Decisions

The Director (Planning and Growth) will exercise their delegated authority to submit a technical response, on behalf of West Suffolk Council, to the consultation questions set by Government on the proposed National Infrastructure Planning Reform Programme, specifically the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Planning (NSIP) process.

As set out in the attached Officer Decisions Record, the Director (Planning and Growth) has submitted a technical response to the consultation questions set by Government on the proposed National Infrastructure Planning Reform Programme, specifically the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Planning (NSIP) process.

The Cabinet will be asked to consider and recommend to Council, the recommendations of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee in respect of the proposed arrangements for appointing external auditors to audit the accounts of West Suffolk Council. Such arrangements include the consideration of whether West Suffolk Council should ‘opt in’ to the Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) audit regime.

Recommended to Council:

(14 December 2021)

That it be agreed to continue to ‘opt-in’ to the sector led body (Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited (PSAA)) for the independent appointment of the Council’s external auditor, beginning with responsibilities for the financial year 2023 to 2024.

The Cabinet will be asked to consider a new business plan for Barley Homes and potential associated funding requests. Although it is anticipated to be a key decision of Cabinet, this may require a recommendation to Council for approval.

Resolved:

That:

1.       the progress update for Barley Homes and steps outlined in Report number: CAB/WS/21/062, to secure its medium term pipeline of sites, be noted.

2.       The Barley Homes Business Plan 2021, attached as Exempt Appendix A to Report number: CAB/WS/21/062, be approved.

Following a detailed review, the Cabinet will be asked to approve and/or note the following in relation to Housing, one of the Council’s key strategic priorities:

1. an addendum to the Housing Strategy 2018-2023 and that its life be

extended to 2024

2. the revised Housing Strategy Implementation Plan

3. note progress against the Housing Delivery Action Plan

4. note progress against the Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy Delivery Plan.

Resolved:

That:

1.       an addendum to the Housing Strategy 2018-2023, as set out in Appendix A of Report number: CAB/WS/21/059, be approved.

2.       The life of the Housing Strategy be extended to 2024, be approved.

3.       The revised Housing Strategy Implementation Plan, as set out in Appendix B of Report number: CAB/WS/21/059, be approved.

4.       Progress against the Housing Delivery Action Plan (Appendix C), be noted.

5.       Progress against the Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy Delivery Plan (Appendix D), be noted.

The Cabinet will be asked to consider writing-off outstanding debts, as detailed in the exempt appendices.

Resolved:

That the write-off of the amounts detailed in the Exempt Appendices to Report number: CAB/WS/21/061, be approved, as follows:

Exempt Appendix 1: Council Tax totalling £5,918.07

Exempt Appendix 2: Business Rates totalling £37,868.71

Exempt Appendix 3: Housing Benefit Overpayment totalling £25,257.78

The Cabinet will be asked to consider the recommendations of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee regarding seeking approval for the Financial Resilience activities between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021.

Recommended to Council:

(14 December 2021)

That the Treasury Management Report (September 2021), as contained in Report number: FRS/WS/21/005, be approved.

Resolved:

That the externalisation of our underlying need to borrow in order to manage the Council’s interest rate risk exposure, be agreed.

The Cabinet will be asked to consider recommendations of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee for recommending to Council on proposals for achieving a sustainable budget in 2022 to 2023 and in the medium term.

Recommended to Council:

(14 December 2021)

That the proposals as detailed in Section 2 and Table 1 at paragraph 3.6 of Report number: PAS/WS/21/024, be included in the medium-term financial plans to 2026.

The Cabinet will be asked to consider proposals for potential revisions to the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme prior to seeking its approval by Council.

Recommended to Council:

(14 December 2021)

That:

1.       the Local Council Tax Reduction (LCTRS) Scheme for 2022 to 2023, as outlined in Report number: CAB/WS/21/058, be reviewed.

2.       The changes to the scheme outlined in section 2 of Report number: CAB/WS/21/058, and as detailed in Appendix C, be agreed.