Decisions

To advise the Executive of the outcome of a recent review of the Council’s pre-application planning advice service and charges.

A review of the Council’s pre-application planning advice service has recently been undertaken and found that it was broadly meeting the requirements of customers.  The review also established that the Council’s current charges for providing pre-application planning advice, represent only partial recovery of the costs of delivering the service.  A proposal is therefore being brought to the Executive to increase the level of charging to provide pre-application planning advice.   

RESOLVED that the Executive:

(a)  agrees the provision of pre-application planning advice based on the service specification set out in Appendix C;

(b)  notes that the proposed charges for providing pre-application planning advice are exclusive of VAT;

(c)  recommends the proposed increased charges for providing pre-application planning advice set out at Appendix D to Council for approval as part of the Council’s budget;

(d)  notes that, subject to the approval of Council as set out in (b) above, the charges will come into effect for all pre-application planning advice requests received on or after the 1^st April 2020; and

(e)  notes that a further report addressing charges in relation to listed building and heritage assets advice, planning performance agreements and design coding work (as set out within Paragraphs 37 and 46-50 of the Briefing Paper) will be presented to a future meeting of the Executive.

The purpose of this report is to seek approval to adopt a traditional red BT telephone box in Sarisbury Green.

The growth of the mobile phone industry has inevitably meant that telephone box usage has dropped dramatically, and nearly half of the telephone boxes in the UK have been removed.

BT are currently offering local authorities the opportunity to adopt traditional red telephone boxes in their area under the BT Adopt a Kiosk programme, to be either kept as a heritage feature or to be used by the community for an alternative use.  If the telephone box is not adopted, then it will be removed at some point in the future by BT.

The red telephone box in Sarisbury Green is located on a small area of grass, on Bridge Road that sits within a protected conservation area.

RESOLVED that the Executive agrees that:

(a)  the Council adopts the red telephone box in Sarisbury Green in accordance with the conditions outlined in the report; and

(b)  an allocation of £600 to bring the telephone box up to a good state of repair and secure it, and £500 per annum for maintenance and repair is set aside in the Community Funding Budget; and

(c)  notes the offer made by Sarisbury Residents’ Association to paint the box this summer.

This report considers the draft Treasury Management Strategy and Investment Strategy for 2020/21, prior to its submission to the Council for approval.

Regulations require the Council to prepare and formally approve both an annual Treasury Management Strategy and Investment Strategy.  The document for 2020/21 is attached as Appendix A to this report for consideration by the Executive before being submitted to Council for approval.

In the past 12 months, the Council’s investment balance has ranged between £12 million and £24 million, and similar levels are expected to be maintained in the forthcoming year.  The majority of the Council’s investments are expected to be invested in short-term unsecured bank deposits and money market funds with approximately £12m available for longer-term investment.

Borrowing levels are expected to increase to a projected £72.5 million at the end of 2020/21 to fund the capital programme.  The Council has previously raised all of its long-term borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) but the government increased PWLB rates by 1% in October 2019 making it now a relatively expensive option.  The Strategy has therefore been revised to say the Council will now look to borrow any further long-term loans from other sources including banks, pensions and local authorities, and will investigate the possibility of issuing bonds and similar instruments, in order to lower interest costs and reduce over-reliance on one source of finding in line with the CIPFA Code.

RESOLVED that the Executive:

(a)  endorses the draft Treasury Management Strategy and Investment Strategy for 2020/21, attached as Appendix A to the report; and

(b)  agrees to submit the report to Council for approval.

This report considers the tenders received for the provision of Insurance Services for Fareham Borough Council. The report recommends an award of contract for the services.

Ten borough and district councils in Hampshire have worked collaboratively to procure insurance services from 01 April 2020 using an OJEU Open Procedure in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

The current cost of insurance across the 10 borough and district councils in Hampshire is £4 million a year and for Fareham Borough Council £440,000.

This report provides the Executive with information regarding the tenders received and seeks an award of contract for a 3-year long term agreement with the option to extend for a further 2 years for the provision of insurance services.

RESOLVED that the Executive agrees:

(a)  to award the contract to the winning insurer of each Lot, as set out in confidential Appendix A to the report, being the most economically advantageous tender received; and

(b)  that authority be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer to accept the finalised premiums and associated costs or make alternative arrangements in the event that the tender cannot be accepted by other participating local authorities.

This report seeks Executive approval for the revised budget for the Housing Revenue Account for 2019/20, the base budgets and rent increases for 2020/21.

The Executive recommended, and the Council approved, in February 2019, the base budget and rent increase for 2019/20, for Housing Revenue Account (HRA) services.

This report sets out the Housing Revenue Account revised budget for 2019/20 and base budget for 2020/21 along with the capital programme and financing for the years 2019/20 to 2023/24.  The report examines the issues affecting the Housing Revenue Account including rent changes with effect from 01 April 2020.

The Council has adopted a new Affordable Housing Strategy during 2019 and the stock condition survey has been completed.  Together, these have informed revisions to the 2020/21 revenue and capital budgets and those for future financial years as part of business planning for the Housing Revenue Account.

Council budgets are susceptible to change in the level of expenditure and income caused by factors inside and outside the Council’s control.  A risk assessment has been carried out to indicate the effect on housing balances of changes in the level of expenditure and income.  This can be used to estimate the account balances needed to provide a prudent level of reserves and a working balance.

RESOLVED that the Executive approves and recommends to the meeting of the Council to be held on 21 February 2020 that:

(a)  rents be approved for Council Dwellings as set out in paragraph 18 with effect from 01 April 2020;

(b)  rents for Council garages be increased by 4.0% with effect from 01 April 2020;

(c)  the revised budget for 2019/20 be approved; and

(d)  the base budget for 2020/21 be approved.

This report seeks final confirmation of the recommendations to be made to Council on 21 February 2020, in respect of the revenue budget, capital programme and council tax for 2020/21.

On 06 January 2020, the Executive reviewed the Council’s overall finance strategy and considered proposals relating to the capital programme, revenue budgets and the council tax for 2020/21.  This report updates the Council’s budgets to reflect the decisions taken on 06 January 2020.

The capital programming for the years 2019/20 to 2023/24 will be £64,246,000.

The revenue budget for 2020/21 will be £9,606,500.  With retained business rates and grants estimated to be £2,456,665 and a deficit to be paid to the collection fund of £47,033, the total amount due from the council tax payers will be £7,196,868.

Taking these changes into consideration, the council tax for 2020/21 will be £165.22 per Band D property.  This represents an increase from the council tax set for 2019/20 but would be within the referendum limit set by the Government.

RESOLVED that the Executive approves and recommends to the meeting of the Council to be held on 21 February 2020:

(a)  the capital programme and financing of £64,246,000;

(b)  an overall revised revenue budget for 2019/20 of £9,319,200;

(c)  a revenue budget for 2020/21 of £9,606,500;

(d)  the remainder of the surplus in the spending reserve remains in the reserve to cover the anticipated future funding shortfalls as set out in paragraphs 17-20;

(e)  a council tax for Fareham Borough Council for 2020/21 of £165.22 per band D property, which represents a £5.00 increase when compared to the current year and is within referendum limits; and

(f)   an unchanged Council Tax Support scheme for 2020/21