Agenda and minutes

To declare any interests which fall under the following categories, as

explained on the attached document:

a) Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI)

b) Other Significant Interests (OSI)

c) Voluntary Announcements of Other Interests

See Agenda Item 2 for further details

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting of the Cabinet held on the 28^th September 2023.

Resolved:

That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Cabinet held on the 28^th September 2023 be approved and confirmed as a correct record.

Resolved:

That    (i)        the Quarter 2 forecast position for the General Fund and the      Housing Revenue Account be noted.

(ii)       the Collection Fund position be noted.

(iii)       the Capital Monitoring position be noted.

(iv)      the Treasury Management position be noted.

(v)       the provisional reserve allocations at Table 8 of the report be noted.

Resolved:

That    (i)        subject to the approval by Council of the recommendation to    change Class C and D, the 2024/25 ‘Net’ tax base of 49,832 Band D             equivalent properties be agreed.

(ii)       the possibility of further Cabinet and Council decisions being required before the end of January, should any material change in the tax base be required, be noted.

Recommended:

The changes from 1^st April 2024 to Class C and Class D discounts, as set out in Appendix D to the report, be approved.

Resolved:

That    (i)         the recommendations of the MTFP Task Group be agreed.

(ii)        the forecast be noted and the underlying assumptions and risks be accepted.

(iii)       Management, in conjunction with Members (including the continuation of the MTFP Task Group), be supported in developing a sound and robust schedule of savings to bridge the funding deficit highlighted within this report.

(iv)      the reserve position be noted and the proposed use of reserves to fund the 2024/25 budget deficit be supported.

(v)       authority be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and IT, to agree the Council’s continued participation on the Kent Business Rates pool.

(vi)      reports on MTFP risk be received as part of the regular budget monitoring reporting.

(vii)     the Chief Finance Officer’s advice be noted.

Resolved:

That    (i)        the performance of the Council’s Corporate Property Portfolio during the financial year 2022/2023, as set out in the Corporate Property Income Schedule at Appendix 1 to the report, be noted.

(ii)        the external factors affecting the commercial market conditions be noted.

(iii)      the implementation of new processes and procedures in line with ‘Best Practice’ suggested by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), in particular Green Leases, continue to be supported.

(iv)      the Solicitor to the Council and Monitoring Officer be authorised to negotiate, finalise and complete all necessary legal agreements and other documents to give effect to the above.

Resolved:

That    (i)        the request made by the Chief Executive to DLUHC for an           extension of time to deliver the LUF funded project, and to       request further funding through the scheme, be endorsed.

(ii)        the requirement to submit a project change request to DLUHC for the Ashford International Studios project, to enable an extension of time and reviewed scope of the project, be noted.  This submission will be made by the Chief Executive once the deliverable project scope has been finalised.

(iii)      the likely change in scope and scale of the studio space that may require a further planning application be noted.

(iv)      the requirement to look at options to deliver the education facility at Newtown Works in terms of both the scale and location of the facility, to enable delivery within the funding envelope and timescales available, be noted.

Resolved:

That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Trading and Enterprise Board held on the 12^th October 2023 be received and noted.

Resolved:

That the Notes of the Meeting of the Local Plan and Planning Policy Task Group held on the 27^th September 2023 be received and noted.

Resolved:

That the latest Schedule of Key Decisions as set out within the report be received and noted.