Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber & Blue Room, Arun Civic Centre, Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, BN17 5LF. View directions

Contact: Jane Fulton 

Items
No. Item

670.

Welcome

Minutes:

          The Chair welcomed Members and Officers to the meeting.

671.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

 

          Apologies for Absence had been received from Councillors Pendleton and Roberts.

 

672.

Declarations of Interest

Members and Officers are invited to make any declaration of pecuniary, personal and/or prejudicial interests that they may have in relation to items on this agenda, and are reminded that they should re-declare their interest before consideration of the items or as soon as the interest becomes apparent.

 

Members and Officers should make their declaration by stating:

 

a)             the item they have the interest in

b)             whether it is a pecuniary/personal interest and/or prejudicial interest

c)             the nature of the interest

 

Minutes:

Councillors Dixon and Goodheart both declared Personal Interests in Agenda Item 13 [The Regeneration of the Regis Centre, Bognor Regis] as set out below:

 

·       Councillor Dixon in his capacity as a member of the Bognor Regis Civic Society.

·       Councillor Goodheart as a Member of Bognor Regis Town Council and as a resident of Bognor Regis

 

673.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 139 KB

The Committee will be asked to approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Policy and Finance Committee held on 13 December 2022, as attached. 

 

Minutes:

The minutes from the meeting of the Committee held on 13 December 2022 were approved as a correct record and were signed by the Chair at the conclusion of the meeting. 

 

674.

Items not on the Agenda that the Chair of the Meeting is of the Opinion Should be Considered as a Matter of Urgency by Reason of Special Circumstance

Minutes:

The Chair confirmed that there were no urgent matters for this meeting to consider.

 

 

675.

Public question time pdf icon PDF 60 KB

To receive questions from the public (for a period of up to 15 minutes)

 

Minutes:

 

 

The Chair confirmed that one question had been submitted for this meeting, this has been very briefly summarised below:

 

·       Question 1 – regarding the organisation of a private briefing for Members on the regeneration of the Regis Centre, Bognor Regis.

 

The Chair then drew Public Question Time to a close confirming that the Public Question Time Schedule would be uploaded to the Committee’s web pages within ten working days following the meeting.

 

676.

Palmer Road Project pdf icon PDF 130 KB

This report sets out the proposed scope for the Palmer Road project and seeks approval to enter a framework agreement with the Football Foundation to progress the project and for the budget virement of section 106 allocations.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Principal Landscape and Project Officer presented her report setting out the  case for the provision of new sports facilities at Palmer Road in Angmering.  It was highlighted that there was a lot of background information provided within the report to assist Members with their understanding of this project and that the basis for a sports hub on this site had stemmed from The Playing Pitch Strategy and Action Plan which had formed part of the evidence for the Local Plan. The hub would help to meet an identified shortfall in sporting facilities within the district. The Local Football Facilities Plan had identified Palmer Road as a high priority and was therefore likely to attract external funding.  Whilst a great deal of work had already been undertaken to produce a feasibility study, it was confirmed that the project was still at an early stage.

 

The recommendations set out in the report would enable the Council to move to the next stage of the project establishing what could be included at the hub. This was a very exciting but complex project as the Section 106 funding had an expenditure deadline with the council being reliant upon external funding and it was not known if the Football Foundation application would cover everything specified whilst also fully delivering the project. The council was also reliant upon a planning application to the north of Palmer Road to release land for the football pitches.  Moving forward, the  steps were to engage with The Football Foundation and to appoint consultants to help develop designs.

 

The Chair then invited questions. The Committee welcomed this important recreational facility but also aired some concerns.  One was the labelling of Palmer Road with one Member of the Committee suggesting that it made it sound like a facility for Angmering when it was intended to be a much wider facility for the eastern side of the district. A suggestion was made as to whether an alternative name should be given which would promote the site’s selling to the public and the suggestion of “the Angmering Sports Project” was made. Another concern was about public accessibility as there was no public transport within reasonable distance of the site along with concerns over access along that stretch of road near to the A27. As there were no proposals for any improvement in public transport, a request was made that this be written into any decisions being made as the project progressed and in terms of ongoing negotiations with the Parish Council and bus operators.  It was suggested that such negotiations commence to ensure good public access which would only enhance what was a much needed facility and would then attract visitors from other areas of the district.

