(Report of Director of Finance and Transformation)

Details were given of a consultation paper “New Homes Bonus: Sharpening the Incentive” published by the Department for Communities and Local Government alongside the provisional local government settlement.  A proposed response for submission by the deadline of 10 March 2016 was set out in the Annex to the report, expressing concern that the proposed changes undermined the original objective of New Homes Bonus and would complicate matters unnecessarily whilst adding little to “sharpen the incentive”.  It was also considered that the funding pressure facing social care was a national issue and should not be addressed by diverting funding from other parts of local government.

The Cabinet resolved that:

The proposed response to the consultation paper, as set out at Annex 1 to the report, be approved and copies be sent to the two local Members of Parliament, the District Councils Network and the Local Government Association.