Agenda and draft minutes

None.

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5 December 2013 as a correct record and agree that the Chairman sign them as such.

Purpose: to explain the outcome of recent negotiations between Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils to make better use of existing council office buildings and to seek the agreement of cabinet to base more shared staff at Crowmarsh offices, with office accommodation costs to be recharged between the councils.  The report sets out the financial implications demonstrating that the council will make significant annual financial savings.  The report requests a budget virement in this financial year to cover essential refurbishment works.

Cabinet considered the report of the Strategic Director that explained the outcome of recent negotiations between Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils to make better use of existing council office buildings and sought agreement to base more shared staff at Crowmarsh offices, with office accommodation costs to be recharged between South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils. The report set out the financial implications demonstrating that the council would make significant annual financial savings. The report requested a budget virement in the financial year to cover essential refurbishment works.

As well as demonstrating good partnership working between the three councils, Cabinet agreed the recommendations as the greater utilisation of building assets would offer financial savings of more than £0.5 million per year making more efficient use of a public asset whilst the co-location of teams would provide operating efficiencies.  In agreeing the recommendations, Cabinet extended gratitude to staff for their hard work and for delivering business as usual during a period of disruption in the offices.

RESOLVED: to

a.      approve a variation to its section 113 shared services agreement with Vale, whereby the majority of shared council staff will be based at our Crowmarsh offices and Vale of White Horse District Council will pay £175,743 service charges annually to South Oxfordshire District Council for five years until the arrangement is reviewed;

b.      authorise the Strategic Director and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to complete the variation of the section 113 shared services agreement to reflect these changes;

c.      recommend to Council the approval of a revenue virement for £480,000 from identified underspending budgets this year to cover the refurbishment cost of the Crowmarsh offices.

Purpose: to recommend Council approve the medium term financial strategy

Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Finance that recommended Council to approve the medium term financial strategy.

The proposals for managing the council’s finances as set out within the strategy would help the council achieve its target to keep the council’s share of council tax as low as possible whilst continuing to deliver high quality services.

RESOLVED: to recommend Council to approve the medium term financial strategy for 2014/15 – 2018/19 as attached to the report of the Head of Finance to Cabinet on 13 February 2014.

Purpose: to fulfil the legislative requirements to ensure the adequate monitoring of the treasury management activities and that the council’s prudential indicators are reported to council mid year.  The report provides details of the treasury activities for the first six months of 2013/14 and an update on the current economic conditions with a view to the remainder of the year.

At its meeting on 28 January, the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee resolved

“that the committee was satisfied that the treasury activities were carried out in accordance with the treasury management strategy and policy with the exception of the investment made outside the treasury management strategy referred to in paragraph 20 on page 8 but noted the reasons for the change. 

Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Finance that fulfilled the legislative requirements to ensure the adequate monitoring of the treasury management activities and that the council’s prudential indicators were reported to council mid-year. The report provided details of the treasury activities for the first six months of 2013/14 and an update on current economic conditions with a view to the remainder of the year.

Cabinet noted that, at its meeting on 28 January, the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee resolved “that the committee was satisfied that the treasury activities were carried out in accordance with the treasury management strategy and policy with the exception of the investment made outside the treasury management strategy referred to in paragraph 20 on page 8 but noted the reasons for the change”.

Noting the council’s strong financial position and that the treasury activities had operated within the agreed parameters, with the exception of the investment referred to by the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee, Cabinet endorsed the recommendations.

RESOLVED: to recommend Council to approve the report.

Purpose: to present the council’s treasury management strategy (TMS) for 2014/15 to 2016/17 and set out the expected treasury operations for this period.  It comprises of four elements required by legislation.

Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Finance that presented the council’s treasury management strategy (TMS) for 2014/15 to 2016/17 and set out the expected treasury operations for this period. It comprised four elements required by legislation: the prudential indicators, the treasury management strategy, the annual investment strategy and a statutory duty to approve a minimum revenue provision policy for 2014/15.

Cabinet agreed the recommendations to provide the parameters within which officers would operate the council’s treasury management function.

RESOLVED: to recommend Council to approve:

a.      the treasury management strategy 2014/15 to 2016/17, incorporating the annual investment strategy, contained within appendix A of the report of the Head of Finance to Cabinet on 13 February 2014;

b.      the prudential indicators and limits for 2014/15 to 2016/17, contained within appendix A of the report of the Head of Finance to Cabinet on 13 February 2014.

Purpose: to recommend a budget to council

Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Finance that brought together all relevant information to allow Cabinet to recommend to Council a revenue budget for 2014/15 and a capital programme to 2018/19.  Mr D Dodds, Cabinet member for finance, advised that the period of the capital programme was to 2018/19, not 2017/18 as set out on the agenda.

Cabinet agreed the recommendations to deliver £1.2 million of savings in the base budget and would deliver a 2.5 per cent reduction in council tax, without any cuts in services and providing good value for money.

RESOLVED:

a.      to recommend Council to:

i.        set the revenue budget for 2014/15 as set out in appendix A.1 to the report of the Head of Finance to Cabinet on 13 February 2014;

ii.      approve the capital programme for 2014/15 to 2018/19 as set out in appendix D.1 to the report of the head of finance to Cabinet on 13 February 2014, together with the capital growth bids set out in appendix D.2 to the report of the Head of Finance to Cabinet on 13 February 2014;

iii.    set the council’s prudential limits as listed in appendix E to the report of the Head of Finance to Cabinet on 13 February 2014;

iv.     approve the medium term financial plan to 2018/19 as set out in appendix F to the report of the Head of Finance to Cabinet on 13 February 2014

v.       allocate £1,000,000 to fund the Communities Capital Grant Scheme.

b.      that the Cabinet member for finance, in conjunction with the leader, may make minor adjustments to this report and the prudential indicators, in conjunction with the head of finance, should they prove necessary prior to its submission to Council on 20 February 2014.

Before closing the meeting, Cabinet extended gratitude to all staff, including contractors such as Biffa and Sodexo, who had monitored and assisted agencies during the ongoing flooding difficulties.