 

 

In response to these observations, Councillor Cooper provided reassurance that the Parish Council was working on a public bus service as it would remiss not to do that with the significant amount of housing that the Parish had had to absorb. That housing had resulted in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 676.

677.

Anti-Slavery Pledge pdf icon PDF 89 KB

The Committee is requested to endorse and approve the Arun District Council Anti-Slavery Pledge and to recommend to Full Council that the Pledge is adopted.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

In the absence of the Safeguarding Officer, the Communities and Wellbeing Manager presented a report confirming that the Modern Slavery Policy had been adopted by the Council on 9 December 2021. Included within this work was the need to sign and publish an Anti-Slavery Pledge. This report sought the Committee’s approval to endorse, sign and approve the Council’s pledge demonstrating the Council’s commitment to making the district free from slavery.

 

Members’ attention was drawn to Appendix 1 of the report outlining the key principles and aims. In endorsing this approach, the Committee was being requested to recommend to Full Council that it formally adopted the pledge allowing it to be signed and published on the Council’s web site. Following a query received regarding the title of the pledge, it was agreed that this should be adjusted slightly and confirmed to be referred to as the Anti-Modern Slavery Pledge.

 

Councillor Cooper then proposed the recommendation in the report which was duly seconded by Councillor Mrs Cooper.

 

          The Committee in endorsing the Anti-Modern Slavery Pledge

 

                     RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL

 

                     That the Anti Modern Slavery Pledge be adopted.

 

678.

Budget Monitoring Report to 31 December 2022 pdf icon PDF 89 KB

The Budget Monitoring Report sets out the Capital, Housing Revenue and General Fund Revenue budget performance to the end of December 2022.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Interim Group Head of Finance and Section 151 Officer presented the Budget Monitoring Report outlining progress against budget covering the Quarter 3 period up to 31 December 2022. The Committee was being asked to note the Budget Monitoring report with the detail being set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

 

Members’ attention was drawn to the General Fund table at paragraph 2.3 of the appendix showing a General Fund underspend of £268k against projected to the end of December 2022. This was a favourable variance. The report also detailed cost pressures with the main ones being identified as homelessness and inflation which were being contained within budget and from the £500k earmarked reserve for inflationary pressures which had been set up at the end of last year and was now exhausted. Other favourable variations identified were planning income at £337k and £296k in corporate underspends, the detail of which had been set out in the tables at sections 2.7.2 and 2.7.3 of the appendix. The main source of funding for the corporate underspends had been from additional interest on investments (£700k) as interest rates had increased.

 

The estimated outturn was an additional £161k to be taken from balances as detailed in table 7.2. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) showed the revised budget as approved by Full Council on 18 January 2023. Table 9.2 showed the estimated outturn which had been approved by Full Council on 18 January 2023. The Council had also approved that the recommended minimum balance level be £2m. Turning to Capital Receipts, there was significant slippage in the capital programme with the main component of these being the Levelling-Up Fund (LUF) schemes which were not due to expend a significant proportion of their expenditure until next year.

 

Questions presented related to ongoing concerns about HRA overspend.  The original budget for the year had been a balance at the end of this year of £3.5m and Members were now being told that the HRA should have a minimum of £2m when in fact the Housing & Wellbeing Committee had been happy to see this being reduced to £600k. This was rapid movement for just one year and so assurance was requested that this situation would not worsen again edging the Council nearer to an illegal situation. The Director of  Environment and Communities responded confirming that the situation with the HRA for all authorities at this time was very difficult. The HRA Business Plan had been presented to the Housing & Wellbeing Committee and all Members of the Council via an all Member Briefing in January 2023 where all the points raised had been explored in great detail.

 

 

 

In response, a major component was the continuing use of large numbers of agency staff to cover increasing staff vacancies over the last 2 years. The Committee asked what progress was being made and how reassured could Members be that the current overspend was not going to continue into the forthcoming year. It was explained that the staffing situation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 678.

679.

