Agenda item

Members of the Committee are requested to bring their copy of the agenda for the Executive meeting on 10 February 2021.

The Committee considered the following reports on the Part 1 agenda for the meeting of the Executive on 10 February 2021:

This report identified the final issues affecting the 2021/22 revenue budget and sought recommendations to the Council on the level of the Bromley element of the 2021/22 Council Tax and Adult Social Care precept. Confirmation of the final GLA precept would be reported to the Council meeting on 1March 2021. The report also sought final approval of the ‘schools budget’. The approach reflected in the report was for the Council to not only achieve a legal and financially balanced budget in 2021/22 but to have measures in place to deal with the medium term financial position (2022/23 to 2024/25).  The Committee noted that with the Government reductions in funding since austerity measures began, the burden of financing increasing service demands fell primarily on the level of council tax and share of business rate income. The financial forecast assumed that the level of core grant funding would remain unchanged in future years.

Noting the 9.5% increase proposed by the GLA, a Member suggested that rather than raising the precept by this amount, the GLA should consider where savings could be made.

RESOLVED: That Executive be recommended to

1.  Approve the schools budget of £79.506m which matches the estimated level of Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), after academy recoupment;

2.  Approve the draft revenue budgets (as in Appendix 2) for 2021/22;

3.  Agrees that Chief Officers identify alternative savings/mitigation within their departmental budgets where it is not possible to realise any savings/mitigation reported to the previous meeting of the Executive held on 13th January 2021;

4.  Approve a contingency sum of £14,925k (see section 6);

5.  Approve the following provisions for levies for inclusion in the budget for 2021/22;

* Provisional estimate at this stage

6.  Note the latest position on the GLA precept, which will be finalised in the overall Council Tax figure to be reported to full Council;

7.  Consider the “Bromley element” of the Council Tax for 2021/22 to be recommended to the Council, including a general increase and the Adult Social Care Precept, having regard to possible ‘referendum’ issues;

8.  Approve the approach to reserves outlined by the Director of Finance;

9.  Note that any decision on final council tax levels will also require additional “technical” recommendations, to meet statutory requirements, which will be completed once the final outcome of levies are known at the full Council meeting (see 16.9);

10.Agree that the Director of Finance be authorised to report any further changes directly to Council on 1^st March 2021.

The report updated the Council’s Capital Strategy. It also summarised the current position on capital expenditure and receipts following the third quarter of 2020/21 and presented for approval the new capital schemes in the annual capital review process. The Executive was asked to consider the updated Capital Strategy and approve a revised Capital Programme.

In response to a question, the Director of Finance confirmed that in respect of the Civic Centre Improvement programme, the report was at this stage seeking to set aside money in the capital programme.  The final report would set out the extent of capital expenditure required.

RESOLVED: That the Executive be recommended to

1.  Note the report, including a total re-phasing of £3,764k from 2020/21 into future years, and agree a revised Capital Programme;

2.  Approve the following amendments to the Capital Programme:

(i)  Increase of £290k to the Disabled Facilities Grant

3.  Recommend to Council the inclusion of the new scheme proposals listed in Appendix C in the Capital Programme.

New River Retail (‘NRR’) had approached the Council to acquire the freehold so that they can develop above at Blenheim Shopping Centre, Penge, at which NRR own the long leasehold interest.

In opening the discussion, the Chairman suggested that the approach set out in the report appeared to be sensible.

The Committee noted that all three of the local ward councillors were opposed  to the proposals with key concerns focusing on the loss of car parking which would have a significant impact on all of the businesses in the high street.

Members noted that the planning issues associated with the proposals had to remain entirely separate to the decision to sell, which was a commercial decision.  It was further noted that in agreeing the sale price the Council had to satisfy Section 123 obligations and following advice from independent consultants, Officers were satisfied that best value had been secureed. 

The Chairman proposed that the Executive be recommended to agree to the sale of the freehold of the Blenheim Shopping Centre to NRR on the terms detailed in the accompanying Part 2 Report of the same title, noting the contents of this report specifically to the proposed Method of Assessment.  The motion was seconded by Councillor Allatt, put to the Vote and CARRIED.

(Councillors Dunn and Wilkins requested that their vote against the motion be recorded.)

RESOLVED:  That the Executive be recommended to agree to the sale of the freehold of the Blenheim Shopping Centre to NRR on the terms detailed in the accompanying Part 2 Report of the same title, noting the contents of this report specifically to the proposed Method of Assessment.