Agenda and decisions

The Cabinet:

1.1          Noted the report and issues raised within and that Leadership Team with Cabinet Members will continue to closely monitor and manage the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

1.1          Delegated to the Cabinet Member for Waste and Recycling and the Assistant Director for Operations, Regulation and Enforcement authority to agree and implement a two year extension to the vehicle contract with SFS Ltd subject to the cost being within Approved Budgets.

1.1          Delegated to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Commissioning and the Assistant Director for Operations, Regulation and Enforcement authority to continue final negotiations and award the contract when all negotiations have been finalised with the preferred bidder subject to the cost being within Approved Budgets.

The Cabinet recommended to Council for approval:

1.1          The 2023/24 Revenue Budget of £13,815,000, the Council Tax Requirement of £7,614,000 and a District Council proposed Band D equivalent level of Council Tax for 2023/24 of £187.85 (no increase on 2022/23).

1.2          The MTFS 2022-27 Revenue Budgets and the 25 year revenue financial planning model at APPENDIX A of the Cabinet report.

1.3          The MTFS 2022-27 Capital Strategy including the 25 year capital investment model and the Capital Programme shown in APPENDICES B & C of the Cabinet report.

1.4          The increase in the Minimum Level of General Reserves from £1,600,000 to £1,900,000 based on the current economic climate.

1.5          A cost of living contingency budget of £50,000 in 2023/24 and also provisionally for 2024/25.

1.6          An in-year growth/contingency budget of £100,000 in 2023/24 and also provisionally for 2024/25.

1.7          The transfer of ‘windfall’ income from the Provisional Finance Settlement estimated at £2,433,000 for 2023/24 and projected at £1,889,000 for 2024/25 to the strategic priorities reserve.

1.8          The Minimum Revenue Provision Statement for 2023/24, at APPENDIX D of the Cabinet report, which sets out the Council’s policy of using the asset life method for making prudent provision for debt redemption.

1.9          Treasury Management Strategy Statement for 2023/24 (with no changes to limits) shown at APPENDIX E of the Cabinet report.

1.10       The Investment Strategy Report (APPENDIX F of the Cabinet report) including the proposed limits for 2023/24.

1.11       The Capital and Treasury Prudential Indicators for 2022-27 in the financial implications section of the Cabinet report.

1.12       The Authorised Limit Prudential Indicator shown within the financial implications section of the Cabinet report.

1.13       The award of up to £50 of Council Tax Support Funding to eligible claimants and to delegate authority to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Commissioning and the Assistant Director – Customer, Residents and Business to design and implement a scheme to allocate the remaining funding.

1.14       To delegate to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Commissioning and the Assistant Director – Customer, Resident and Business Services to award Retail Discount and Supporting Small Business Relief to businesses which are eligible during 2023/24.

Cabinet noted:

1.15       The requirements and duties that the Local Government Act 2003 places on the Authority on how it sets and monitors its Budgets, including the CFO’s report on the robustness of the Budget and adequacy of Reserves shown in APPENDIX G of the Cabinet report.

1.16       The results of the Budget Consultation summarised at APPENDIX H of the Cabinet report.

  The Cabinet recommended to Council:

1.1          The approval of a new income banded Local Council Tax Support Scheme (LCTS) for working age claimants that will come into effect on 1 April 2023 in line with the proposed regulations (detailed in Appendix 1 of the Cabinet report).

1.2          The retention of extended payments within the new scheme which will better support residents who gain employment (see 3.25 of the Cabinet report). This is a change to the scheme that was consulted on and was fully supported by Overview & Scrutiny on 17 November 2022.

1.3          The new scheme will disregard the Disabled Child Element of Universal Credit, the Severely Disabled Child Element of Universal Credit and the Carers Element of Universal Credit as income. This is also a change to the scheme that was originally consulted on and is proposed following a detailed Equality Impact Assessment (see 3.25).

The Cabinet:

1.4          Noted that a review of the scheme will be brought back to O&S and Cabinet within twelve months of its launch to consider its benefits and any negative impacts, so it can be tailored in future years to offer the best support possible to residents.

The Cabinet:

1.1          Approved the revised Allocations Scheme at Appendix A of the Cabinet report. A version of the proposed Allocations Scheme showing tracked change is included at Appendix B of the Cabinet report.

1.2          Delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Housing, Ecology and Climate Change to approve future minor amendments of the Allocations Scheme.

  The Cabinet:

1.1          Approved the allocation of up to £1.45m of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds to the highest scoring bid from Lichfield District Council to develop 7 projects, identified through community engagement, to extend sport and leisure activities and facilities across the district.

1.2          Approved the allocation of £100,000 of the CIL funds to Chasetown Football Club for the development of a 3/4G football Turf Pitch, in line with the findings of the Sport England’s Strategic Outcome Planning Model.

1.3          Agreed to retain the remaining CIL monies for a future bidding round.

1.4          Recommended to Council an update to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) based on the capital and revenue implications included within the financial implications section of this Cabinet report.

The Cabinet:

1.1          Approved transfer of the provision of communications functions to the Council’s wholly owned trading company (Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services) for the period 2023–2028.

1.2          Delegated to the Chief Operating Officer the ability to make minor changes to the scope of Communications services provided by the Company subject to any changes being funded from Approved Budgets.

The Cabinet:

1.1          Approved the principle of funding a new, purpose-built leisure centre at Stychbrook Park, in Lichfield based on £10m of funding provided by the Council.

1.2          Cabinet recommends to Council to approve the Capital Financing Requirement (Borrowing Need) of £5m being initially funded by Internal Borrowing.

1.3          Recommends to Council an update to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy based on the financial implications section of this report. In the event increases in Approved Budgets become necessary then the changes will be subject to further approval by Council prior to contracts being completed in line with Contract and Financial Procedure Rules.

1.4          Delegated authority to the Leader and Chief Executive in consultation with the Monitoring Officer and the Section 151 Officer to complete all contracts and funding agreements necessary to successfully deliver the new leisure centre subject to the financial implications being within Approved Budgets.

  The Cabinet:

1.1          Approved and recommended to full Council a mutually agreed termination of the Leisure Operating Contract with Freedom Leisure.

1.2          Approved the transfer of the management, budget, and operation of the council’s leisure portfolio (comprising Burntwood Leisure Centre and Friary Grange Leisure Centre) to the Council’s wholly owned company / new organisational structure as appropriate with the Company assuming responsibility for paying the contract commercial bid and contracted indexing to the Council from 1 April 2023 to 31 December 2027 as detailed in the financial implications section of the cabinet report.

1.3          Approved and recommended to full Council that the payment received from Freedom Leisure (as set out in paragraph 2.3 of the confidential report) be set aside in an earmarked reserve held by the Council to cover additional costs of energy supply in 2023/24 and 2024/25 within the wholly owned company / new organisational structure and thereafter revert to General Reserves.

1.4          Delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Parks and Leisure and the Chief Executive in consultation with the Monitoring Officer to negotiate and agree any agreements necessary to complete the transfer subject to them being within Approved Budgets.

RESOLVED: “That as publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business, which would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972”

IN PRIVATE