Issue - meetings

Matter for Decision:  

The following report set out the overall base revenue and capital budget position for the Planning and Climate Change Portfolio. The report compared the proposed 2012/13 Revised Budget to the budget as at September 2012 and detailed the budget proposals for 2013/14 and 2014/15.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Planning and Climate Change

 

The Executive Councillor resolved to:

 

Review of Charges

              i.      Approve the proposed charges for this portfolio’s services and activities, as shown in Appendix B of the Officer’s report.

 

Revenue Budgets

            ii.      Approve, with any amendments, the current year funding requests and savings, (shown in Appendix A of the Officer’s report) and the resulting revised revenue budgets for 2012/13 (shown in Section 3 of the Officer’s report, Table 1) for submission to the Executive.

          iii.      Agree proposals for revenue savings and unavoidable bids, as set out in Appendix C of the Officer’s report.

         iv.      Agree proposals for bids from external or existing funding, as set out in Appendix D of the Officer’s report.

           v.      Agree proposals for Priority Policy Fund (PPF) bids, as set out in Appendix E of the Officer’s report.

         vi.      Approve the budget proposals for 2013/14 as shown in Section 3 of the Officer’s report, Table 2, for submission to the Executive.

 

Capital

       vii.      Seek approval from the Executive to carry forward resources from 2012/13, as detailed in Appendix G of the Officer’s report, to fund re-phased capital spending.

     viii.      Confirm deletion of PR019 Car Parks Infrastructure and Equipment Replacement Programme from the Capital Plan (see 3.19).

         ix.      Approve further funding of £26,000 to cover additional costs associated with capital project SC557 Grand Arcade Annex Car Park - Drainage Gulleys, to be met from the Car Parks Structural Repairs and Renewal fund.

           x.      Approve capital bids, as identified in Appendix H of the Officer’s report, for submission to the Executive for inclusion in the Capital & Revenue Projects Plan or addition to the Hold List, as indicated.

         xi.      Confirm that there are no items covered by this portfolio to add to the Council’s Hold List, for submission to the Executive.

       xii.      Approve the current Capital & Revenue Projects Plan, as detailed in Appendix J of the Officer’s report, to be updated for any amendments detailed in (g), (h) (i) and (j) above.

 

Reason for the Decision:

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations:

The Committee received a report from the Principal Accountant (Services) regarding the overall base revenue and capital budget position for the Planning and Climate Change Portfolio. He table amendments to recommendations (h) and (i) to read as follows (changes in bold):

 

(h) Seek approval from the Executive Councillor to remove Confirm deletion of PR019 Car Parks Infrastructure and Equipment Replacement Programme from the Capital Plan (see 3.19).

(i)    Seek approval from the Executive Councillor for Approve further funding of £26,000 to cover additional costs associated with capital project SC557 Grand Arcade Annex Car Park - Drainage Gulleys, to be met from the Car Parks Structural Repairs and Renewal fund.

 

Councillor Marchant-Daisley questioned underachievement against predicted income of both planning fees and car parking receipts and further questioned the expected costs of delaying the Park Street Car Park improvements.

 

The Head of Planning stated that planning fees forecasts were based on developer estimates. The Director of Environment added clarity by confirming that a handful of large projects had been delayed by the market downturn.

 

Councillor Herbert questioned when, if ever, the money would arrive. He also questioned the activity of staff that had been employed using the New Homes Bonus funding. Officers confirmed that there were a large number of applications in the pipeline and assured members that staff had been working hard. It was hoped that the planned developments would be achieved over the next two years.

 

The Head of Specialist Services stated that the variation in car park income was only 3 to 4 per cent of turnover. In addition, car parking fees had been raised at less that the rate of inflation. He stated that the delays to Park Street were unavoidable, as no decision had been made on the long-term future of the car park. Councillor Ward clarified that the project was not delayed but that the spend had been rephased.

 

Councillor Herbert questioned the baseline figures for the car park which appear to have risen from the original £3.4m costing, given the need to undertake urgent works ahead of the main programme

In addition he asked if the figures include the £300,000 shortfall from the current budget. The Head of Specialist Services confirmed that this had been taken into account. Councillor Ward stated that the original estimate had been based on a like for like provision which was unlikely to be the end project. The Director of Environment confirmed that technical work on the ground conditions was on-going. However, while there would be financial consequences to the rephrasing, this gave a more realistic timeframe for delivering the project.

 

The Committee resolved by 4 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendations.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation.

 

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

Not applicable.