Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies were received from the Cabinet Member Customer and Regulatory Services.

There were none.

Minutes of the meeting held on 21^st December.

The Cabinet Member Safety and Communities suggested that in the Infrastructure Funding Levy item, it should be made clearer that parish councils with a Neighbourhood Plan received 25% of CIL funds while those without received 15%.

With that change in mind, the minutes were approved and signed as a correct record.

These must be received no later than 12 noon on the fifth working day before the date of the meeting

Report of the Cabinet Member Housing

The Cabinet Member Housing presented the report and emphasised that the circumstances that led a person to become a rough sleeper were never the same, so they could not take a one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with it. Cases were often complex and deeply entrenched, involving substance or alcohol abuse, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), the leaving of residential care, hospital or the services, PTSD or simply bad luck, and it was important not to judge anyone who found themselves in that position.

The funding for the initiative came from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and gave local authorities the opportunity to apply for grant funding to reduce rough sleeping in their area. For the last five years, RSI grant funding had been made available by DLUHC on an annual basis and CBC had been able to support a number of successful initiatives as a result. This time however, the funding applied for would be available for a three year period to March 2025, potentially enabling CBC to undertake longer term planning to tackle rough sleeping in Cheltenham and introduce even more support.

It was a joint bid involving all the local housing authorities in the county, with Gloucester City Council submitting the bid as lead partner. If successful, the grant would cover funding for a number of jointly commissioned county-wide services, focusing on preventing rough sleeping; supporting those currently sleeping rough to move off the streets; supporting those who had slept rough in the past to ensure they did not return to the streets; and ensuring that systems and structures were in place to embed change and to monitor progress. In addition to this, a ‘Somewhere Safe to Stay Hub’ would continue in Cheltenham.

The value of the grant would be somewhere between £2m-£3m, and would enable the council to commission Multiple Disadvantage Team and Complex Need Navigators, an Assertive Outreach Service and an Offending Housing Interventions Officer. Alongside these county-wide initiatives, CBC would fund an ACE-led trauma-informed post and an Intensive Tenancy Management post.

He highlighted section 2.3 of the report, which outlined the Cheltenham-specific initiative. This required £96k funding over three years, which both CBC and Cheltenham Borough Homes (CBH) had committed to match-fund via the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget due to be approved by Council on the 21^st February. If successful, this funding would enable an ACE-led, trauma-informed post and an Intensive Tenancy Management post to complement the Enhanced Housing Support Service. These posts would be managed by CBH, and would focus on working with the six ex-rough sleepers who had been accommodated within their housing-led properties, and they would then expand their work to include the next six rough sleepers as and when suitable properties became available to accommodate them – thus doubling the council’s provision to twelve. The deadline for submitting the bid was 25^th February.

The Cabinet Member Cyber and Strategic Transport praised the report and thanked the Cabinet Member Housing for highlighting the most important points.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets

The Cabinet Member Finance and Assets presented the report, noting that since the council’s current strategy had been approved in 2015, their asset portfolio had risen in value from £293m to £490m. Making best use of assets was a key part of generating income in order to serve residents’ needs. Extensive consultation had taken place with colleagues across the council through the Asset Management Working Group and Overview & Scrutiny Committee, and it would be discussed by all members at Council on the 21^st February.

The Leader moved to the vote, where it was unanimously:

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    The approval of the Asset Management Strategy included in Appendix 2 be recommended to Council;

2.    Responsibility for monitoring the implementation of the Strategy be delegated to the Head of Property, Finance and Assets (Deputy s151 Officer), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets and the Asset Management Working Group.

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets

The Cabinet Member Finance and Assets presented the report, noting that the previous budget monitoring report projected an overspend of £1.044m, largely due to the £817k commercial income not recovered during the pandemic. Since then, significant work had been undertaken to monitor and review the situation, and the forecast for the 2021/22 budget as of 31^st December was an overspend of £615k.

The Leader praised the work of the finance department and put on the record her pride at the council’s transparency and attention to detail on financial matters.

The Leader moved to the vote, where it was unanimously:

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    The contents of this report, including the key projected variances to the 2021/22 budget approved by Council on 22 February 2021 and the expected delivery of services within budget, be noted;

2.       It be noted that these variances have been incorporated into the final budget for 2022/23 for approval by Full Council on 21 February 2022.

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets to follow

The Cabinet Member Finance and Assets presented the report, noting that no significant changes had been made to the draft budget proposals that went out for consultation. It had been a tumultuous year in terms of finance, but the council had continued to work towards its key priorities and commitments on West Cheltenham, cyber, housing investment, No Child Left Behind, and net zero carbon.

