Decisions

This report considers the Capital Strategy for 2021/22, prior to its submission to the Council for approval.

Regulations require the Council to prepare and formally approve a Capital Strategy.  The document for 2021/22 is attached as Appendix A to this report for consideration by the Executive before being submitted to Council for approval.

The Capital Strategy gives a high-level overview of how capital expenditure, capital financing, asset management and treasury management activity contribute to the provision of services along with an overview of how associated risk is managed and the implications for future financial sustainability.

The main highlights in the Capital Strategy are:

i)    The level of capital expenditure estimated for 2021/22 is £32.2million.  The current estimate is that £16.4 million of this will be met by new borrowing.

ii)   A high-level review of future funding requirements has identified a capital funding requirement of £196 million.

iii) The Council’s commercial property portfolio has ab estimated value of £64.3million.

A separate report proposing the Treasury Management Strategy and Investment Strategy for 2021/22 will be presented at the February meeting of the Executive.

RESOLVED that the Executive:

(a)  endorses the draft Capital Strategy for 2021/22, attached as Appendix A to the report;

(b)  approves the capital programme for the period 2020/21 to 2024/25, amounting to £86.2 million as set out in Annex 1 of the Capital Strategy; and

(c)  agrees to submit the Capital Strategy for 2021/22 to Council for approval

This report provides an update and proposals for the Council’s fees and charges for the financial year 2021/22.

This report gives the Executive the opportunity to consider the Council’s fees and charges for 2021/22 including approving increases in existing charges and consider new charges where applicable.

RESOLVED that the Executive approves the fees and charges for 2021/22 as set out at Appendix A to the report.

This report provides an update on the Council’s 5-year financial forecasts and makes recommendations regarding the revised revenue budget for 2020/21 and 2021/22.

This report gives the Executive the opportunity to consider the Council’s 5-year financial forecasts as set out in the Medium-Term Finance Strategy (MTFS), revised service budgets for 2020/21 and proposed service budgets for 2021/22.

Revised General Fund Revenue Budget 2020/21

The revised general fund revenue budget for 2020/21 amounts to £15,905,100 for service budgets  with other budgets totalling -£3,823,500 (including a use of general reserves of £690,200) and Government COVID funding of £2,993,300 giving an overall position of £9,606,500 which shows no increase from the base budget for 2020/21.

General Fund Revenue Budget 2021/22

The proposed general fund budget for 2021/22 totals £14,692,700 for service budgets along with -£3,823,500 for other budgets (including a use of general reserves of £1,902,500) and Government COVID funding of £751,000 giving an overall position of £10,118,200 which is an increase of £511,700 against the original budget for 2020/21.

5-Year Financial Forecasts

The 5-Year financial forecasts for 2020/21 to 2024/25 is predicting a funding shortfall by 2022/23.  The Opportunities Plan approved last year is still predicted to address the shortfall and build in some capacity for future pressures and uncertainties.

RESOLVED that the Executive:

Financial Forecasts (MTFS)

(a)      approves the Medium-Term Finance Strategy for the period 2020/21 to 2024/25, as set out at Appendix C to the report;

Revenue Budgets

(b)      approves the revised 2020/21 general fund revenue budget, amounting to £9,606,500, as set out in Appendix A and B to the report; and

(c)       approves the base 2021/22 general fund revenue budget amounting to £10,118,200, as set out in Appendix A and B to the report;

This report presents an update on the work that has taken place since the meeting of the Executive on 07 September 2020 and provides options for season tickets and concessions within the 9 individual coastal car parks within the Borough, equating to 598 parking spaces.

At the meeting of the Executive on 07 September, the introduction of a charge of £1 per hour up to 6 hours parking in the Council’s 9 coastal car parks between 10am and 6pm was agreed.

In addition, a request was made that season ticket and concessionary arrangement options for individual coastal car parks be presented at a future meeting of the Executive, to include an option (in principle) for an £80 season ticket.

These options have been explored by officers, with detailed proposals outlined within the report.

RESOLVED that the Executive agrees that:

(a)  season tickets be valid for use in any coastal car park;

(b)  no limit is placed on the number of seasons tickets made available to the public;

(c)  season tickets sold to the public, including beach hut owners, will not be transferable between cars; and

(d)  only recognised coastal organisations such as the Sailing Clubs, Titchfield Haven, the Wheelhouse and St Mary’s Church will be able to purchase transferable season tickets. 

To advise the Executive on introducing charges for heritage advice and design codes, and the use of planning performance agreements.

In February 2020, the Executive considered proposals to increase the level of fees that the Council charges for providing pre-application planning advice.

The Executive was advised at that time that a further report would be brought back for consideration relating to charging for heritage advice and for design code work, and the use of planning performance agreements.

This report sets out the proposals in respect of each of these three areas.

RESOLVED that, subject to the amendment outlined above, the Executive:

(a)  agrees the introduction of pre-application planning advice charges for heritage advice as set out at Paragraph 11, and that the charges will come into effect for all related requests received on or after the 1^st February 2021;

(b)  agrees the introduction of charges in respect of work undertaken on design codes as set out at Paragraph 21, and that the charges will come into effect on the 1^st February 2021;

(c)  notes the benefits to applicants and this Council of using planning performance agreements along with the potential for the Council to recover some of the abnormal costs it expends in processing related planning applications to agreed timetables; and

(d)  agrees that this Council considers the use of planning performance agreements on any appropriate planning applications received on after 01 February 2021.