To: Councillors Smart
(Chair), Bagnall, Bradnack, Currie,
Durrant, Knowles, Sian Reid,
Schofield, Stuart, Ward
Alternate member: Councillor Hipkin
Executive Councillor –
The Leader, David Howarth
(Despatched and placed
on public deposit: Monday 20 January)
STRATEGY SCRUTINY
COMMITTEE
Date: Tuesday 28 January 2003
Time: 6.00 pm
Place: Committee Room 1, The Guildhall
Contact: Gary Clift Direct
Dial: (01223) 457011
AGENDA
To confirm as a correct record the minutes
of the meeting held on 11
November.
2 APOLOGIES
Apologies
for absence.
3 DECLARATIONS
OF INTEREST
Members
are asked to declare at this stage any interests which they may have in any of
the following items on the agenda. If any member is unsure whether or not they
should declare an interest on a particular matter, they are requested to seek
advice from the Head of Legal and Democratic Services before the meeting.
4 PUBLIC
QUESTION TIME – see
below for detail of the scheme and other public information.
Appendix
A: 2002/03 original to 2004/5 budgets
Appendix
B: Main variations between 2002/03 original and revised budgets
Appendix
C: Summary of cash limit position, bids and savings
Appendix
D: Changes between the original and revised cash limits for 2003/04
Appendix
E: Public consultation on spending priorities for 2003/04
Appendix
F: Executive summary of the findings of the citizens survey 2002
Appendix
Ga: General Fund projection 2002/03 to 2006/2007
Appendix
Gb: General Fund funding statement 2002/2003 to 2006/2007
Appendix
Gc: General Fund reserves projection 2002/03 to 2006/2007
Appendix
Gd: Local Government finance settlement proposals 2003/2004
Table
A: Local Government finance settlement proposals 2003/2004 - Changes in key
factors
Table
B: Local Government finance settlement proposals 2003/2004 – Council tax
setting (provisional indications)
Appendix
H: Calculation of council tax base 2003/04
Appendix
I: Capital allocations 2003/2004
Table
A : Provisional Capital allocations
2003/2004 – comparison with 2002/03 actual allocations
Table
B: Capital allocations 2003/2004 – comparison with 2003/2004 projection – on
page 2
Appendix
J: Availability of capital funding projection 2002/03 to 2006/07
Appendix
K: Capital plan – approved items - summary
Appendix
K: Capital plan – approved items – details
Appendix
La: Capital plan – funding variations since last report
Appendix
Lb: Capital plan – profiling variations since last report
Appendix
M: Capital bids – hold list
Appendix
N: Capital – new bids
Appendix
O: Abbey House sale – conservation input for consideration
Appendix
P: Treasury management strategy statement 2003/04
Appendix
P: Investments - amendments to
counter-party list
Appendix
Qa: Housing Revenue Account – part 1
Appendix
Qa: part 2
Appendix
Qb: Housing – final subsidy determination and capital allocation 2003/2004
Table
A: Housing subsidy draft determination – 2003/2004 : comparison with
2002/2004 estimate
Table
B: Capital allocations – 2003/2004 – comparison with 2003/2004 estimate
Appendix
R: Budget proposals for consideration by the Executive
Appendix
R(a): General Fund projection 2002/2003 to 2006/2007
Appendix
R(b): General Fund funding statement 2002/2003 to 2006/2007
Appendix
R( c): General Fund reserves projection 2002/2003 to 2006/2007
Appendix
R(d): Availability of capital funding projection 2002/03 to 2006/07
Strategy
& Partnerships Service Plan 2003/2004
The report includes information regarding the capital
receipt from the sale of Abbey House and Cllr Durrant’s request for a report on
the potential projects for restoration or conservation of historic buildings
following the decision of Commercial & Human Resources Scrutiny Committee
on 15 August, and if relevant, any member decisions to be taken (or that have
been taken).
