEET Strategy as set out in Annex 1 to the report be approved.

To approve the Strategy for Young Carers 2013-2017.

RESOLVED that the Strategy for Young Carers 2013 – 2017 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be approved.

To endorse the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership Strategic Economic Plan.

RESOLVED that

1          The Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership Strategic Economic Plan be endorsed.

2          The amendments set out in bold italics be submitted to the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

To consider the following motion:

That pursuant to Regulation 4 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) Regulations 2012, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of items 17 & 18 which involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under the following category of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

 (3)       Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

(NB:     No representations have been received in relation to the notice published pursuant to Regulation 5 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) Regulations 2012.)

RESOLVED that pursuant to Regulation 21 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) Regulations 2000, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of items 17 and 18 which involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under the following category of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

(3)        Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority).

To seek authority to the terms of disposal of the Adastron House site to enable affordable housing.

RESOLVED that

1          The Chief Officer: Property in consultation with the Director of Corporate Services and the Executive Member for Transformation and Finance be authorised to agree terms for disposal of Adastron House to Thames Valley Housing Association (TVHA), for the provision, term and cost as set out in the exempt report

2          The Chief Officer: Property be delegated authority to dispose of the property as set out in the exempt report.

To approve to terminate the lease on office accommodation in Ocean House.

RESOLVED that the termination of the lease liability by service of the Council’s break notice at Ocean House be approved, so as to comply with the Council’s Office Accommodation Strategy.