Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Richard Cursons 01708 432430  Email: richard.cursons@oneSource.co.uk

Items
No. Item

10.

DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS

Members are invited to disclose any interest in any of the items on the agenda at this point of the meeting.

 

Members may still disclose any interest in an item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

 

Minutes:

There were no disclosures of interest.

11.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 307 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 8 October 2019 and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meetings held on 4 September and 8 October 2019 were agreed as correct records and signed by the Chairman.

12.

2020/21 BUDGET SETTING CYCLE pdf icon PDF 275 KB

Covering report and five DRAFT reports attached, namely:

 

·       Havering and Wates Regeneration LLP Business Plan and Budget 2020/2021

·       HRA Budget for 2020/2021 and HRA Major Works Capital Programme 2020/21 – 2024/25

·       2020/21 Capital Programme and Strategy

·       Treasury Management Strategy Statement (TMSS) 2020/21  and Annual Investment Strategy (AIS) 2020/21, Treasury Indicators and Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement for 2020/21, and

·       2020/21 Budget and 2020-2024 Medium Term Financial Strategy

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report before members detailed five draft Cabinet reports which were being brought to the Board for its consideration.

 

The reports would be presented to Cabinet at its meeting on 12 February and then onto the Council meeting on 26 February.

 

The five Cabinet reports were as follows:

 

        Havering and Wates Regeneration Business Plan

        HRA budget for 2020/21 and HRA Major Works Capital Programme 2020/21 – 2024/25

        2020/21 Capital programme and Strategy

        Treasury Management Strategy Statement

        2020/21 Budget and 2020-24 Medium Term Financial Strategy

 

Members were advised that due to the General Election held in December 2019 the provisional budget figures had only been received on 20 December and the confirmed figures earlier in the evening of this meeting.

 

Officers confirmed that they were disappointed to receive only one year’s budget settlement as opposed to a three year provision as this would have assisted with longer term planning.

 

The main headlines from the settlement were as follows:

 

        Overall Settlement Funding Assessment (SFA) increased by inflation

        A new Social Care Grant announced for the next 4 years (£3.7m for Havering)

         An option to implement a 2% Adult Social Care Precept (ASC Precept) (£2.5m for Havering)

        Other Grants such as other social care grants , Improved Better Care Fund, Flexible Homelessness and Independent Living Fund replacement all to continue for another year

        A cap on General Council Tax increases of 2% (excl ASC Precept)

        The ending of the 75% pilot London Business Rate pool  for 2020/21

        New Home Bonus to continue but new payments only guaranteed for one year (Havering did not benefit as it was below the threshold)

        Small increase in Public Health Grant (still to be confirmed)

 

The budget consultation for Havering Council was conducted in October and November. Respondents were asked questions regarding the following:

        The overall budget

        Savings

        Income generation proposals for 2020/21

192 responses were received:

Several Members expressed their dis-satisfaction at the low level of responses and questioned whether the Council needed to look at other ways of engaging with residents as the low response what not a true reflection of resident’s views.

 

The three services that were most important to respondents were Community Safety, care and support for older and disabled people and child protection and safeguarding.

Following the budget consultation new savings totalling £13.6m had been proposed (£7.1m in 2020/21).

Members noted that the Council had announced significant investment to help the borough’s businesses tackle the challenges of changing shopping habits and online competition.

The changes included free Sunday parking in all Council car parks from 1 April 2020. There would also be 30 minutes free parking in all on-street pay and display bays across the borough from the same date. A 20% discount would be introduced on all parking charges paid by borough residents using the new Havering parking app, due to launch on 1 May 2020.

Members noted that it was proposed to increase the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

COMBINED CORPORATE PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF 2019/20 PEFORMANCE INDICATORS FROM THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY SUB-COMMITTEES - QUARTER ONE AND TWO pdf icon PDF 488 KB

Quarter One and Quarter Two performance update reports attached.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The reports before Members set out Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 performance against each of the strategic goals set out in the Corporate Plan and against the more operational performance indicators monitored by the six overview and scrutiny Sub-Committees.

 

The Board reviewed the performance set out in the appendices and noted the corrective action that was being taken to improve where necessary.