Agenda and decisions

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Tamsin Thomas.

To take as read and approve as a true record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 19 March 2024.

RESOLVED:That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 19 March 2024 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chair.

Climate Emergency

The Council has declared a climate emergency and is committed to achieving a target of zero carbon emissions by 2030 and helping local people and businesses to reduce their own carbon emissions.

A Cabinet Panel on the Environment has been established to engage with local people on matters relating to the climate emergency and advise the council on how to achieve these climate change objectives. A Climate Change Implementation group of councillors and council officers meets regularly to produce plans and monitor progress. Actions taken or currently underway include switching to green energy, incentives for low emission taxis, expanding tree planting and working to cut food waste.

In addition the council is a member of the Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership, working with other councils across Hertfordshire to reduce the county’s carbon emissions and climate impact.

The Council’s dedicated webpage on Climate Change includes details of the council’s climate change strategy, the work of the Cabinet Panel on the Environment and a monthly briefing on progress.

Ecological Emergency

The Council has declared an ecological emergency and is committed to addressing the ecological emergency and nature recovery by identifying appropriate areas for habitat restoration and biodiversity net gain whilst ensuring that development limits impact on existing habitats in its process.

The Council has set out to do that by a) setting measurable targets and standards for biodiversity increase, in both species and quantities, seeking to increase community engagement, b) to work with our partners to establish a Local Nature Partnership for Hertfordshire and to develop Nature Recovery Networks and Nature Recovery Strategy for Hertfordshire and c) to investigate new approaches to nature recovery such as habitat banking that deliver biodiversity objectives and provide new investment opportunities.

Declarations of Interest

Members are reminded that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda, should be declared as either a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Declarable Interest and are required to notify the Chair of the nature of any interest declared at the commencement of the relevant item on the agenda. Members declaring a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest must withdraw from the meeting for the duration of the item. Members declaring a Declarable Interest, wishing to exercise a ‘Councillor Speaking Right’, must declare this at the same time as the interest, move to the public area before speaking to the item and then must leave the room before the debate and vote.

(1)        The Chair advised that, in accordance with Council Policy, the meeting would be audio recorded.

(2)        Members were reminded that this Council had declared both a Climate Emergency and an Ecological Emergency. These were serious decisions and meant that, as these were emergencies, all of us, officers and Members had that in mind as we carried out our various roles and tasks for the benefit of our District.

(3)        The Chair drew attention to the item on the agenda front pages regarding Declarations of Interest and reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question.

(4)        The Chair advised for the purposes of clarification that 4.8.23(a) of the Constitution did not apply to this meeting.

Members should notify the Chair of other business which they wish to be discussed at the end of either Part I or Part II business set out in the agenda. They must state the circumstances which they consider justify the business being considered as a matter of urgency.

The Chair will decide whether any item(s) raised will be considered.

There was no other business notified.

To receive petitions, comments and questions from the public.

There was no public participation at the meeting.

Any Items referred from other committees will be circulated as soon as they are available.

The Chair advised that items referred from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, would be taken with their respective items on the agenda.

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – RESOURCES

This report presents progress on delivering the Council Delivery Plan for 23-24 at the end of Quarter 4.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Noted the progress against Council projects as set out in the Council Delivery Plan (Appendix A) including new milestones and changes to milestone dates.

(2)   Noted the completion in Q4 of the projects detailed in paragraph 8.5.

REASON FOR DECISIONS:  The Council Delivery Plan (CDP) monitoring reports provide Overview and Scrutiny, and Cabinet, with an opportunity to monitor progress against the key Council projects, and understand any new issues, risks, or opportunities.

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – RESOURCES

To provide the Committee with an update on the effectiveness of the Risk Management Governance arrangements at North Herts Council. The review is referred on to Cabinet and Council to ensure that there is effective oversight of the governance arrangements that are in place.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet noted this report.

RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL: That Council note the report.  

REASONS FOR DECISION:

(1)   The responsibility for ensuring the management of risks is that of Cabinet.

(2)   This Committee has responsibility to monitor the effective development and operation of Risk Management.

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – RESOURCES

The purpose of this report is to inform Cabinet of the summary position on revenue income and expenditure at the end of the financial year 2023/24.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Noted this report.

(2)   Approved a decrease of £194k in the 2023/24 net General Fund expenditure, as identified in section 8, to a total of £16.494million.

(3)   Approved the adjustments to the 2024/25 General Fund budget, as identified in table 4 and paragraph 8.3, a total £634k increase in net expenditure.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: To approve the net transfer to earmarked reserves, as identified in table 9, of £2.028million.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1)   Members are able to monitor, make adjustments within the overall budgetary framework and request appropriate action of Services who do not meet the budget targets set as part of the Corporate Business Planning process.

(2)   Changes to the Council’s balances are monitored and approved.

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – RESOURCES

To consider the Investment Strategy (Capital and Treasury) End of Year Outturn Review.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Noted expenditure of £2.409million in 2023/24 on the capital programme, paragraph 8.3 refers.

