Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor J Cattanach.

A copy of the Register of Interest for each Selby District Councillor is available for inspection at www.selby.gov.uk.

Councillors should declare to the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest in any item of business on this agenda which is not already entered in their Register of Interests.

Councillors should leave the meeting and take no part in the consideration, discussion or vote on any matter in which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Councillors should also declare any other interests. Having made the declaration, provided the other interest is not a disclosable pecuniary interest, the Councillor may stay in the meeting, speak and vote on that item of business.

If in doubt, Councillors are advised to seek advice from the Monitoring Officer.

There were no disclosures of interest.

To follow - to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Policy Review Committee held on 16 December 2019.

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting held on 16 December 2019.

RESOLVED:

To approve the minutes of the Policy Review Committee meeting held on 16 December 2019.

The Chair had no address for the Committee.

To comment on the Draft Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2020-21 and Medium Term Financial Plan.

The Committee received the report of the Council’s Chief Finance Officer which gave the Policy Review Committee the opportunity to comment on the Draft Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2020-21 and Medium Term Financial Plan. The consideration of the budget proposals by the Policy Review Committee formed part of the formal consultation process agreed by the Executive on 5 December 2019, before the proposals were finalised for submission to full Council in February 2020.

The Chief Finance Officer explained that 2020/21 budgets forecasted a balanced budget after taking into account planned savings and reserve transfers. In 2020/21 it was proposed that £9.89m be transferred to the Special Projects Reserve to support delivery of the Council’s new Corporate Plan objectives. In accordance with the approved Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), the allocation of these receipts would be subject to confirmation as part of the next MTFS refresh and budget for 2021/22 although indicatively, it was planned that these would be allocated to the Programme for Growth.

The Medium Term Financial Plan (3 year draft budget) showed an underlying gap between core spending and current assumed core funding, as a result of New Homes Bonus being phased out and the renewable energy business rates windfalls ceasing. Beyond 2020/21 the Council awaited the outcome of the Government’s Fair Funding Review, further consultation on the future of New Homes Bonus and reform of the Business Rates Retention System, to confirm the need for and level of future savings.

Whilst there was capacity in reserves to smooth the impact of savings, the on-going use of reserves to support the revenue budget was not a long term sustainable solution and therefore achievement of efficiency savings and additional income generation remained crucial, as plans for Business Rates and Council Tax growth were brought to fruition. The draft budget also included recurring revenue budget growth proposals, along with Capital Programme proposals for the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) which were funded from reserves, external funding and borrowing, along with outline proposals for an extended Programme for Growth.

The Committee considered the report and asked a number of questions around savings targets, the support grant, changes to the Council recycling service, rent increases, the Programme for Growth, long term investment of funds in the District, CIL and S106 funds and repairs to play areas. Members also requested that a copy of the list of play areas covered by the capital programme bid be circulated after the meeting.

Members also discussed the impact of low carbon initiatives in the future, such as the feasibility of investment in green energy; it was noted that this sort of investment would depend on business cases put forward.

Some Members expressed concern regarding the proposed rise in Council Tax. Officers advised the protection of income streams such as Council Tax as the financial assistance from central government going forward was uncertain. It was also noted that going forward, savings were becoming harder to make as the Council did not have many discretionary  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

To consider the Committee’s work programme.

The Committee considered the work programme for the rest of the 2019-20 municipal year.

Members were reminded that they could request that topics be added to the work programme if there was an issue they felt required consideration.

In relation to the recommendations of the upcoming Low Carbon Working Group meetings, the Democratic Services Officer was asked to find out if the Working Group, which had the same membership as the Policy Review Committee, could report its findings directly to the Executive or Council or if these would have to come via the Policy Review Committee.

It was suggested and agreed that a standing item be added to the Policy Review Committee agenda to receive updates on the work of the Low Carbon Working Group.

RESOLVED:

i.       To ask the Democratic Services Officer to ascertain if the Low Carbon Working Group, which had the same membership as the Policy Review Committee, could report its findings directly to the Executive or Council or if these would have to come via the Policy Review Committee.

ii.     To ask the Democratic Services Officer to add a standing item to the Policy Review Committee agenda to receive updates on the work of the Low Carbon Working Group.