This report seeks agreement on changes to the Council’s current Council Tax empty homes discounts.

In approving the recommendations, Cabinet will approve and recommend to Council that with effect from 1 April 2018 the ‘Major repair work’ or ‘structural alteration’ discount on empty properties will be reduced from 100% to no discount (0%) as detailed in paragraph 1.4.1.1 of the report; with effect from 1 April 2018 the discount in respect of unoccupied and substantially unfurnished discounts will be 1 month 100% discount followed by a full 100% charge as detailed in paragraph 1.4.1.2 of the report; and with effect from 1 April 2018 the Empty Homes Premium is introduced at the maximum level of 50% where the property has been empty for 2 or more years as detailed in paragraph 1.4.1.3 of the report.

The subject of the decision:

This report sought agreement on changes to the Council’s current Council Tax empty homes discounts.

Alternative options considered:

Cabinet gave consideration to recommending an alternative policy to the ‘Major repair work’ or ‘structural alteration’ discount on empty properties.

The reason for the decision:

Local Authorities had discretion to charge between 0% and 100% Council Tax on properties which were empty.  Cabinet was satisfied that this decision would help encourage empty homes back into use as some owners may take action to improve or repair the property sooner thus preventing a negative impact on the neighbourhood.

THE DECISION:

That Cabinet approves and recommends to Council that:-

(1)     with effect from 1 April 2018 the ‘Major repair work’ or ‘structural alteration’ discount on empty properties will be reduced from 100% to 50% discount for 6 months with a possible further 6 months on review;

(2)     with effect from 1 April 2018 the discount in respect of unoccupied and substantially unfurnished discounts will be 1 month 100% discount followed by a full 100% charge as detailed in paragraph 1.4.1.2 of the report; and

(3)     with effect from 1 April 2018 the Empty Homes Premium is introduced at the maximum level of 50% where the property has been empty for 2 or more years as detailed in paragraph 1.4.1.3 of the report.

This report seeks consideration of the Financial Strategy 2018/19 to 2027/28.

In accepting the recommendation, Cabinet will approve and recommend to Council the Financial Strategy 2017/18 to 2026/27 attached at Annex A and A(1) of the report.

The subject of the decision:

This report considered the Financial Strategy 2018/19 to 2027/28.

Alternative options considered:

None.

The reason for the decision:

To ensure there was a long term financial planning mechanism for the Council.  The Financial Strategy supported all the Council’s priorities to ensure that all services could be delivered in a way that was affordable and sustainable.

THE DECISION:

That Cabinet approves and recommends to Council the Financial Strategy 2017/18 to 2026/27 attached at Annex A and A(1) of the report.

This report provides an update at Quarter 3 as at 31 December 2017 on the progress on the capital programme 2017/18 and the treasury management position.  A full schedule of the capital programme 2017/18 schemes is attached at Annex A of the report, together with the relevant update on progress of each scheme.

In accepting the recommendations, Cabinet will approve and recommends to Council that the net decrease of £1,276,256 in the capital programme to £6,087,595 as detailed in Annex B and also in the capital programme attached at Annex A of the report; the increase of capital expenditure is funded from earmarked reserves at £461,410 where £138,280 is funded from capital receipts, £95,130 is from the Economic Development Fund and £228,000 is from external grants/contributions; the funding allocation to the capital programme as detailed in paragraph 3.1 and 3.2 of the report; and the treasury management and prudential indicators at Annex E of the report.

The subject of the decision:

This report provided the quarter 3 update at 31 December 2017 on the progress of the Capital Programme 2017/18 and the Treasury Management position.  A full schedule of the Capital Programme 2017/18 schemes was attached at Annex A of the report, together with the relevant update on progress of each scheme.

Alternative options considered:

None.

The reason for the decision:

Capital expenditure was intrinsically linked with Treasury Management as the way that the Capital Programme was funded directly affected the Treasury Management arrangements of the Council.

THE DECISION:

That Cabinet approves and recommends to Council:-

(1)     the net decrease of £1,276,256 in the capital programme to £6,087,595 as detailed in Annex B and also in the capital programme attached at Annex A of the report;

(2)     the increase of capital expenditure is funded from earmarked reserves at £461,410 where £138,280 is funded from capital receipts, £95,130 is from the Economic Development Fund and £228,000 is from external grants/contributions;

(3)     the funding allocation to the capital programme as detailed in paragraph 3.1 and 3.2 of the report; and

(4)     the Treasury Management and Prudential Indicators at Annex E of the report.

This report provides an update on the revenue budget position of the Council and the reserve funds at the end of December 2017.

That Cabinet approves and recommends to Council the budget increase at paragraph 3.2 of the report in Quarter 3 of £204,130 which results in a budget of £7,414,730; the allocation of £23,850 from the Economic Development fund at paragraph 6.2 and to note the remaining balance at paragraph 6.3 of the report is £564,725; the transfer of £100,000 from the Council Tax Payers Reserve to the One-Off at paragraph 6.4 of the report; the allocation from the One-off fund at paragraph 6.5 of the report of £24,412; the transfer of £35,590 at paragraph 6.10 of the report from salary savings in Planning Policy to the Local Plan Reserve at paragraph 6.10 of the report; and to note the three waiver of procurement rules at paragraph 7.2 of the report.