Committee Revenue and Capital Budget 2023/2024 pdf icon PDF 118 KB

The purpose of the report is for this Committee to consider and recommend its revenue budget for inclusion in the 2023/24 General Fund revenue budget, which will be considered by this Committee later on this agenda. In addition, this Committee will consider the overall revenue budget for 2023/24 to make a recommendation to Full Council on 1 March 2023 on the overall budget to be set, level of Council Tax for the District, Housing Revenue account budget and rent levels for 2023/24.

 

In addition, Committees must consider and recommend their draft capital budget for inclusion in the overall capital programme, which will be considered by this Committee later on this agenda. Policy and Finance Committee will consider the overall capital programme to make a recommendation to Full Council on 1 March 2023 on the programme (HRA and General Fund) to be set for 2023/24.

 

 

Minutes:

The Chair invited the Interim Group Head of Finance and Section 151 Officer to present this report. It was confirmed that this was the second year of preparing the budget under the committee style governance system.  This committee had two budget reports.  The committee specific one which was the subject of this report plus any growth bids which would be considered as part of the overall budget report which was the next item on the agenda.  Once this committee has considered the overall budget it would be recommended onto a Special Meeting of the Council on 1 March 2023 for approval.  Members were also reminded of the Budget Briefing scheduled for 22 February 2023.

 

The Committee was reminded that it needed to be noted that the budget had been prepared against a backdrop of a significant budget gap for 2023/24.  Only essential growth bids for 2023/24 had been put forward for the committees to approve.

 

 

 

This committee had one growth bid for £100k for the continuation of the Carbon Reduction Programme. The main year on year changes had been highlighted at Section (3.8) which was the fall out of the growth bid for 2022/23 in the sum of £155k for carbon reduction initiatives and Members were reminded that they would be receiving a full update at the next meeting of the Committee on 7 March 2023.

 

          The Committees had a capital programme totalling £3.750m for 2023/24 the detail of which had been set out in Appendix C with this being for the Alexandra Theatre Levelling-Up Fund.  It should be noted that this would effectively be offset by £1m worth of capital receipts for the site, with this having already been approved by Full Council.

 

          The Chair invited questions. In relation to the carbon reduction scheme  questions were asked around the funding in terms of growth bids for 2023/24 and the reduction in expenditure of £155k . This was explained. Other questions asked related to the  capital programme for 2023/24 in relation to the Levelling-Up Fund for the Alexandra Theatre, what did the costs mean in respect of corporate management and transport and supplier and services. 

 

Following further questions and having had the recommendations proposed by Councillor Cooper and seconded by Councillor Mrs Cooper,

 

          The Committee

 

RESOLVED - That

 

(1)           Agree on the 2023/24 Revenue Budget as illustrated in Appendix A of this report;

 

(2)           Agree on the list of uncommitted growth items as illustrated in Appendix B of this report;

 

(3)           Agree the capital programme as illustrated in Appendix C of this report; and

 

(4)           Agree to recommend that the Revenue Budget for this Committee be included in the overall General Fund Budget when considering the overall budgets later on in this agenda; and

 

(5)           Agree to recommend that the Revenue budget list of growth items and Capital Programme for this Committee be included in the overall General Fund Budget when considering the overall budget to recommend to Full Council.

 

 

680.

Council Revenue and Capital Budgets 2023/2024 pdf icon PDF 111 KB

The purpose of the report is for this Committee to consider and recommend to the Special Council Meeting on 1 March 2023 the overall budget to be set, level of Council Tax for the District, Housing Revenue Account Budget and rent levels for 2023/24.

 

In addition, the Policy and Finance Committee must consider the overall capital programme (HRA and General Fund) to be set for 2023/24.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair confirmed that before inviting the Interim Group Head of Finance and Section 151 Officer to present the budget report, he proposed to start with the recommendations that had been submitted for this Committee to consider from each of the service committees.  Each of the recommendations had been set out in the supplement pack circulated to the meeting and uploaded to the web and emailed to Councillors on 8 February 2023.  The Chair confirmed that he proposed to take these recommendations on block. The recommendations were as set out below and from the:

 

·       Corporate Support Committee – 19 January 2023 – Minute 593 – Committee Budget Report – Service Specific Budget 2023/2024 [Page 1 of the supplement pack].

