Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks. View directions

Contact: Email: Democratic.Services@sevenoaks.gov.uk 01732 227199 

Note: moved from 30 October 2018 

Items
No. Item

24.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 54 KB

To agree the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 4 September 2018, as a correct record.

Minutes:

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Finance Advisory Committee held on 4 September 2018 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

25.

Declarations of Interest

Any interest not already registered

Minutes:

There were no additional declarations of interest.

26.

Actions from Previous Meeting

Minutes:

There were none.

27.

Update from Portfolio Holder

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder and Chairman reported that apart from budget matters he had been working on preventative asset management which featured later on the agenda, and with the Income Strip Funding Working Group.  He advised that the Working Group had met six times and was close to forming recommendations to Council.

28.

Referral from Cabinet or the Audit committee

Minutes:

There were none.

29.

Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 103 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Benefits Manager presented a report which had already been considered by Cabinet on 8 November 2018 which had sought Member’s approval to recommend the adoption of a replacement Council Tax Reduction (CTR) scheme for 2019/2020, to be implemented with effect from 1 April 2019.  Cabinet had agreed to recommend approval to Council and that the Finance Advisory Committee could forward any comments it had straight to Council on this occasion.  In response to questions Members were advised that it was a local scheme and each borough/district had their own.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Resolved: That

a)   the report be noted; and

b)   it be recommended to Council to adopt the new Council Tax Reduction scheme from the 2019/20 financial year.

30.

Land at Jenkins Neck Wood, Shacklands Road, Badgers Mount pdf icon PDF 59 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Economic Development presented the report which provided an update on the proposed disposal of surplus property assets at Jenkins Neck Wood, Shacklands Road, Badgers Mount.  He advised that since the publication of the papers he had met with the owners of 1 Shacklands Cottages who had wanted some points raised.  They felt aggrieved that they had not been granted the freehold only a leasehold in the decision made by Cabinet in 2008.  They also wanted to comment on the Parish Council’s letter attached as Appendix B to the report, stating that the trees that had been felled had been either dead or dying due to deer damage and had not been ancient woodland and there had been no tree preservation orders at that time.  They did not believe they had been treated equitably.

 

Cllr Grint addressed the Committee as local ward councillor and parish councillor.  He commented that the report was a fair summary of the current situation and reiterated the parish’s concerns and desire that the land remain with the Council, was transferred to Badgers Mount Parish Council or was looked after by an independent trust.

 

Members were concerned that the land should remain protected which could not be guaranteed if it was sold privately.  Members discussed the pros and cons of selling it as leasehold or freehold, but agreed it should remain under the Councils ownership or passed to the parish council.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved: That it be recommended to Cabinet that the Advisory Committee’s preferred option for the disposal of surplus land at Shacklands Road, Badgers Mount would be a transfer of the whole to the Parish Council for a nominal consideration by way of a grant of either the freehold or a long leasehold interest with any transfer subject to the Tree Preservation Order and suitable restrictions within any long leasehold interest.

31.

Treasury Management - Mid-Year Update 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 419 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Principal Accountant presented the report which gave details of treasury activity in the first half of the current financial year, recent developments in the financial markets and fulfils the reporting requirements of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Code of Practice on Treasury Management.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved:  That it be recommended to Cabinet that the Treasury Management Mid-Year Update for 2018/19, be approved.

 

32.

Asset Maintenance - Planned Preventative maintenance pdf icon PDF 62 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report which detailed the results of recent asset maintenance surveys for Council owned buildings where the Council had maintenance liability responsibilities and recommended full consideration be given to the implications for the ten year budget plan.  In response to a query the Chairman advised that he hoped to progressively increase the amount of cover with a view to having it fully funded within 5 years.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved:  That it be recommended to Cabinet that the results of the Planned Preventative Maintenance Surveys be noted and be fully considered in a future budget report and the implications for the 10 year budget plan, with a view to having it fully funded within five years.

 

33.

Budget 2019/20: Service Dashboards and Service Change Impact Assessments (SCIAs) pdf icon PDF 66 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Finance Officer presented a report, which explained that this was the second stage of the budget process and ensured that all Members of the Advisory Committees had a role to play in the governance of the Council and the budget decision making process. He explained that since the current financial strategy was introduced in 2011/12, over £7 million of savings had been agreed.

To continue to have a balanced budget position and remain financially self-sufficient, a net savings requirement of £100,000 per annum was included in the budget.  The Chief Finance Officer also advised Members that other pressures may come out later in the budget process such as when the Local Government Finance Settlement was announced in December. These may result in additional savings being required.

Growth and savings proposals were included in the report for this Committee and Members were asked for their suggestions in order to achieve the £100,000 net saving required for the next year, which would be considered by Cabinet, before finalising the budget for 2019/20.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved: That it be recommended to Cabinet that

 

a)     the growth proposal identified in Appendix D to the report (SCIAs 11) applicable to this Advisory Committee, be considered:

 

b)     the savings proposals identified in Appendix D (SCIAs 12, 13, 14) applicable to this Advisory Committee, be considered; and

 

c)     preventative asset maintenance be put forward as a growth item in order to have it fully funded within five years;

 

d)     there were no further suggestions for savings.

 

 

34.

Financial Results 2018/19 - to the end of September 2018 pdf icon PDF 60 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Finance presented a report on the Council’s financial results 2018/19 to the end of September 2018, which showed the year end position was currently forecast to be an unfavourable variance of £99,000; which represented 0.67% of our net service expenditure budget totalling £14,687,000.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved:  That the report be noted.

35.

Financial Performance Indicators 2018/19 - to the end of September 2018 pdf icon PDF 40 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Finance presented a report which detailed the internally set performance indicators as at the end of September 2018, which Members considered.

 

Public Sector Equality Duty

 

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved:  That the report be noted.

36.

Work Plan pdf icon PDF 46 KB

Minutes:

The work plan was noted.  It was agreed to add service updates to the summer and autumn meetings.

 

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