The Cabinet Member Safety and Communities added that it was a huge credit to the Cabinet Member and the finance team that CBC was not in the same situation as many authorities across the country, which were struggling to meet their statutory obligations due to a lack of funding.

The Leader moved to the vote, where it was unanimously:

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    The revised HRA forecast for 2021/22 be noted;

2.    The HRA budget proposals for 2022/23 (shown at Appendix 2) be approved, including a proposed rent increase of 4.1% and changes to other rents and charges as detailed within the report;

3.       The proposed HRA capital programme for 2022/23, as shown at Appendix 3 and Appendix 4, be approved.

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets to follow

The Cabinet Member Finance and Assets presented the report, noting that it also did not differ significantly from the proposals put out for consultation. Officers’ predictions for the local government funding settlement based on the Budget speech had been essentially dead on, which showed their knowledge and experience. The budget aimed to reset and refocus so that corporate priorities could continue to be delivered even when facing financial challenges. He thanked officers for their diligence and hard work.

The Leader thanked the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets for his work on the finance reports considered by Cabinet, and moved to the vote, where it was unanimously:

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    The revised budget for 2021/22, which is also reported separately in the 2021/22 budget monitor for 31 December 2021, be approved;

2.    The budget assessment by the Section 151 Officer at Appendix 2 be considered in agreeing the following recommendations;

3.    The final budget proposals be approved, including a proposed council tax increase for the services provided by Cheltenham Borough Council for the year 2022/23 based on a Band D property (an increase of 2.28% or £5.00 a year for a Band D property), as detailed in paragraphs 4.14 to 4.19;

4.    The savings/additional income totalling £1,507,000 and the budget strategy at Appendix 4 be approved;

5.    The use of reserves and general balances and note the projected level of reserves, as detailed at Appendix 5, be approved;

6.    The capital programme at Appendix 6 be approved;

7.    The programmed maintenance programme at Appendix 7 be approved;

8.    The flexible use of capital receipts strategy as detailed in Appendix 8 be approved;

9.    It be noted that the Council will remain in the Gloucestershire business rates pool for 2022/23 (paragraphs 4.4 to 4.13);

10.  The Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) detailed in Appendix 9 be approved;.

11.  The Pay Policy Statement for 2022/23, including the continued payment of a living wage supplement at Appendix 10, be approved;

12.  A level of supplementary estimate of £100,000 for 2022/23, as outlined in Section 14, be approved.

The Cabinet Member Safety and Communities updated Cabinet on the defibrillators in the town centre. There were now twelve in the town centre, with more on the way, and they had been used twice in the last week. She thanked the officers responsible for this, not just at CBC and the BID but also at Public Hearts. She also asked the Cabinet Member Culture, Wellbeing and Business whether she would be willing to put up signs in public play areas raising awareness of peanut allergies. The Cabinet Member Culture, Wellbeing and Business suggested that they set up a meeting with the Parks team and the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets, since this was an issue linked to all their portfolios.

The Cabinet Member Culture, Wellbeing and Business reported that the council now had a membership with a local business community group called Circle to Success, which she was looking forward to engaging with.

The Cabinet Member Climate Emergency reported that he had visited the From The Ground Up festival at the weekend, and it had been great to see over 800 people attending. He had spoken about the Climate Emergency Action Plan and Cheltenham Green Deal, which would go before Council shortly. He had also given a talk to Prestbury Parish Council on the same topic, and thanked them for inviting him. He thanked Laura Tapping, Alex Wells and Mike Redman for their hard work in putting these reports together, and the finance team for their support.

The Leader placed on record her thanks to Cllr. Maughfling, who would be stepping down as Chair of the Audit Committee shortly.

Decisions of Cabinet Members

The Cabinet Member Cyber and Strategic Transport reported that he had made two decisions: to extend a contract supporting the Cyber Central project, and to submit comments on behalf of CBC in relation to the M5 Junction 10 improvement scheme, in collaboration with Tewkesbury Borough Council.

The Cabinet Member Finance and Assets reported three decisions and an officer decision involving a contract waiver. He had taken two decisions to amend the Additional Restriction - Discretionary Business Grant Scheme for rounds 6 and 7 of applications, and had signed off on a deed of variation to a contract with Lloyd Bank for the provision of banking services. In addition to this, the Head of Property, Finance and Assets and Deputy Section 151 Officer had taken a decision to upgrade the fire alarm system at Swindon Road Depot, which needed reporting as it had involved the waiving of contract rules.

The Cabinet Member Waste, Recycling and Street Services had taken two decisions to award contracts, one for the supply of a Waste Materials Handler and the other for a refuse collection vehicle, both of which had been overdue a replacement.

The Cabinet Member Housing added that he had awarded grant funding of £500 for the financial year of 2021-22 to Gloucestershire Action of Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS), and hoped that in the future they would be able to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.