(Finance Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached minutes from the meeting of the Finance & Performance Management Cabinet Committee, held on 19 January 2017, and any recommendations therein.
Decision:
Extending the Funding of Two Epping Forest Citizens Advice Bureau Debt Advisors
(1) That funding for the Citizens Advice Bureau’s two existing Debt Advisors be approved for one year from 1 April 2017 as follows:
(a) £37,800 from the Housing Revenue Account; and
(b) £4,200 from the General Fund District Development Fund;
Homelessness Initiatives
(2) That a Continuing Services Budget growth bid in the sum of £32,000 per annum from 2017/18 for the appointment of 1 FTE additional Grade 6 Homelessness Prevention Officer be approved;
(3) That the existing Invest to Save Funding of £90,000 be used for providing applicants with a rental loan of 4 weeks rent to meet the costs of rent in advance when securing accommodation in the private rented sector and/or a landlord deposit in accordance with LHA rates (lodged with a third party by the landlord) with applicants being required to repay loans on an interest free basis over 36 months;
(4) That a Continuing Services Budget growth bid in the sum of £9,000 per annum from 2017/18 to fund an external company to undertake Homelessness Reviews be approved; and
(5) That a Continuing Services Budget growth bid in the sum of £2,500 per annum from 2017/18 to fund an external company to provide specialist services to rough sleepers be approved;
CARE Agency
(6) That £51,000 be top-sliced from the Government’s Better Care Fund contribution towards support for applicants of Disabled Facilities Grants from 2017/18;
Risk Management – Corporate Risk Register
(7) That the Existing Control and Required Further Management Action in Risk 1, Local Plan, be updated;
(8) That the Effectiveness of Controls/Actions and Required Further Management Action in Risk 2, Strategic Sites, be updated;
(9) That the Key Date for Risk 4, Finance Income, be updated;
(10) That the Vulnerability for Risk 9, Safeguarding, be updated; and
(11) That, including the above agreed changes, the revised Corporate Risk Register be approved;
Detailed Directorate Budgets
(12) That the detailed Directorate Budget for the Chief Executive be approved;
(13) That the detailed Directorate Budget for Communities be approved;
(14) That the detailed Directorate Budget for Governance be approved;
(15) That the detailed Directorate Budget for Neighbourhoods be approved;
(16) That the detailed Directorate Budget for Resources be approved; and
(17) That the detailed Directorate Budget for the Housing Revenue Account be approved.
Council Budgets 2017/18
(18) That the following guidelines for the Council’s General Fund Budgets in 2017/18 be recommended to the Council for adoption:
(a) the revised revenue estimates for 2016/17, and the anticipated reduction in the General Fund balance by £0.62 million, including a transfer of £0.2 million to the Invest to Save Reserve;
(b) confirmation of the target for the 2017/18 Continuing Services Budget of £13.11 million (including growth items);
(c) an increase in the target for the 2017/18 District Development Fund net spend from £0.26million to £2million;
(d) no change in the District Council Tax for a Band ‘D’ property to retain the charge at £148.77;
(e) the estimated reduction in the General Fund balances of £108,000 in 2017/18;
(f) the five year Capital Programme for the period 2016/17 to 2020/21;
(g) the Medium Term Financial Strategy for the period 2016/17 to 2020/21; and
(h) the Council’s policy on General Fund Revenue Balances to remain that they be allowed to fall no lower than 25% of the Net Budget Requirement.
(19) That the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2017/18, including the revised revenue estimates for 2016/17, be recommended to the Council for approval;,
(20) That the rent reductions proposed for 2017/18, with an average overall fall of 1%, be noted; and
(21) That the Chief Financial Officer’s report to the Council on the robustness of the estimates for the purposes of the Council’s 2017/18 budgets and the adequacy of the reserves be noted.
Minutes:
The Finance Portfolio Holder presented the minutes from the recent meeting of the Finance & Performance Management Cabinet Committee, held on 19 January 2017.
