Cabinet - Tuesday, 5th August, 2025 7.00 pm - Agenda and draft 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 8th July, 2025 (copy attached).

The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 8th July, 2025 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

To consider Report No. FIN2513 (copy attached), which sets out the Council’s forecasted financial position for 2025/26 as at the end of June, 2025.

The Cabinet considered Report No. FIN2513, which set out an update on the Council’s forecasted financial position for 2025/26, as at the end of June, 2025.

Members were reminded that the Council had a statutory obligation to set and maintain a balanced budget. It was reported that, in February 2025, the Council had identified a significant challenge to its future financial sustainability. Members were informed that the forecast outturn for 2025/26 was on track, with the full £1.8 million savings requirement achieved. The level of external borrowing had reduced through careful cashflow management, which had delayed and reduced the need to borrow externally. It was confirmed that work would continue to identify long term sustainable savings to achieve financial sustainability and resolve the £2.784 million savings requirement for 2026/27 and £3.781 million for 2027/28, as set out in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy.

The Cabinet was pleased with the progress that had been made in addressing the Council’s challenging financial position and expressed gratitude to the finance team for its work in this respect.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that the revenue budget forecast, as set out in Section 3.1 of Report No. FIN2513, be noted.

To consider Report No. ED2506 (copy attached), which sets out performance monitoring information in relation to the Council Delivery Plan and Risk Register for the first quarter of 2025/26.

The Cabinet received Report No. ED2506, which set out the performance monitoring information for the Council Delivery Plan and key service measures for the first quarter of 2025/26. Members were informed that key projects and activities from the Council Plan and key service indicators and measures used by the Council to monitor how the Council runs services were included in the Report. The Cabinet heard that the Council’s Corporate Risk Register tried to identify factors that could impact on the future delivery of the Council’s key priorities. A summary of those risks was provided in the report for discussion.

In discussing the Report, Members were satisfied with the progress made by the Council so far towards this year’s Council Delivery Plan.

The Cabinet NOTED the progress made towards delivering the Council Delivery Plan, the latest performance information and the changes highlighted in the Council’s Corporate Risk Register, as set out in Report No. ED2506.

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 paragraph of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 indicated against such item:

Item                Schedule      Category

No.                  12A Para.

                        No.

6                      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.

23                   3                      Information relating to financial or business affairs

To consider Exempt Report No. OS2513 (copy attached), which sets out a proposal to increase the budget for the refurbishment of the Aldershot Crematorium.

The Cabinet considered Exempt Report No. OS2513, which set out the financial position for the major refurbishment of the Aldershot Crematorium and requested the approval of an increase in the capital funding allocation to enable the scheme to be completed and for services to resume at the facility.

Members were informed that the Cabinet had agreed the full business case and the requested capital funding at its meeting in September, 2023. At that time, it was noted that an accurate assessment of refurbishment costs would become available once a main contractor had been appointed. It was reported that, as anticipated, several technical matters that had not been possible to accurately assess until the project had been underway had been identified. This had adversely impacted the overall forecasted project cost. The report set out details of where costs had increased and the reasons for this. Members were informed that a number of these increases where disputed and that the Council had appointed specialist consultants to assist in this regard. It was noted that the Council had also faced additional costs arising from capitalised interest and unrecoverable VAT that had not been included in the original estimates.

In discussing this, the Cabinet considered that the reasons for the increases in the costs of this project should be thoroughly investigated and that lessons should be learnt to inform future projects of this nature. This resulted in the agreement of an additional resolution, as set out at (i)(b) below.

The Cabinet

(i)           RESOLVED:

(a)          that the additional funding requirement, as set out in Exempt Report No. OS2513, be approved; and

(b)          to ensure that the scope of the planned audit of the project would identify the factors that had led to the overspend and would include a lessons learned report to be taken into consideration for future capital projects; and

  (ii)        RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL that approval be given to an additional capital allocation totalling the sum set out in Exempt Report No. OS2513 for the crematorium refurbishment project, over and above the £5,519,430 already agreed as part of the existing Capital Programme funded by borrowing to be factored into the 2025/26 estimates, with the 2025/26 Treasury Management and Capital Strategies being adjusted accordingly.