6 APPLICATION
FOR SAFER CITY GRANTS – EAST BARNWELL COMMUNITY CENTRE & BARNWELL ROAD
CYCLE PATH
Appendix
A: Grant applications received as of Dec 2002 (Round 4 of 5)
Appendix
B: Criteria for assessing Safer City grants
7 CITY
CENTRE MANAGEMENT PROJECT FUNDING – FITZROY STREET
Report by the City Centre Manager [pages 41- 42]
8 key
decision adoption
of new Code of Practice for Treasury Management in the Public Services
9 ELECTED
REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES – GOVERNMENT “SOUNDINGS”
EXERCISE
The relevant documents
can be accessed as follows:
–
www.local-regions.odpm.gov.uk/consult/regional-assembly/pdf/regional.pdf for the paper entitled “Soundings exercise
on the level of interest in each English region in holding a referendum about
establishing an elected regional assembly”
–
www.local-regions.odpm.gov.uk/consult/assembly-bill/pdf/prepbill.pdf for the paper entitled “Local government
reviews – consultation on Proposed Statutory Guidance to be issued by the
Secretary of State” (pages 1-23)
The Government has launched a
"soundings" exercise on the level of interest in each English region
in holding a referendum to establish an elected regional assembly. Local
authorities are invited to express views by 3 March. A copy of the soundings
document is attached to this agenda. [see above]
The Government stresses that this exercise is purely to determine the
level of interest in holding a referendum, as opposed to interest in an elected
regional assembly itself.
Strategy Scrutiny is invited to
comment on - and the Leader to decide -
a process for responding: Officers suggest that the Leader delegates the
Council's response to the Chief Executive, after consultation with group
leaders. Members will also need to consider how much more widely we consult
before framing our response.
There is also a document containing draft Policy and Procedure Guidance to the Boundary Committee for England, which deals with the process where a local government review is to be carried out, if the level of interest in a referendum is sufficiently high. This document is also appended to this agenda (minus its Annexes, which run to 40 pages) and Scrutiny is asked to comment on, and the Leader to decide, whether the Council should also respond to this document.
the grand
arcade project:
background
information on the executive decisions to be taken
The Leader made a ruling
on 21 October 2002 not to take any decision relating to the Grand Arcade
project which would be reported to a future Strategy Scrutiny Committee. This
was because of his personal interest as a contributor to the Universities
Superannuation Scheme, a major investor in the Grand Arcade project. The responsibility for any decisions were
therefore passed to the Deputy Leader under paragraph 3.2 of Executive
Procedure Rules of the Constitution (page 166)
Additionally,
when looking at the likely executive decisions to be taken following
consideration at a future Strategy Scrutiny Committee, the officers were of the
view that the Deputy Leader’s powers although quite wide, could have impinged
on the responsibility of other executive councilors and/or were not
sufficiently broad or clearly worded enough to encompass all likely decisions
(except the CPO which was a matter for the Executive Councilor for
Environment). For the avoidance of
doubt the Leader also ruled that under 2.3.3 of Part 3 of the Constitution
(page 38) the Deputy Leader would be responsible for executive decisions
relating to the Grand Arcade project which arose from the Council’s role as a
partner in the development.
10 key
decision Grand
Arcade - WALKWAYS AND CCTV AGREEMENTS
Report by the Chief
Executive [pages 48 - 53]
11 KEY
DECISION GRAND
ARCADE – DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT & ASSOCIATED MATTERS
Report by the Chief Executive [pages
54 - 61]
Nb
- If members of the Scrutiny Committee wish to debate the various appendices to
agenda item 11, the Committee is recommended to exclude members of the
public from the meeting on the grounds that, if they were present, there would
be disclosure to them of information defined as exempt from publication by
Categories 7&12 as defined in the
Council’s Constitution part 4B (page 154/5).
The next meeting of the Strategy
Scrutiny Committee is scheduled for Monday 24th March 2003.
Information for the public
You are welcome to attend this meeting
as an observer.
o0o
You can ask questions on an issue
included on the agenda below, or on an issue which is within this committee’s
powers. If you wish to ask a question related to an agenda item contact the
committee officer (listed above under ‘contact’) before the meeting starts.
If you wish to ask a question on a matter not included on this agenda,
please contact the committee officer by 10.00am the working day before the
meeting. Further details concerning the right to speak at committee can
be obtained from the committee section.
o0o
In the event of the fire alarm
sounding (which is a continuous ringing
sound), you should pick up your possessions and leave the building by the route
you came in. Once clear of the building, you should assemble on the pavement
opposite the main entrance to the Guildhall and await further instructions. If your escape
route or the assembly area is unsafe, you will be directed to safe areas by a
member of Cambridge City Council staff.