Issue - meetings

Report FSD16007

On 2^nd December 2015, the Council’s Executive received the 2^nd quarterly capital monitoring report for 2015/16 and agreed a revised Capital Programme for the four year period 2015/16 to 2018/19.  The Committee considered the changes to the Capital Programme for the Care Services Portfolio which included additional funding from the Greater London Authority of £450k towards the Manorfields refurbishment scheme and £170k for the Empty Homes Property scheme, and a £74k increase on the London Private Sector Renewal Scheme which reflected the total funding available within the scheme.  The Council’s Executive also agreed an increase of £616k in the Capital Programme budget for Section 106 to match the total funding available. 

In considering the report, the Chairman noted that the additional funding received from the Greater London Authority of £450k towards the provision of temporary accommodation would be used to fund the cost of the refurbishment of Manorfields in place of the Local Authority funding already agreed rather than in addition to it, and that this would allow a significant proportion of the Local Authority funding to be returned to contingency.  Further works, including the replacement of the boiler, had now been identified which would increase the overall cost of the refurbishment.  These works had been listed in previous surveys as areas where further work might be required, and in some cases were identified as planning conditions and therefore could not have been anticipated before the application was determined.  Members expressed concern that these major extra costs had not been identified earlier and questioned why the potential areas of further work had not been reflected in a significant contingency allowance for the project.  Members asked for reassurance that any possible cost recovery had been investigated.  A breakdown of the refurbishment costs for Manorfields would be provided to Members following the meeting.

With regard to unallocated Section 106 funding, the Portfolio Holder for Care Services advised Members that it was hoped to invest a significant proportion of the unallocated funding during 2016/17.  In response to a question from a Member, the Head of Education, Care and Health Services Finance confirmed that it was possible for unallocated Section 106 funding to be carried forward into 2017/18, but that some Section 106 funding was subject to time limitations.  Work continued to be undertaken with the Planning Sub-Committees to encourage the inclusion of affordable housing in developments across the Borough rather than agree Section 106 funding, which could be difficult to spend due to limitations on the funding and a lack of schemes in which to invest.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to confirm the revised Capital Programme agreed by the Council’s Executive on 2^nd December 2015.