Agenda and minutes

To receive any declarations of interest of a pecuniary or non-pecuniary nature from Members in respect of the items on this agenda (other than those already recorded within the minutes contained within the Minute Book).

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on the 29^th November, 2018 and 3^rd January, 2019.

To consider any communications to be submitted by the Mayor or the Chief Executive.

To consider any questions which may have been received from Elected Members and which are asked pursuant to Standing Order No. 11.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that Section 6 of the Guideline Policy for Criminal Convictions be amended to read as follows:

Where a Licence has been refused or revoked by the Council (or another Local Authority) a further application will be refused if received within five years from the date of the refusal/revocation, as it will be deemed that the persons circumstances have not changed significantly within that period to make them ‘fit and proper’.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that approval be given to the nomination of Councillor Makinson to the Berneslai Homes Board.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:-

(i)        that the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Draft Budget for 2019/20, as detailed in the report now submitted, be approved, with any final amendments/additions being delegated to the Cabinet Spokesperson for Place and the Executive Director Place in consultation with the Cabinet Spokesperson for Core Services and the Service Director Finance - S151 Officer;

(ii)       that a rent reduction in line with Government’s rent policy be approved;

(iii)      that no change be made to non-dwelling rents, service charges and heating charges;

(iv)      that the 2019/20 Berneslai Homes Management Fee at paragraph 4.17 be approved with any final amendments/additions delegated to the Cabinet Spokesperson for Place and the Service Director Culture and Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Spokesperson for Core Services and the Service Director Finance – S151 Officer;

(v)       that the 2019/20 Berneslai Homes Management Fee for Gypsy and Traveller Sites, charged to the Authority’s General Fund, detailed at paragraph 4.20 be approved;

(vi)      that the HRA Medium Term Financial Strategy, as set out in Section 5 and Appendix B, be noted;

(vii)     that the 30 Year HRA Business Plan, as set out in Section 6, be noted;

(viii)    that the HRA Reserves Strategy, outlined in Section 7 of the report, be noted;

(ix)      that the proposed increase in the HRA minimum working balance to £5.2m (referred to in paragraph 7.9) be approved;

(x)       that the Council Housing Capital Investment programme for 2019/20 be approved and the indicative programme for 2020/21 through 2023-24, as outlined in Section 8, be noted;

(xi)      that approval be given, in principle, to the Housing Growth Investment schemes, funded from a combination of HRA Reserves and Berneslai Homes Surplus, as detailed in Appendix E. (Subject to individual reports in line with the Council’s governance arrangements); and

(xii)     that individual Housing Growth schemes be subject to the appropriate planning regulations.