Cabinet - Tuesday, 5th July, 2022 7.00 pm - Agenda and minutes

Under the Council’s Code of Conduct for Councillors, all Members are required to disclose relevant Interests in any matter to be considered at the meeting.  Where the matter directly relates to a Member’s Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Registrable Interest, that Member must not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not remain in the room unless they have been granted a dispensation (see note below). If the matter directly relates to ‘Non-Registrable Interests’, the Member’s participation in the meeting will depend on the nature of the matter and whether it directly relates or affects their financial interest or well-being or that of a relative, friend  or close associate, applying the tests set out in the Code.

NOTE:

On 27th May, 2021, the Council’s Corporate Governance, Audit and Standards Committee granted dispensations to Members appointed by the Council to the Board of the Rushmoor Development Partnership and as Directors of Rushmoor Homes Limited.

Having regard to the Council’s Code of Conduct for Councillors, no declarations of interest were made.

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting held on ?th ?, 2022 (copy attached).

The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 7th June, 2022 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

To consider Report No. FIN2221 (copy attached), which sets out an update on the progress made since the draft outturn report was presented in April, 2022.

The Cabinet considered Report No. FIN2221, which set out an update on the progress made since the draft outturn position had been presented to the Cabinet in April, 2022.

Members were informed that work to complete the year-end processes was continuing and that carry forward requests had now been finalised by Service Managers and the Finance team.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the progress update on the draft outturn position for 2021/22 since the report to Cabinet on 26th April, 2022, as set out in Report No. FIN2221, be noted;

(ii)          the carry forward requests submitted by Heads of Service, as set out in Section 4 of the Report, be approved;

(iii)         the establishment of an earmarked reserve of £27,500, to support the Joint Working proposal funded from the anticipated beneficial outturn position, as set out in paragraph 2.5 of the Report, be approved; and

(iv)         the variation to the scope of the Southwood Country Park capital scheme to include provision for a crossing on Ively Road and S106-funded Children’s Play Area, as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the Report, be approved.

To consider Report No. FIN2223 (copy attached), which sets out an assessment of the Council’s high-risk budgets and outlines the high level plan for financial reporting and the budget monitoring process for the year.

The Cabinet considered Report No. FIN2223, which set out an assessment of the Council’s high-risk budgets and outlined the high-level plan for financial reporting to the Cabinet for the year and the budget monitoring process to be followed as part of the Finance Improvement Plan.

The Report set out a number of areas where the Council was facing significant risks. These included an increase in the level of interest rates, an annual pay award that was higher than that budgeted for and reduced income from the Aldershot Crematorium caused by local competition within its market.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the high-risk budgets and pressures, as reviewed and agreed by the Council’s Executive Leadership Team and set out in Section 2 of Report No. FIN2223, be noted;

(ii)          the high-level financial reporting timetable for completion and presentation to Cabinet for 2022/23, as set out in Section 3 of the Report, be approved; and

(iii)         the budget monitoring process, with early service management action to ensure timely completion and to enable robust forecasting for presentation to the Cabinet on 2022/23 revenue and capital budget monitoring reports, as set out in Section 4 of the Report, be approved.

To consider Report No. EPSH2218 (copy attached), which sets out a proposed Green Infrastructure Strategy.

The Cabinet considered Report No. EPSH2218, which set out a Green Infrastructure Strategy for Rushmoor.

Members were informed that the Rushmoor Local Plan included a commitment for the Council to prepare a Strategy that would demonstrate how the quality of the Borough’s green infrastructure network could be improved and how contributions from developers might be used to provide funding for this work. The Report set out the Strategy’s aims, how it would influence decisions and what changes had been made to the draft strategy as a result of comments received from a period of public consultation.

In expressing its strong support for the Strategy, the Cabinet stressed the importance of the Strategy having been designed to complement schemes and sites in surrounding local authority areas.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that the adoption of the Rushmoor Green Infrastructure Strategy, as set out in Report No. EPSH2218, be approved.

To consider Report No. REG2204 (copy attached), which sets out a proposed Farnborough Town Centre Strategy.

The Cabinet considered Report No. REG2204, which set out a Farnborough Town Centre Strategy.

Members were informed that the Strategy would help to facilitate the delivery of a coordinated regeneration project for the wider Farnborough town centre area. The draft Strategy had been considered by the Policy and Project Advisory Board at its meetings on 5th April, 2022 and 28th June, 2022. At the most recent meeting, the Board had made a number of recommendations under the following headings:

-              Town centre purpose – a balance between living and visiting

-              Branding as a priority

-              Drawing on innovative local partners

-              A focus on sustainable travel

-              The skate park’s importance

The Cabinet discussed the proposals by the Policy and Project Advisory Board and supported the inclusion on these in the final version of document. Members expressed strong support for the Strategy and felt this was integral to allowing good progress to be made in the regeneration of Farnborough town centre.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the adoption of the Farnborough Town Centre Strategy, as set out in Report No. REG2204 and amended by the recommendations of the Policy and Project Advisory Board at its meeting on 28th June, 2022, be approved; and

(ii)          the establishment of a Member Task and Finish Group to oversee the implementation of the Strategy be approved.