The Cabinet Committee had made recommendations to the Cabinet regarding: extending the funding for two Debt Advisors at the Epping Forest Citizens Advice Bureau; Initiatives to help tackle Homelessness within the District; further support for users of the C.A.R.E. Agency; the approval of an updated Corporate Risk Register; the detailed Directorate Budgets for 2017/18; and guidelines for the Council’s Budgets in 2017/18. There were no other issues considered by the Cabinet Committee.
Decision:
Extending the Funding of Two Epping Forest Citizens Advice Bureau Debt Advisors
(1) That funding for the Citizens Advice Bureau’s two existing Debt Advisors be approved for one year from 1 April 2017 as follows:
(a) £37,800 from the Housing Revenue Account; and
(b) £4,200 from the General Fund District Development Fund;
Homelessness Initiatives
(2) That a Continuing Services Budget growth bid in the sum of £32,000 per annum from 2017/18 for the appointment of 1 FTE additional Grade 6 Homelessness Prevention Officer be approved;
(3) That the existing Invest to Save Funding of £90,000 be used for providing applicants with a rental loan of 4 weeks rent to meet the costs of rent in advance when securing accommodation in the private rented sector and/or a landlord deposit in accordance with LHA rates (lodged with a third party by the landlord) with applicants being required to repay loans on an interest free basis over 36 months;
(4) That a Continuing Services Budget growth bid in the sum of £9,000 per annum from 2017/18 to fund an external company to undertake Homelessness Reviews be approved; and
(5) That a Continuing Services Budget growth bid in the sum of £2,500 per annum from 2017/18 to fund an external company to provide specialist services to rough sleepers be approved;
C.A.R.E. Agency
(6) That £51,000 be top-sliced from the Government’s Better Care Fund contribution towards support for applicants of Disabled Facilities Grants from 2017/18;
Risk Management – Corporate Risk Register
(7) That the Existing Control and Required Further Management Action in Risk 1, Local Plan, be updated;
(8) That the Effectiveness of Controls/Actions and Required Further Management Action in Risk 2, Strategic Sites, be updated;
(9) That the Key Date for Risk 4, Finance Income, be updated;
(10) That the Vulnerability for Risk 9, Safeguarding, be updated; and
(11) That, including the above agreed changes, the revised Corporate Risk Register be approved;
Detailed Directorate Budgets
(12) That the detailed Directorate Budget for the Chief Executive be approved;
(13) That the detailed Directorate Budget for Communities be approved;
(14) That the detailed Directorate Budget for Governance be approved;
(15) That the detailed Directorate Budget for Neighbourhoods be approved;
(16) That the detailed Directorate Budget for Resources be approved; and
(17) That the detailed Directorate Budget for the Housing Revenue Account be approved.
Council Budgets 2017/18
(18) That the following guidelines for the Council’s General Fund Budgets in 2017/18 be recommended to the Council for adoption:
(a) the revised revenue estimates for 2016/17, and the anticipated reduction in the General Fund balance by £0.62 million, including a transfer of £0.2 million to the Invest to Save Reserve;
(b) confirmation of the target for the 2017/18 Continuing Services Budget of £13.11 million (including growth items);
(c) an increase in the target for the 2017/18 District Development Fund net spend from £0.26million to £2million;
(d) no change in the District Council Tax for a Band ‘D’ property to retain the charge at £148.77;
(e) the estimated reduction in the General Fund balances of £108,000 in 2017/18;
(f) the five year Capital Programme for the period 2016/17 to 2020/21;
(g) the Medium Term Financial Strategy for the period 2016/17 to 2020/21; and
(h) the Council’s policy on General Fund Revenue Balances to remain that they be allowed to fall no lower than 25% of the Net Budget Requirement.
(19) That the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2017/18, including the revised revenue estimates for 2016/17, be recommended to the Council for approval;,
(20) That the rent reductions proposed for 2017/18, with an average overall fall of 1%, be noted; and
(21) That the Chief Financial Officer’s report to the Council on the robustness of the estimates for the purposes of the Council’s 2017/18 budgets and the adequacy of the reserves be noted.
Reasons for Decision:
The Cabinet was satisfied that the Cabinet Committee had fully addressed all the relevant issues.
Other Options Considered and Rejected:
The Cabinet was content that the Cabinet Committee had considered all the relevant options and that there were no further options to consider.
Supporting documents: