(Public Pack)Agenda Document for Strategy and Resources Scrutiny
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Public Document Pack Cambridge City Council Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee Date: Monday, 6 July 2020 Time: 5.00 pm Venue: This a virtual meeting Contact: [email protected], tel:01223 457000 Agenda 1 Apologies for Absence 2 Declarations of Interest 3 Minutes (Pages 5 - 24) 4 Public Questions Decisions for the Executive Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships 5 Combined Authority Update (Pages 25 - 46) 6 Cambridge City Council Outline Coronavirus Recovery Plan (Pages 47 - 64) Decisions for the Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources 7 3Cs Legal and ICT Services and Greater Cambridge - Internal Audit Shared Service - 2019/20 Annual Reports and Partnership Agreement Review (Pages 65 - 82) 8 Cambridge City Council Apprenticeship Strategy 2020 (Pages 83 - 96) 9 Service Review: Revenues and Benefits (Pages 97 - 102) 10 Annual Treasury Management Outturn Report (Pages 103 - 2019/20 122) 11 2019/20 General Fund Revenue and Capital (Pages 123 - Outturn, Carry Forwards and Significant Variances 166) 12 Interim Update to Medium Term Financial Strategy (Pages 167 - 184) 13 To Note Record of Urgent Decision Taken by the i Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources 13a Business plans: ICT, Legal and Internal Audit (Pages 185 - 186) The background briefing paper for this decision can be accessed here. 13b Criteria and process for distribution of the Local Authority discretionary grant under section 31 of the (Pages 187 - Local Government Act 2003. 202) 14 To Note Record of Officer Urgent Decisions 14a Amendment of the City Council Tax aggregate (Pages 203 - amounts 206) 14b Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority- Appointment of the Council’s substitute (Pages 207 - member 208) 14c Powers of the Chief Executive, Cambridge City (Pages 209 - Council-delegation to the Strategic Directors 210) 14d Action to support commercial tenants (Pages 211 - 216) The briefing paper to the record of decision contains exempt information during which the public is likely to be excluded from the meeting subject to determination by the Scrutiny Committee following consideration of a public interest test. This exclusion would be made under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. ii Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee Members: Davey (Chair), Barnett (Vice-Chair), Bick, Davies, Dalzell and Green Alternates: Cantrill, Collis, O'Reilly and Payne Executive Councillors: Herbert (Executive Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships) and Robertson (Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources) Information for the public Details how to observe the Committee meeting will be published no later than 24 hours before the meeting. Members of the public are welcome to view the live stream of this meeting, except during the consideration of exempt or confidential items, by following the link to be published on the Council’s website. Any person who participates in the meeting in accordance with the Council’s public speaking time, is deemed to have consented to being recorded and to the use of those images (where participating via video conference) and/or sound recordings for webcast purposes. When speaking, members of the public should not disclose any personal information of any individual as this might infringe the rights of that individual and breach the Data Protection Act. If members of the public wish to address the committee please contact Democratic Services by 12 noon two working days before the meeting. For full information about committee meetings, committee reports, councillors and the democratic process: Website: http://democracy.cambridge.gov.uk Email: [email protected] Phone: 01223 457000 iii This page is intentionally left blank Public Document Pack Agenda Item 3 Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee SnR/1 Monday, 3 February 2020 STRATEGY AND RESOURCES SCRUTINY COMMITTEE 3 February 2020 5.02 - 8.05 pm Present: Councillors Davey (Chair), Todd-Jones (Vice-Chair), Bick, Dalzell and Green Executive Councillors: Herbert (Executive Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships) and Robertson (Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources) Other Councillors present: Executive Councillors: Johnson, Massey, Moore, Smith and Thornburrow Opposition Spokes: Cantrill, Martinelli, McGerty and Payne Officers: Chief Executive: Antoinette Jackson Director of Planning and Economic Development: Stephen Kelly Strategic Director: Fiona Bryant Strategic Director: Suzanne Hemingway Head of Corporate Strategy: Andrew Limb Head of Finance: Caroline Ryba Committee Manager: Sarah Steed FOR THE INFORMATION OF THE COUNCIL 20/1/SR Apologies for Absence No apologies were received. 20/2/SR Declarations of Interest No declarations of interest were made. 20/3/SR Minutes The minutes of the meeting held on 7 October 2019 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair. 20/4/SR Public Questions Page1 5 Strategy and Resources Scrutiny CommitteeSnR/2 Monday, 3 February 2020 There were no public questions. 