To consider Report No. LDR2201 (copy attached), which sets out proposals for Rushmoor Borough Council and Hart District Council to work more closely together.

The Cabinet considered Report No. LDR2201, which set out proposals for Rushmoor Borough Council and Hart District Council to work more closely together.

In introducing the proposal, the Leader of the Council explained that the benefits of working closer together included providing a stronger voice in the County and with the Government, reducing costs and improving service delivery. The Report included a proposal for a shared Chief Executive across the two councils and suggested an approach to identifying services that could be shared, subject to undertaking further work to identify the potential benefits. It was stressed that the proposal was about shared services and joint working and was not considering merging the councils.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the adoption of the Joint Working Together Statement, as set out in Appendix 1 of Report No. LDR2201, be approved;

(ii)          the noting of the report of the independent consultant on sharing a Chief Executive, as set out in Exempt Appendix 2, and the proceeding with further work to produce a business case to consider a shared Chief Executive, including obtaining relevant HR and legal advice, be approved;

(iii)         the undertaking of work to assess services which may be suitable to be delivered as shared services, based on the approach set out in Appendix 3 of the Report, be approved;

(iv)         the utilisation of £27,500 from Earmarked Reserves, as set out in paragraph 2.5 of the Draft Outturn Report No. FIN2221, being 50% of the overall cost, be approved;

(v)          the indicative timeline of these activities, as set out in Appendix 4 of Report No. LDR2201, be noted; and

(vi)         the identified risks, as set out in paragraph 8 of the Report, be noted.

To consider Report No. ACE2204 (copy attached), which provides an update on the development of an Investment Plan in relation to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and sets out details of a bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The Cabinet considered Report No. ACE2204, which set out an update on the development of an Investment Plan in respect of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and details of a bid the Council was preparing for submission for the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

Members were informed that the Investment Plan was required to be submitted for Government approval in order to access up to £1 million from the UKSPF. In view of the tight timescale, permission was being sought for the final version of the Investment Plan to be submitted under delegated powers. It was reported that the Council’s bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund was for around £19.8 million towards the development of a new Leisure and Cultural Hub for Farnborough and would have to be submitted by 6th July, 2022.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the progress in developing a draft UKSPF Investment Plan, as set out in Report No. ACE2204, be noted;

(ii)          the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, be authorised to approve and submit the Investment Plan, once completed; and

(iii)         the submission of the Levelling Up Fund bid, as set out in the Report, be approved, with the Executive Director and Executive Head of Finance being authorised to sign off the bid in accordance with the fund requirements.

To consider resolving:

That, subject to the public interest test, the public be excluded from this meeting during the discussion of the undermentioned item to avoid the disclosure of exempt information within the paragraphs of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 indicated against such item:

Item                Schedule      Category

No.                  12A Para.

                        No.

10                    3                      Information relating to financial or business affairs

RESOLVED: That, taking into account the public interest test, the public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of the under mentioned item to avoid the disclosure of exempt information within the paragraph of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 indicated against the item:

Minute           Schedule      Category

No.                  12A Para.

                        No.

16                   3                      Information relating to financial or business affairs

To consider Exempt Report No. REG2205 (copy attached), which sets out a proposal for the Council to undertake due diligence with a view to acquiring a premises in Farnborough town centre.

The Cabinet considered Exempt Report No. REG2205, which set out a proposal to undertake due diligence with a view to acquiring partially vacant office premises in Farnborough town centre, to enable the progression of regeneration in line with the Council’s Regenerating Rushmoor Programme.

Members were informed that the necessary funding to progress the due diligence and legal work and to prepare the business case to support a decision by the Council to make the necessary amendments to the 2022/23 Capital Programme was also being requested. Members expressed strong support for the suggested approach to acquiring this premises.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that the purchase of the freeholds of both properties, subject to due diligence and as set out in Exempt Report No. RP2015, be approved.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the commencement of due diligence on the office premises named in the Exempt Report No. REG2205, with a view to acquisition at the price set out in the Report, be approved;

(ii)          the preparation of a detailed business case, to support the acquisition and the future decision by the Council to make the necessary amendments to the 2022/23 Capital Programme, be approved; and

(iii)         the release of up to £75,000 from the regeneration reserve, to progress the due diligence, legal and other project work associated with the acquisition, be approved.