Agenda item

Report No: COU/SE/16/015

Council considered the Referrals report of Recommendations from Cabinet contained within Report No: COU/SE/16/015.

(A)    Referrals from Cabinet: 6 September 2016

1.       Annual Treasury Management Report 2015/2016

Approval was sought for the Annual Treasury Management Report for 2015/2016.

Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council.

On the motion of Councillor Houlder, seconded by Councillor Sarah Broughton, and duly carried, it was

RESOLVED:

That the Annual Treasury Management Report for 2015/2016, attached as Appendix 1 to Report No: TMS/SE/16/003, be approved.

2.       West Suffolk Joint Pay Policy Statement: 2016/2017

Approval was sought for the West Suffolk Joint Pay Policy Statement for 2016/2017.

Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council.

On the motion of Councillor Houlder, seconded by Councillor John Burns and duly carried, it was

RESOLVED:

That the West Suffolk Joint Pay Policy Statement for 2016/2017, as contained in Appendix 1 to Report No: CAB/SE/16/041, be approved.

3.       Land at Cavendish Road, Clare: Development Brief

Approval was sought for a Development Brief that had been prepared by consultants acting on behalf of Land Charter Homes, for Land at Cavendish Road, Clare.

Councillor Alaric Pugh, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council. 

On the motion of Councillor Pugh, seconded by Councillor Peter Stevens and duly carried, it was

RESOLVED:

That the Development Brief for Land at Cavendish Road, Clare, as contained in Appendix A to Report No: SDW/SE/16/007, be adopted as non-statutory planning guidance.

(B)    Referral from Cabinet: 20 September 2016

1.       Consideration of: Approach to Delivering a Sustainable Medium Term Financial Strategy 2016-2020; Four-Year Settlement Offer from Central Government; and Economic Development and Growth Funding Requests

Members noted that the recommendations contained in Section (B)(1) had been reproduced in Report No: COU/SE/16/015 and published before the Cabinet had met on 20 September 2016.  The Mayor confirmed that the recommendations from Cabinet remained as printed in the report, which included the typographical amendment to Recommendation (3) which had been amended to read:

That the Council’s existing Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) document and the approach paper be recognised as the Council’s Efficiency Plan, for the purposes of accepting any four-year Finance Settlement under (1) (2) above.

Approval was sought for a number of recommendations relating to:

(a)     seeking support for the Councils’ approach to delivering a medium term financial strategy 2016-2020;

(b)     whether the Councils should accept the Government’s offer of a four-year finance settlement; and

(c)     whether funding requests should be allocated to projects being worked on by the Economic Development and Growth service. 

Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council.

Questions were asked in respect of the funding sought from St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) towards the development of the Bury St Edmunds Town Centre Masterplan and the potential contribution from the Town Council.

On the motion of Councillor Houlder, seconded by Councillor Alaric Pugh and duly carried, it was

RESOLVED:

That

(1)     The approach to delivering a sustainable medium term financial strategy 2016 -2020 as set out in Report No: OAS/SE/16/022, be supported.

(2)     Government’s offer of a four-year Finance Settlement be accepted, and the Head of Resources and Performance (Chief Financial Officer) be authorised to advise Government of Council’s decision.

(3)     The Council’s existing Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) document and the approach paper (Report No: OAS/SE/16/022)  be recognised as the Council’s Efficiency Plan, for the purposes of accepting any four-year Finance Settlement under (2) above.

(4)     Approval be given to an allocation of £250,500 from its Strategic Priorities and MTFS Reserves, as SEBC’s share towards funding the in-year (and in some cases future years) Economic Development and Growth funding requests outlined in Appendix 2 to Report No: CAB/SE/16/045.