Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Joanna Rayner.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2017 (copy attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2017 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

At each Cabinet meeting, up to 15 minutes shall be allocated for questions from and discussion with, non-Cabinet members.  Members wishing to speak during this session should if possible, give notice in advance.  Who speaks and for how long will be at the complete discretion of the person presiding.

No non-Cabinet  Members in attendance wished to speak under this item.

Members of the public who live or work in the Borough are invited to put one question or statement of not more than three minutes duration relating to items to be discussed in Part 1 of the agenda only. If a question is asked and answered within three minutes, the person who asked the question may ask a supplementary question that arises from the reply.

A person who wishes to speak must register at least 15 minutes before the time the meeting is scheduled to start. 

There is an overall time limit of 15 minutes for public speaking, which may be extended at the Chairman’s discretion.

There were no members of the public in attendance.

Report No:   CAB/SE/17/041

Chairman: Diane Hind                   Lead Officer: Christine Brain

The Cabinet received and noted Report No: CAB/SE/17/041, which informed the Cabinet of the following items discussed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 19 July 2017:

(1)     Annual Presentation by the Cabinet Member for Housing; 

(2)     Effective Member Development; 

(3)      Use of Directed Surveillance Powers by the Anglia Revenues Partnership; and

(4)      Work Programme Update and Suggestions for Scrutiny

In the absence of the Chairman of the Committee, Councillor Susan Glossop, Vice-Chairman, drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet, including that a very informative and enlightening presentation had been provided by Councillor Sara Mildmay-White on her Housing portfolio; and that the Committee had made a number of recommendations to the Joint Member Development Group arising from its scrutiny of the current Member Development Programme.  It had been pleasing to note that some of these recommendations had already been implemented.

Report No:   CAB/SE/17/042

Chairman: Sarah Broughton           Lead Officer: Christine Brain

The Cabinet received and noted Report No: CAB/SE/17/042, which informed the Cabinet of the following items discussed by the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee on 27 July 2017:

(1)     Balanced Scorecards Quarter 1 Performance Report 2017-2018;

(2)     West Suffolk Strategic Risk Register Quarterly Monitoring Report – June 2017;

(3)     Work Programme Update;

(4)     Annual Performance Report for The Apex 2016-2017

(5)     Financial Performance Report (Revenue and Capital) 2017-2018 - (Quarter 1) (April to June 2017); and

(6)     Annual Treasury Management Report 2016-2017 and Investment Activity (April – June 2017).

Councillor Sarah Broughton, Chairman of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee (PASC) drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet, including that the first three items listed above had been considered jointly with Forest Heath District Council’s PASC during an informal meeting.

The Cabinet particularly noted that the Committee had been pleased to welcome each Assistant Director to the PASC meeting to present and respond to questions on the balanced scorecard for their respective services; and that a positive report had been presented on the performance of the Apex for the 2016/2017 year.

Report No:   CAB/SE/17/043

Portfolio Holder: Ian HoulderLead Officer: Rachael Mann

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL (26 September 2017):

That the Annual Treasury Management Report for 2016-2017, attached as Appendix 1 to Report No: TMS/SE/17/003, be approved.

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/17/043, which sought approval for the Annual Treasury Management Report for 2016/2017.

Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet, including that the Annual Treasury Management Report for 2016/2017, which was attached at Appendix 1 to Report No: TMS/SE/17/003, summarised the interest earned during 2016/2017 on the various treasury investments held by the Council; investment activity during the year and the investments held as at 31 March 2017.

The budgeted income from investments in 2016/2017 was £277,484 (average rate of return of 0.90%).  Interest actually earned during the year totalled £417,358 (average rate of return of 0.763%); an over achievement of interest of £139,876, but an under achievement of 0.137% on average rate of return.  This was primarily due to higher cash balances being held during the year than originally budgeted for.

On 4 August 2016, the Bank of England reduced its base rate to 0.25%, where it remained for the rest of 2016/2017 and the bank’s Funding for Lending Scheme also remained open during the year. Consequently, interest rates offered by institutions remained low which resulted in a lower average rate of return being achieved by the Council during 2016/2017 than originally predicted.  The Council, in February 2005, agreed to establish the Interest Equalisation Earmarked Reserve to help smooth out these fluctuations in returns. The balance in this reserve, as at 31 March 2017, was £359,630.

Recognition was given to those involved in the production of the Annual Treasury Management Report 2016/2017.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

That the Annual Treasury Management Report for 2016-2017, attached as Appendix 1 to Report No: TMS/SE/17/003, be approved.

To consider the most recently published version of the Cabinet’s Decisions Plan

Report No:   CAB/SE/17/044

Portfolio Holder: John Griffiths        Lead Officer: Ian Gallin

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/17/044, which was the executive Decisions Plan covering the period October 2017 to May 2018.

Members took the opportunity to review the intended forthcoming decisions of the Cabinet; however, no further information or amendments were requested on this occasion.

Report No:   CAB/SE/17/045

Portfolio Holder: Ian HoulderLead Officer: Rachael Mann

RESOLVED:

That the write-off of the amounts detailed in the exempt appendices to Report No: CAB/SE/17/045, be approved, as follows:

(1)     Exempt Appendix 1: Council Tax totalling £7,304.23;

(2)     Exempt Appendix 2: Business Rates totalling £13,116.58; and

(3)     Exempt Appendix 3: Sundry Debt totalling £3,385.52

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/17/045, which provided the collection data in respect of Council Tax and National Non-Domestic Rates and sought approval for the write-off of debts as contained in the Exempt Appendices.

Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet, including the current collection performance, as set out in Section 3 of the report.

RESOLVED:

That the write-off of the amounts detailed in the exempt appendices to Report No: CAB/SE/17/045, be approved, as follows:

(1)     Exempt Appendix 1: Council Tax totalling £7,304.23;

(2)     Exempt Appendix 2: Business Rates totalling £13,116.58; and

(3)     Exempt Appendix 3: Sundry Debt totalling £3,385.52

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded during the consideration of the following items because it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during the items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt categories of information as prescribed in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, and indicated against each item and, in all circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

See minute 368 below.

Exempt Appendices 1, 2 and 3  to Report No:        CAB/SE/17/045

Portfolio Holder: Ian HoulderLead Officer: Rachael Mann

The Cabinet considered Exempt Appendices 1, 2 and 3 to Report No: CAB/SE/17/045 under Agenda Item 9, however no reference was made to specific detail and therefore this item was not held in private session.