Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Executive Director Resources proposing changes to the Council’s Capital Programme.  (Report No:  126) KD: 5015

Cabinet is due to consider this report at its meeting on 13 November 2019 and to recommend the changes to Council. 

The Cabinet decision will be reported at the Council meeting. 

Councillor Maguire proposed and Councillor Caliskan seconded the report of the Executive Director Resources proposing changes to the Council’s Capital Programme.  (Report No:  126)

NOTED

1.            Cabinet considered this report at their meeting on 13 November 2019 and agreed to recommend that Council approve the changes to the capital programme. 

2.            The addendum to the report showing an updated table 6 – HRA Capital Programme provided as a “to follow” document.

3.            The report informed members about the position up to the end of September 2019 regarding the Council’s Capital programme (2019/20 to 2022/23).  It showed where the Council was investing and the overall expenditure on approved programmes: £111m for the general fund, £96m for the HRA and £17m for the companies. 

4.            It also includes estimates of capital spending plans and proposed arrangements for funding within current budgets.  The Council aims to make maximum use of external funding sources. 

5.            Changes include an additional investment of £30m for Energetik, budget reprofiling, newly approved schemes, the removal of the Bury Street West Depot to the HRA and major and minor works relating to the Housing Revenue Account as set out in table 6 to the report.

6.            The concerns of the Opposition: 

·         About committing the Council to further borrowing when it was felt that they were already borrowing too much.

·         On the administration’s past record on project delivery including the small housing sites programme

·         About the reprofiling which was a large amount of money and could in their view also be termed slippage.

·         About the lack of detail in the report.  It had been in response to a request of the Opposition Leader that the addendum on table 6 had been provided. 

·         That the Council had yet to build any homes in Meridian Water, the Energetik agreement with North London Waste was yet to be signed.

·         The lack of transparency in the reports. 

·         That the projections were over optimistic, the proposals over ambitious and could drain funds from front line services. 

7.            The views of the majority group that: 

·      Reprofiling was a recognised term for updating a programme in dynamic and changing circumstances.

·      The administration was committed to borrowing to enable investment in the borough and the local community to improve the lives of local residents.

·      The investments proposed would enable the Council to continue to attack fuel poverty through Energetik, make significant improvements to Council housing, through estate renewal and major works, so that all residents had somewhere decent to live, also work on developing the green economy and to tackle the problem of the 1 in 3 children living in poverty. 

·      The Council had been able to secure large amounts of grant funding because of their trusted partner status.

·      Strong leadership and excellent officers were helping to ensure that no-one was left behind.

·      The Council were also re-developing 91 units of extra care housing at Reardon Court, investing in public health and wellbeing, reducing social isolation and loneliness, improving mental wellbeing, creating a centre for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7