Executive Decisions

For the Executive Member to agree the school admission arrangements for 2019/20 for community and voluntary controlled primary and secondary schools. This will include consultation on the reduction of the Published Admission Number at Ascot Heath Infant School.

The Executive Member for Children, Young People & Learning:

1.    NOTED the outcomes of the consultation into admission arrangements.

2.    AGREED a change in PAN for Ascot Heath Infant School from 70 to 60.

3.    AGREED to change the PAN for Garth Hill College from 312 to 300.

4.    AGREED to continuing to use the same ‘Relevant Area’ for consultation purposes.

5.    AGREED to the way the criteria are written to ensure better understanding.

6.    AGREED the annual admission arrangements for 2019/20 as set out in Appendices A to C of the Interim Chief Officer, Strategy, Resources and Early Help following the outcome of the consultation.

That the Executive Member for Children, Young People & Learning noted the outcomes of the formal consultation, both for and against the proposal and that hat the proposal to close College Town Junior School and extend the age range of College Town Infant & Nursery School is agreed.

To recommend to Council the Capital Programme 2017/18 – 2019/20.

RESOLVED that the Executive recommended to the Council:

1.

a)    General Fund capital funding of £69.083m for 2017/18 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 £0.942m of expenditure to be funded from S106 as outlined in paragraph 5.32.

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

e)    that funding of £0.473m be released through a supplementary capital approval in 2016/17 for the schemes included in para 5.30

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

3.    Reviewed the indicative programme for 2018/19 and 2019/20 in the light of resources available and spending priorities in December 2017.

To recommend the draft Capital Programme 2018/19-2020/21 to Council for approval following consideration of the responses received during the period of public consultation.

The Executive Recommends to Council:

a)    General Fund capital funding of £58.221m for 2018/19 in respect of those schemes listed in Annexes A – E, including £30m previously approved by Council on 29 November 2017 for commercial property investments to be made available in the current financial year.

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

c)    The inclusion of £3.480m of expenditure to be funded from S106 as outlined in paragraph 5.23.

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

1.            Agrees that capital schemes that require external funding can only proceed once the Council is certain of receiving the grant.

2.            Agrees that the decision to award the construction contract for the care home at Heathlands be delegated to the Director of Adult Social Care, Health and Housing in consultation with the Executive Member for Adults Services, Health and Housing is in order to be able to move quickly to commence the contract in view of the need to deliver the savings in care costs as quickly as possible as set out in paragraphs 5.17 to 5.20.

To recommend to Council the annual revenue budget.

The Executive, in recommending to Council a budget and Council Tax level for 2018/19:

a.            Confirms the original budget proposals, subject to the revisions in section 8.3 and those decisions to be taken elsewhere on this agenda on the capital programme;

b.         Agrees the provision for inflation of £2.422m (section 8.2);

c.         Agrees the additional budget proposals as set out in Annexe A and Annexe D and in sections  6.2, 6.3, 6.5, 7.3 and 8.3;

d.         Agrees additional expenditure of £0.226m, for preventative activities relating to adults with mental health needs, to be funded from the additional Adults Social Care Support Grant (-£0.226m) included in the Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2018/19.

e.         Agrees that the Council should fund the Schools budgets at the level set out in section 9.1 subject to any minor amendments made by the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Learning following the receipt of definitive funding allocations for Early Years and High Needs pupils;

f.          Includes a contingency of £2.500m (section 10.7), 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;

g.         Subject to the above recommendations, confirms the draft budget proposals;

h.         Approves the Net Revenue Budget before allowance for additional interest from any use of balances as set out in Annexe G;

i.          Agrees the contribution of £2.484m to be made from revenue balances (before additional interest from the use of balances) to support revenue expenditure;

j.          Recommends a 2.99% increase in the Council Tax for the Council’s services plus an additional 3% increase representing an Adult Social Care precept and that the Council Tax requirement, excluding Parish and Town Council precepts, be set as £57.345m;

k.         Recommends that the Council Tax for the Council’s services and that each Valuation Band is set as follows:

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

·      The Prudential Indicators and Limits for 2018/19 to 2020/21 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 2018/19 to 2020/21 and Treasury Management Limits on Activity contained in Annexe E(iv);

j.          Approves the virements relating to the 2017/18 budget as set out in Annexe H.

1          That the request from Downshire Homes Ltd to the disposal of 30 Sarum and 31 Gainsborough owned by Downshire Homes but subject to a charge from the Council ne approved with the Council to be refunded the full amount of the loans made related to these properties including for Stamp Duty.

2.         That it be noted that the nomination agreement the Council has entered into with Places for People for the two properties provides 100% nomination rights for the next 15 years as well as a requirement to provide first refusal to the Council and Downshire Homes if Places for people do not enter into a further nomination agreement and wish to dispose of the properties.