·       Housing & Wellbeing Committee – 25 January 2023 – Minute 607 – Committee General Fund revenue and Capital budget and Housing Revenue Account budgets 2023/24 [Page 3 of the supplement pack]

·       Planning Policy Committee – 26 January 2023 – Minute 624 – Committee Revenue and Capital Budgets 202324 [Page 4 of the supplement pack]

·       Environment Committee – 31 January 2023 – Minute 638 – committee revenue and Capital Budgets 2023/24 [Page 6 of the supplement pack]

·       Economy Committee – 2 February 2023 – Minute 655 – Committee revenue and Capital budgets 2023/24 [Page 8 of the supplement pack].

 

Having had these recommendations proposed by Councillor Chace and seconded by Councillor Dixon, the Committee

 

          RESOLVED – That

 

(1)            The Revenue budget for this Committee [the Corporate Support Committee] be included in the overall General Fund budget when considering the overall budgets on 9 February 2023;

 

(2)             The General Fund revenue budget, list of growth items, General Fund Programme, HRA revenue budget and HRA Capital Programme [for the Housing & Wellbeing Committee] be included in the overall General Fund budget when considering the overall budgets on 9 February 2023;

 

(3)            The Revenue budget for this Committee [the Planning Policy Committee] be included in the overall General Fund budget when considering the overall budgets on 9 February 2023;

 

(4)            The Revenue Budget for this Committee [the Environment Committee] be included in the overall General Fund budget when the Policy & Finance Committee considers the overall budget at its meeting on 9 February 2023;

 

(5)            The Revenue Budget, list of growth items and capital programme for this Committee [the Economy Committee] be included in the overall General Fund Budget when the Policy & Finance Committee considers the overall budgets at its meeting on 9 February 2023.

 

The Chair confirmed that he would now focus on the whole budget for 2023/24 and he invited the Interim Group Head of Finance and Section 151 Officer to present her report.  This confirmed that the final Local Government Finance Settlement had been published on 6 February 2023.  There were some minor revisions which resulted in an increase in the Services Grant which had unfortunately been matched by an equal  reduction in the 3% Funding Guarantee.  The settlement was better than forecast in the Medium Term Financial Prospects brought to the last meeting of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 680.

681.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 79 KB

A copy of the Committee’s Work Programme for the remainder of 2023 is attached for information.

Minutes:

The Committee received and noted its Work Programme for the remainder of the Municipal Year.

 

682.

Exempt Information

The Committee is asked to consider passing the following resolution: -

 

          That under Section 100a (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and accredited representatives of newspapers be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act by virtue of the paragraph specified against the item.

 

Minutes:

Having been proposed by Councillor Chace and seconded by Councillor Cooper,

         

          The Committee

 

                     RESOLVED

That under Section 100a (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and accredited representatives of newspapers be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act by virtue of the paragraph specified against the item. 

 

683.

The Regeneration of the Regis Centre, Bognor Regis - Update Report (Exempt - Paragraph 3 - Information Relating to the Financial or Business Affairs of any Particular Person (Including the Authority Holding that Information)

The Committee is asked to consider the attached update report from the Council’s Regeneration Consultant.

Minutes:

The Chair invited the Council’s Regeneration Consultant to provide to the Committee his update in terms of how the regeneration of the Regis Centre was progressing.  

 

The Committee was advised that there were four main areas to update the Committee on. These were:

 

·     The land deal with Whitbread – Heads of Terms at Exchange of Contracts

·     The procurement programme

·     The outline progamme for the project from route to budget to construction

·     A breakdown of the budget

 

This presentation was followed by a detailed question and answer session.  From this, the Regeneration Consultant confirmed that he would provide information to the Committee outside of the meeting in relation to:

 

·       Would Councillors be able to see the contract? It was confirmed that a response would follow from the Group Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

·       Bricks from the Fire Station – could date stamped bricks be retained?

·       That if there was an opportunity for a presentation/briefing for Members with regard to the design and build [prior to a planning application being submitted] that the appropriate guidance be provided to Members of the Planning Committee to avoid Members being compromised

 

Points discussed were:

 

·       The land deal with Whitbread

·       Parking

·       Support to Arun Arts