Agenda and minutes

To consider and approve the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 15 November 2016.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive on 15 November 2016 together with the accompanying decision records be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Leader.

To consider the response to the Overview and Scrutiny report.

RESOLVED that the following recommendations of the Working Group “A review of whether there is sufficient general practitioner capacity in Bracknell Forest to meet future demands” be accepted:

i)              The Council should engage – both by Members and Officers – more proactively with the Joint Commissioning Committee (JCC), for example by attending all meetings or arranging a substitute as necessary.

ii)             Both the Comprehensive Local Plan, and the aims of the Health and Wellbeing Board should explicitly recognise the need to ensure that the necessary healthcare facilities will be in place to meet the demands of the expanding population. 

iii)            The Health and Wellbeing Board (being the forum where the Council and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) come together) should review what needs to be done to establish and maintain clear communications of health needs. This provision of healthcare facilities should be included in the Comprehensive Local Plan and will be subject to Section 106 agreements, where appropriate.

To approve the draft Capital Programme 2017/18 for consultation.

RESOLVED that the Executive:

i)              approve, for consultation, an initial Council funded capital programme of £48.531m for 2017/18 as set out in paragraph 5.23 and summarised in Annex A, including the new schemes listed in Annexes B – F.

ii)             recommend to Council the release of £190,000 capital funding in 2016/17 from the 2017/18 Capital Programme to fund the investment required at South Hill Park

iii)            approve, for consultation, the inclusion of an additional budget of £1m for Invest-to-Save schemes.

iv)           approve, for consultation, the inclusion of £0.942m of expenditure to be funded from S106 as outlined in paragraph 5.24.

v)            approve, for consultation, the inclusion of £18.041m of expenditure to be externally funded as outlined in paragraph 5.24.

To approve the draft General fund Revenue Budget 2017/18 for consultation.

RESOLVED that the Executive:

i)              agreed the draft budget proposals for 2017/18 as the basis for consultation with the Overview & Scrutiny Commission and other interested parties or individuals.

ii)             agreed the Treasury Management Strategy and associated documents at Annexe E and requested that the Governance and Audit Committee review each of the key elements.

iii)            agreed that the 2017/18 Schools Budget be set at the eventual level of grant income plus any accumulated balances, with the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Learning authorised to make amendments and agree budgets for schools and services centrally managed by the Council.

iv)           approved the virements relating to the 2016/17 budget as set out in Annexes F and G and recommend those that are over £0.100m for approval by Council.

To consider the introduction of a Council Tax Discount Scheme for working age households and to recommend its adoption to full Council.

RESOLVED that the Local Council Tax Discount Scheme for working age households be introduced subject to an amendment being made to the Scheme on Page 122 6(1b)(ii) & 6(1c)(ii)  which incorrectly states ‘a member of the applicant's family’. It should read ‘applicant's partner’:

The Local Council Tax Discount Scheme for working age households be introduced based on the following elements:

1.

i)              That all working age household income will be calculated on the same basis as the previous Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for the purposes of establishing the discount except that for self employed households the national living wage will be used rather than the national minimum wage.

ii)             That Carers Allowance will be disregarded when calculating household income.

iii)            That those working age households where the claimant or partner are receiving a disability benefit are placed into Band 1 and receive an 80% discount unless their household income is  greater than £440 a week when they will not receive a discount at all.

iv)           That 8 income bands are established with corresponding discounts as follows:

That Council be RECOMMENDED:

2.

i)              To adopt the Local Council Tax Discount Scheme and the Local Council Tax Discount Summary Scheme, Appendix A.

ii)             To delegate the operation of the Local Council Tax Discount Scheme to the Director of Adult Social Care, Health & Housing.

2.1                   The detailed scheme operation be delegated to the Director of Adult Social Care, Health and Housing to finalise.

2.2       The Local Council Tax Discount Scheme be referred to Council on the 18 January 2017 for adoption.

2.3       That the Local Council Tax Discount Scheme will be reviewed on an annual basis.

To inform the Executive of the performance of the Council over the second quarter of the 2016/17 financial year (July - September 2016).

RESOLVED that the performance of the Council over the period from July –September 2016 highlighted in the Overview Report in Annex A be noted.

To consider the following motion:

That pursuant to Regulation 4 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) Regulations 2012 and having regard to the public interest, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of item 11 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.

NB:      No representations have been received in response to the notice under regulation 5 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012

To consider the disposal of a piece of land acquired by the Council from the Bracknell & Wokingham College, in connection with the Garth Hill sixth form extension.

RESOLVED that the Chief Officer: Property be authorised to dispose of 0.18ha of land at Wick Hill adjacent to Bull Lane car park, Bracknell on the terms set out in the Director of Corporate Services’ report.