The subject of the decision:

This report provided an update on the Revenue Budget position of the Council and the reserve funds at the end of December 2017.

Alternative options considered:

None.

The reason for the decision:

It was a legal requirement under S25 of the Local Government Act 2003 to set a balanced budget and monitor the financial position throughout the year.

THE DECISION:

That Cabinet approves and recommends to Council:-

(1)     the budget increase at paragraph 3.2 of the report in Quarter 3 of £204,130 which results in a budget of £7,414,730;

(2)     the allocation of £23,850 from the Economic Development fund at paragraph 6.2 of the report and to note the remaining balance at paragraph 6.3 of the report is £564,725;

(3)     the transfer of £100,000 from the Council Tax Payers Reserve to the One-Off at paragraph 6.4 of the report;

(4)     the allocation from the One-off fund at paragraph 6.5 of the report of £24,412;

(5)     the transfer of £35,590 from salary savings in Planning Policy to the Local Plan Reserve at paragraph 6.10 of the report; and

(6)     to note the three waiver of procurement rules at paragraph 7.2 of the report.

This report provides feedback on the outcome of the consultation on the Council’s Housing Assistance Policy and seeks approval for the new policy to be adopted by Council on 27 February 2018.

In accepting the recommendation, Cabinet will approve and recommend to Council that the Housing Assistance Policy be adopted on 27 February 2018.

The subject of the decision:

This report provided feedback on the outcome of the consultation on the Council’s Housing Assistance Policy and sought approval for Cabinet to recommend that the new policy be submitted to Council on 27 February 2018 for adoption.

Alternative options considered:

None.

The reason for the decision:

Cabinet was satisfied that the feedback received in response to the consultation did not warrant any further changes to the proposed policy and that the policy could be recommended to Council for adoption.

THE DECISION:

That Cabinet approves and recommends to Council that the Housing Assistance Policy be adopted on 27 February 2018.

This report considers the 10 year Capital Programme covering the financial years 2018/19 to 2027/28, the 2018/19 Capital Programme and the Treasury Management Strategy Statement; including the Annual Investment Strategy and Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement.

In accepting the recommendations, Cabinet will approve and recommend to Council that the 10 year Capital Programme 2018/19 to 2027/28 at £27,740,093 be approved, as detailed in paragraph 2.2 and attached at Annex ‘A’ of the report; the Capital Programme 2018/19 at £1,744,830 detailed in Annex ‘B’ of the report be approved for implementation; the Treasury Management Strategy attached at Annex ‘C’ of the report be approved; the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement attached in the body of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement Annex ‘C’ of the report be approved; the Prudential and Treasury Indicators attached at Annex ‘C’ in the body of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement be approved; the revised Treasury Management Policy Statement at Annex ‘D’ of the report be approved; and the Scheme of Delegation and role of the S151 Officer attached at Annex ‘E’ of the report be approved.

The subject of the decision:

This report sought approval for the Capital Programme for the financial years 2018/19 to 2027/28; the 2018/19 Capital Programme and the Treasury Management Strategy Statement, including the Annual Investment Strategy and Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement.

Alternative options considered:

None.

The reason for the decision:

To comply with the requirements as set out under the Local Government Act 2003 and the CIPFA Prudential Code.

THE DECISION:

That Cabinet approves and recommends to Council that:-

(1)     the 10 year Capital Programme 2018/19 to 2027/28 at £27,740,093 be approved, as detailed in paragraph 2.2 and attached at Annex ‘A’ of the report;

(2)     the Capital Programme 2018/19 at £1,744,830 detailed in Annex ‘B’ of the report be approved for implementation;

(3)     the Treasury Management Strategy attached at Annex ‘C’ of the report be approved;

(4)     the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement attached in the body of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement Annex ‘C’ of the report be approved;

(5)     the Prudential and Treasury Indicators attached at Annex ‘C’ of the report in the body of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement be approved;

(6)     the Treasury Management Scheme of Delegation at Annex ‘D’ of the report be approved; and

(7)     the Treasury Management role of the S151 Officer attached at Annex ‘E’ of the report be approved.

This report presents at a strategic level the revenue budget proposals for the next financial year 2018/19.

In accepting the recommendation, Cabinet will approve and recommend to Council the revenue budget for 2018/19 at £8,096,170.

The subject of the decision:

This report presented at a strategic level the revenue budget proposals for the next financial year 2018/19.

Alternative options considered:

None.

The reason for the decision:

To take account of the requirements of the Local Government Finance act 1992 to set a balanced budget and monitor the financial position throughout the year.

THE DECISION:

That Cabinet approves and recommends to Council the revenue budget for 2018/19 at £8,096,170.

