Issue - meetings

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Governance, Finance and Resources to submit a report determining the General Fund Programme for 2021-26, providing information on the forecast outturn position for 2021-22 and providing an updated version of the Capital Strategy 2022-23.

Cabinet:

1)    RECOMMENDED to Council that the addition to the 2021/22 General Fund Capital Programme of £77k for works required at Waterfield leisure centre, as referred to in paragraph 5.2 of the report, to be funded from the Waterfield Leisure Pool sinking fund be approved;

2)    RECOMMENDED to Council the General Fund Capital Programme for 2022-26, as attached at Appendix B, be approved;

3)    RECOMMENDED to Council the sources of funding for the General Fund capital programme for 2022/23, as set out in Appendix C, be approved;

4)    RECOMMEDNED to Council that delegated authority be given to the Director for Corporate Services to amend the amount in the capital programme for Disabled Facilities Grants once funding confirmation has been received as referred to in paragraph 5.9 of the report;

5)    RECOMMENDED to Council the Capital Strategy 2022/23, as attached at Appendix D, be approved.

The Director for Corporate Services introduced the report and the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Governance, Finance and Resources provided Cabinet with some comments on the report.

The Leader commented that it was pleasing to see that the Capital Programme contains a number of projects for the period 2022-2026.

Cabinet

1)    RECOMMENDED to Council that the addition to the 2021/22 General Fund Capital Programme of £77k for works required at Waterfield leisure centre, as referred to in paragraph 5.2 of the report, to be funded from the Waterfield Leisure Pool sinking fund be approved;

2)    RECOMMENDED to Council the General Fund Capital Programme for 2022-26, as attached at Appendix B, be approved;

3)    RECOMMENDED to Council the sources of funding for the General Fund capital programme for 2022/23, as set out in Appendix C, be approved;

4)    RECOMMEDNED to Council that delegated authority be given to the Director for Corporate Services to amend the amount in the capital programme for Disabled Facilities Grants once funding confirmation has been received as referred to in paragraph 5.9 of the report;

5)    RECOMMENDED to Council the Capital Strategy 2022/23, as attached at Appendix D, be approved.

Reasons for the recommendations

Approving the capital programme and capital strategy will support the Council in delivering its commitment to manage its assets effectively and to ensure the benefits from them are maximised for the benefits of the Council and community as a whole. These Capital plans will support the effective delivery of these ambitions and will ensure appropriate levels of capital expenditure and investment are in place to meet Corporate priorities and objectives whilst ensuring that plans are affordable, prudent and sustainable. It is a requirement of the CIPFA Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities published in 2017 to produce a capital strategy and for the Chief Finance Officer to report explicitly on the affordability and risk associated with it.

The Capital Programme for 2022-26 for the General Fund is attached at Appendix B. The Programme gives the total cost of each scheme, the spending profile, the amounts authorised to be spent and the stage each scheme has reached within the Capital Programme.