(2)   Approved the adjustments to the capital programme for 2024/25 as a result of the revised timetable of schemes detailed in table 2, increasing the estimated spend by £2.655million and £0.193million in 2025/26.

(3)   Noted the position of the availability of capital resources, as detailed in table 4 paragraph 8.7 and the requirement to keep the capital programme under review for affordability.

(4)   Approved the application of £1.313million of capital receipts/set aside towards the 2023/24 capital programme, paragraph 8.7 refers.

(5)   Noted the position of Treasury Management activity as at the end of March 2024.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: 

(1)   To approve the actual 2023/24 prudential and treasury indicators.

(2)   To note the annual Treasury Report for 2023/24.

(3)   To approve a change to the Investment Strategy allowing investments to be placed on Lloyds Call Account so the combined total of Current Account and Call Account is up to £5M.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1)   Cabinet is required to approve adjustments to the capital programme and ensure the capital programme is fully funded.

(2)   To ensure the Council’s continued compliance with CIPFA’s code of practice on Treasury Management and the Local Government Act 2003 and that the Council manages its exposure to interest and capital risk.

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – RESOURCES

This report recommends the adoption of Council key performance indicators for 2024/25.

RESOLVED:

(1)   That Cabinet adopted the performance indicators set out in paragraph 8.3 for 2024/25.

(2)   Considered adding Key Performance Indicators regarding performance of third party suppliers and staff satisfaction.

(3)   Agreed that Key Performance Indicators were published to the Members Information Service when provided to Cabinet.

REASON FOR DECISIONS:  North Herts District Council had tried to move towards having indicators that were focused on key projects of the Council. However it had been found that these do not generally give the level of Council oversight that the Council would want. Therefore these performance indicators are proposed to give that view of overall performance.

To consider passing the following resolution: That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the Press and Public be excluded from the meeting on the grounds that the following report will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the said Act (as amended).

RESOLVED: That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the said Act (as amended).

To take as read and approve as a true record the Part 2 minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 12 December 2023.

RESOLVED: That the Part 2 Minutes of the Meetings of the Committee held on 12 December 2023 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chair.

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – PLACE

To consider and comment on the Leisure Investment Options available to the Council.

RESOLVED: That the Part 2 report was considered when the decisions detailed in Part 1 were reached.

REASONS FOR DECISION: As detailed in the Part 1 report.

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – PLACE

To consider and comment on the Leisure Investment Options available to the Council.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

(1)   Agreed in principle to terminate the Combined Heat and Power Centrica contracts at North Herts Leisure Centre (NHLC) and Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre (HSFC) at the appropriate time during the PSDS project and recommend to Council as per 2.6 below regarding the termination fee.

(2)   Expressed its profound disappointment at the position taken by Centrica over the cost of the CHP contract termination, given the company's stated position as "Energising a greener, fairer future" and requests that the Council continues to raise, and seek solutions to, the issue of long-term inflexible agreements for gas CHPs with Salix and Government, which will inevitably prevent many public sector organisations from achieving their net zero ambitions.

(3)   Did not approve the business case for Royston Leisure Centre Learner Pool at this time due to matters identified in the Part 2 report.

(4)   Agreed that the Project Board would review the business case for the Royston Learner Pool, after further work had taken place to explore any other funding options that were realistically available. That review would then feed into the planned review of the Councils capital programme, as part of the 2025/26 budget setting process. 

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

(1)   An increase in capital expenditure of £2.4m into the capital programme for the decarbonisation work to the three leisure centres. The overall budget will be profiled across 2024/25 and 2025/26.

(2)   An increase in the capital budget of £250k for the Royston Leisure Centre (RLC) gym extension, to ensure the extension is built to net zero carbon standards.

(3)   Approval of revenue expenditure of up to £757k for termination and removal fees of the gas CHPs at North Herts Leisure Centre and Hitchin Fitness and Swimming Centre. This would be funded from General Fund reserves.To take this Part 2 report into consideration when reaching the decisions detailed in Part 1.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1)   North Herts Council passed a climate emergency motion in May 2019. This declaration asserted the council’s commitment toward climate action beyond current government targets and international agreements. This is currently pursued through the North Herts Climate Change Strategy 2022-2027 which sets out what the council will aim to do to reduce its own carbon emissions to achieve Carbon Neutrality for the Council’s own operations by 2030 and a Net Zero Carbon district by 2040.

(2)   Gas use from our leisure centres is a significant contributor towards the Council’s own emissions. In 2022-23, gas use across the three leisure centres accounted for 1,428 tonnes CO2e. This equates to 45% of the Council’s Scope 1-3 emissions. Taking action to replace gas heating for our leisure centres with low carbon alternatives is the single most effective action we can take towards meeting our target of being carbon neutral by 2030.

(3)   There is currently a capital allocation in the 2024/25 budget to build a gym extension and learner pool (subject to business case) at Royston Leisure Centre.

(4)   During the procurement for the leisure and active communities  ...  view the full decision text for item 15.