This report considers the level of Council Tax for 2018/19 and the policy on reserves.  It also provides details of the Council's formula grant funding settlement for 2018/19 and the Business Rates target for the Retained Business Rates funding mechanism, which is now operated as a pool across North Yorkshire.

In accepting the recommendations, Cabinet will approve and recommend to Council various decisions regarding the setting of the level of Council Tax; confirm that the indicators on expenditure and treasury management decisions are affordable, prudent and sustainable and approve the policy on Balances and Reserves.

The subject of the decision:

This report considered for level of Council Tax for 2018/19 and the policy on reserves. In addition, it provided details of the Council's formula grant settlement for 2018/19 and the Business Rates target for the Retained Business Rates funding mechanism, which was operated as a pool across North Yorkshire.

Alternative options considered:

None.

The reason for the decision:

To maintain the long term viability of the Council’s finances and ensure sustainability by investing in community projects as determined by the Council’s priorities and supporting the maintenance and enhancement of service delivery. To maintain the integrity of the Council’s financial strategy.

THE DECISION:

That Cabinet recommends to Council:-

(1)       That it be noted that on 15 January Hambleton District Council calculated the Council Tax Base for 2018/19:-

(a)     for the whole Council area as 36,033.05  [Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the "Act")]; and

(b)     for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as in the attached Annex ‘A’(1).

(2)     That the Council has calculated the Council Tax requirement for the Council's own purposes for 2018/19 (excluding Parish precepts) as £3,764,733.06

(3)     That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2018/19 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:-

(a)     District/Parish Gross Expenditure

          £48,371,737.76   being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils

(b)     District/Parish Gross Income (including Government Grants, use of Reserves and Collection Fund Surpluses etc)

          £43,153,866.94   being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act

(c)     District/Parish Net Expenditure

          £5,217,870.82     being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year (Item R in the formula in Section 31B of the Act)

(d)     Basic Amount of Tax (including average Parish Precepts)

          £144.8079           being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R) all divided by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish precepts)

(e)     Parish Precepts

          £1,453,137.76     being the aggregate of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per Annex ‘A’)

(f)      Basic Amount of Tax (Unparished Areas)

          £104.4800           being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 4(e) above by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no Parish precept relates

(4)     Major  ...  view the full minutes text for item CA.52

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 excluding the press and public from the meeting during consideration of item 13 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

THE DECISION:

That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public were excluded from the meeting during consideration of the items of business at minute no CA.54 on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as the Cabinet was satisfied that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

This report provides an update on the Value Added Tax (VAT) partial exemption position of the Council.

The subject of the decision:

This report provided an update on the Value Added Tax partial exemption position of the Council.

Alternative options considered:

The options considered were detailed within the report.

The reason for the decision:

Monitoring the Value Added Tax partial exemption limit contributed to the overall financial position of the Council which assisted in ensuring the Council’s service requirements were met which supported the achievement of the priorities set out in the Council Plan.

THE DECISION:

That Cabinet approves and recommends to Council that:-

(1)     external advice is sought on the Value Added Tax and tax implications of the Council’s partial exemption limit to understand how to achieve the Council’s optimal Value Added Tax position;

(2)     there is the intent to investigate the potential of placing leisure centres into a vehicle;

(3)     £15,000 is allocated from the One-Off Fund; and

(4)     a further report is brought back to Cabinet to report on progress.

To confirm the decisions of the meeting held on 5 December 2017 (CA.38 - CA.44), previously circulated.

THE DECISION:

That the decisions of the meeting held on 5 December 2017 (CA.38 – CA.44), previously circulated, be signed as a correct record.

This report seeks consideration of a proposal to finance the 2018/19 Making a Difference Grants programme.

In accepting the recommendation, Cabinet will approve an allocation of £125,000 from the One-Off Fund to the 2018/19 Making a Difference Grants programme.

The subject of the decision:

Following the success of the Making a Difference Grants’ programme over the last three years, whereby £125,000 was made available each year to assist community projects, it was proposed that £125,000 be allocated to finance the 2018/19 Making a Difference Grants programme.

Alternative options considered:

None.

The reason for the decision:

It was a legal responsibility upon the Council to ensure that this funding was only allocated to projects that met the terms and conditions of the grant scheme and to ensure that the funds were used for the purpose approved.

THE DECISION:

That the allocation of £125,000 from the One-Off Fund to be used to fund the 2018/19 Making a Difference Grants programme be approved.

This report seeks approval of the refreshed Public Open Space, Sport and Recreation Action Plan for Osmotherley.

In accepting the recommendation, Cabinet will approve the refreshed Public Open Space, Sport and Recreation Action Plan attached at Annex B of the report.

The subject of the decision:

This report sought endorsement of the refreshed Public Open Space, Sport and Recreation Action Plan for Osmotherley Area Parish.

Alternative options considered:

None.

The reason for the decision:

To comply with the Council’s legal responsibility to ensure funding is used in a way consistent with the individual S106 Agreements.

THE DECISION:

That the refreshed Public Open Space, Sport and Recreation Action Plans in Annex B of the report be endorsed.