Decisions

(Report of Director of Finance and Transformation)

The report gave details of an application for hardship relief from Attachments Fostering Ltd in respect of their previous premises at The Cedars, Holborough Road, Snodland.  Consideration was given to the circumstances leading to the application, including a timeline of events and financial information which was exempt under Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and set out in the private part of the agenda.

It was considered appropriate to award hardship relief for the period between January 2015 and March 2017 following which the Valuation Office Agency had reviewed and reduced the property’s rateable value by a third.

Following consideration by the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board, the Cabinet Member for Finance, Innovation and Property resolved that:

An award of hardship relief be approved on the basis of a rebate of one third of the charge for the period January 2015 to March 2017 with a flexible arrangement for repaying the balance of the outstanding debt.

(Report of Director of Finance and Transformation)

The report provided information on the Council’s key budget areas of salaries, major income streams and investment income.  It also gave details of the variations agreed in relation to the revenue budget and areas identified through budget monitoring, summarised to provide an indicative overall budget position for the year which showed a net adverse variance of £375,250. 

An update was given on capital expenditure and variations agreed in relation to the capital plan.  The report also gave an update on the Savings and Transformation Strategy and funding gap.

It was noted that whilst the budget performance for the year was no cause for concern, over the medium term the position was worsening in respect of the projected funding gap.  It was therefore considered that each advisory board and committee should be requested to identify opportunities for savings and transformation contributions over the budget cycle.  To assist this process it was suggested that reports should identify whether services were mandatory or discretionary and the section on Financial and Value for Money Considerations be reinforced.

Following consideration by the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board, the Cabinet Member for Finance, Innovation and Property resolved that:

(1)          it be noted that as at the end of August 2019, the projected overall outturn position is a net adverse variance of circa £375,250 after making an additional contribution to the revenue reserve for capital schemes of £466,000, when compared to the budget set in February 2019;

(2)          the worsening position in respect of the projected funding gap be noted together with the need over the coming months  to identify and implement opportunities to deliver at least this year’s savings and transformation contribution of £100,000 which, as things stand, would give a funding gap higher than at the start of the year; and

(3)          it be recommended to Cabinet that each Advisory Board and Committee should be requested to identify and bring forward opportunities for savings and transformation contributions during this financial year for inclusion in the Medium Term Financial Strategy and Savings and Transformation Strategy.

(Report of Director of Finance and Transformation)

The report advised of the annual requirement to review the Council’s rural settlement list and recommended that the current list be retained unaltered for the forthcoming financial year.

Following consideration by the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board, the Cabinet Member for Finance, Innovation and Property resolved that:

The current rural settlement list remain in force for the year 2020/21.