Agenda item

Referrals included:

6A –     Referral from Cabinet: Active North Herts Strategy

6B –     Referral from Cabinet: Revenue Budget Outturn 2022/23

6C –    Referral from Cabinet: Investment Strategy (Capital and Treasury) End of Year Review 2022/23

6D –    Referral from Cabinet: Year End Report on Risk Management Governance

6E –     Referral from Finance, Audit and Risk Committee: Finance, Audit and Risk Committee Annual Report 2022-2023

8a)       Referral from Cabinet: Active North Herts Strategy

RESOLVED: A budget of £50k was approved from 2025/26 onwards, to enable the delivery of a new Active Communities programme run by the leisure operator.

REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure the Council and its stakeholder partners have a clear policy position on its approach to the future delivery of sport, leisure, physical activity and wellbeing services across the district.

8b)       Referral from Cabinet: Revenue Budget Outturn 2022/23

RESOLVED: That Council approved the net transfer from earmarked reserves, as identified in Table 9, of £5.274million.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

(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.

8c)       Referral from Cabinet: Investment Strategy (Capital and Treasury) End of Year Review 2022/23

RESOLVED: That Council:

(1)   Approved the actual 2022/23 prudential and treasury indicators.

(2)   Noted the annual Treasury Report for 2022/23.

REASON FOR DECISION: 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.

8d)       Referral from Cabinet: Year End Report on Risk Management Governance

RESOLVED: That Council considered the Annual Risk Management update, including comments provided by Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

REASON FOR DECISION: The responsibility for ensuring the management of risks is that of the Cabinet, who were responsible for monitoring the effective development and operation of Risk Management.

8e)       Referral from Finance, Audit and Risk Committee: Finance, Audit and Risk Committee Annual Report 2022-2023

The Chair advised that this referral would be taken alongside Agenda Item 10 ‘Finance Audit and Risk Committee Annual Report 2022-2023’.

Audio recording – 120 minutes 14 seconds

N.B. Ahead of this item, there was a break in proceedings and the meeting reconvened at 21.30. During the break Councillors Sam Collins, James Denselow and Michael Weeks left the Chamber and did not return.

8a)       Referral from Cabinet: Active North Herts Strategy

Councillor Steve Jarvis, Executive Member for Environment, Leisure and Green Spaces, presented the referral from Cabinet on the ‘Active North Herts Strategy’ and advised that:

·         The Active Communities Officer role needed to be provided and for the next two years this was funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, but Council would need to fund this role in the future.

·         Therefore, it was proposed that this be included as part of the leisure procurement process and provided by whoever takes over the provision of leisure services from 2024.

·         There was no financial implication this year but would need to fund this role from 2025 if Council wanted it to continue.

Councillor Steve Jarvis proposed and Councillor Alistair Willoughby seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: A budget of £50k was approved from 2025/26 onwards, to enable the delivery of a new Active Communities programme run by the leisure operator.

REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure the Council and its stakeholder partners have a clear policy position on its approach to the future delivery of sport, leisure, physical activity and wellbeing services across the district.

8b)       Referral from Cabinet: Revenue Budget Outturn 2022/23

Councillor Ian Albert, Executive Member for Finance and IT, presented the referral from Cabinet on the ‘Revenue Budget Outturn 2022/23’ and advised that:

·         The report outlined the final revenue budget for the full year 2022-23 and noted the draft final spend of £16.7million.

·         The allocated Covid relief provision was not required as expected and there were higher than expected investment returns.

·         Funding available for any future issues was detailed in the report.

·         This report sought approval to transfer earmarked reserves, which had been used to fund expenditure throughout the year.

Councillor Ian Albert proposed and Councillor Alistair Willoughby seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That Council approved the net transfer from earmarked reserves, as identified in Table 9, of £5.274million.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

(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.

8c)       Referral from Cabinet: Investment Strategy (Capital and Treasury) End of Year Review 2022/23

Councillor Ian Albert, Executive Member for Finance and IT, presented the referral from Cabinet on the ‘Investment Strategy (Capital and Treasury) End of Year Review 2022/23’ and advised that:

·         The report set out the position on capital budgets for the full year 2022-2023 and the treasury returns.

·         Details of revised timetables were included within the report.

·         Capital would need to be kept under review in the current year.

·         The report confirmed that the Council had fully complied with the Investment Strategy throughout the year.

·         The rise in interest rates had led to an extra £1million for the Council.

·         This report sought approval of the 2022-23 prudential and treasury indicators, as well as the Treasury Report 2022/23.

Councillor Ian Albert proposed and Councillor Alistair Willoughby seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That Council:

(1)  Approved the actual 2022/23 prudential and treasury indicators.

(2)  Noted the annual Treasury Report for 2022/23.

REASON FOR DECISION: 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.

8d)       Referral from Cabinet: Year End Report on Risk Management Governance

Councillor Ian Albert, Executive Member for Finance and IT, presented the referral from Cabinet on the ‘Revenue Budget Outturn 2022/23’ and advised that:

·         The report provided an update on risk management in past year.

·         The Council Delivery Plan was monitored by Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as well as Cabinet, and contains projects, performance indicators and project risk in one document.

·         All Members have a duty to consider risk management, under the relevant policy.

·         Finance, Audit and Risk Committee had reviewed the report and made some comments when presented to Cabinet.

·         It was also amended at Cabinet to include that the risk associated with climate change should be recognised when the policy is reviewed in the autumn.

Councillor Ian Albert proposed and Councillor Alistair Willoughby seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED: That Council considered the Annual Risk Management update, including comments provided by Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

REASON FOR DECISION: The responsibility for ensuring the management of risks is that of the Cabinet, who were responsible for monitoring the effective development and operation of Risk Management.

8e)       Referral from Finance, Audit and Risk Committee: Finance, Audit and Risk Committee Annual Report 2022-2023

The Chair advised that this referral would be taken alongside Agenda Item 10 ‘Finance Audit and Risk Committee Annual Report 2022-2023’.