20/5/SR To Note Record of Urgent Decisions Taken by the Executive Councillors 5a Cambridge Northern Fringe East Funding Agreement Approval The decision was noted. 5b Purchase of land The decision was noted. 20/6/SR Combined Authority Update Matter for Decision The report provided an update on the activities of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) since the 7 October meeting of Strategy & Resources Scrutiny Committee. Decision of Executive Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships i. Noted the update on issues considered at the meetings of the Combined Authority held on 30 October 2019, 27 November 2019 and 29 January 2020. Reason for the Decision As set out in the Officer’s report. Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected Not applicable. Scrutiny Considerations The Committee received a report from the Chief Executive and noted the decision notice of the Combined Authority Board meeting held on the 29 January 2020, which was circulated at the meeting. The Committee made the following comments in response to the report: i. Asked why the lead members and chairs of committees in the Combined Authority structure did not have a representative from Cambridge City or South Cambridgeshire District Council. ii. Questioned the £100,000 homes business case. Page2 6 Strategy and Resources Scrutiny CommitteeSnR/3 Monday, 3 February 2020 iii. Asked if the Local Transport Plan which had been approved at the most recent Combined Authority Board meeting had retained reference to the role about demand management and highway congestion. iv. Questioned what the impending Cam Metro consultation would be about as there seemed to be little or no information about it. Councillor Herbert said the following in response to Members’ questions: i. The Combined Authority Mayor appointed the Deputy Mayor and the lead members. Neither he nor the leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council had been appointed to chair any of the committees. ii. The committee model had improved representation on the Combined Authority and he noted that there had been a number of changes to various local authority leaders since the inception of the Combined Authority. iii. The homes business case was about trialling different types of development within the different Combined Authority areas. He hoped to see trials in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire but this would depend on how the funding could be brought together. iv. He would follow up the Local Transport Plan query. v. He could not add anything further to the query regarding the Cam Metro consultation. He hoped as the authority most affected that the City Council would have had the opportunity to see the consultation before it went public however, he anticipated that the City Council would see the consultation at the same time as everyone else. The Committee noted the report. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted) No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor. 20/7/SR Capital Strategy Matter for Decision The report outlined the capital strategy of the Council together with a summary capital programme for the General Fund (GF) and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The previous capital strategy was approved by Council on 21 February 2019 and the report update focused on providing a framework for delivery of the capital expenditure plans over a 10 – 30 year period. Decision of Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources Page3 7 Strategy and Resources Scrutiny CommitteeSnR/4 Monday, 3 February 2020 To recommend Council to i. Approve the capital strategy as set out in this report. ii. Note the summary Capital programme. Reason for the Decision As set out in the Officer’s report. Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected Not applicable. Scrutiny Considerations The Committee received a report from the Head of Finance. The Committee made the following comments in response to the report: i. Referred to paragraph 5.26 of the officer’s report and asked what the implications would be regarding the removal of the debt cap. ii. Referred to paragraph 7.23 of the officer’s report and asked whether the council worked to target parameters regarding the use of investment property income to support the costs of services. iii. Referred to section 7 of the officer’s report and expressed concern regarding the liquidity of the council’s assets as it invested in commercial property. The Head of Finance said the following in response to Members’ questions: i. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget Setting Report began to consider how the HRA might use debt in the future to fund development. At the moment the debt cap would not be exceeded. ii. The use of investment property income to support the council’s activities had been established over many years, the council considered 50% to be the prudent maximum level of this indicator. This figure was likely to increase rather than reduce as a result of the council’s plans for redevelopment. iii. The council had £170 million in commercial investments and over £100 million in cash so the council had significant liquidity.