Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ekins, North, Powell, Currall, Sims, Prentice, Waters, Irwin, Watt, Keane, Pengelly, Zoe McGhee, McEwan and Dell.

The minutes of the Council meetings held on 1^st December 2021 and 9^th December 2021 had been circulated.

Councillor Bell (Chair) MOVED the minutes of the meetings held on 1^st December 2021 and 9^th December 2021 be agreed. The motion was SECONDED by Councillor D Brackenbury.

RESOLVED that: -

The minutes of the meetings held on the 1^st December 2021 and 9^th December 2021 be agreed as a correct record.

Councillor Fedorowycz with regard to the Urgent Item wished it recorded that she did have relations resident in Ukraine.

Councillor Lora Lawman with regard to agenda item 5, wished it recorded that she had in a civic capacity attended events previously as a guest of Kettering Amateur Swimming Club.

A request to suspend Procedure Rule 10.1 for the duration of the meeting was MOVED by Councillor Andy Mercer and SECONDED by Councillor Lora Lawman.

RESOLVED that: -

Procedure Rule 10.1 (the Guillotine) be suspended and agree to close the meeting at the conclusion of all business on the agenda.

A member of the public Mr Annable, Chair of Kettering Amateur Swimming Club addressed Council at this point. Mr Annable raised concern regarding the lack of investment over a number of years into Kettering Swimming Pool. Mr Annable felt that residents in Kettering were not able to access suitable swimming facilities locally, for recreational and health purposes, but were having to travel to superior facilities elsewhere. Mr Annable felt that the Council should be looking to invest in the Kettering facility. The Chair thanked Mr Annable for his comments.

The report set out the final revenue budget (2022-23) and Medium-Term Financial Plan for North Northamptonshire Council.

The draft budget proposals were originally considered by the Executive on 23^rd December 2021. There was an Addendum to the report at the same meeting which provided an update to Members following the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, which was published on 16^th December 2021. The Settlement set out the funding for individual Councils following the Spending Review which was announced on 27^th October 2021.

The budget consultation period commenced on 23^rd December 2021 and ended on 28th January 2022. The consultation offered residents, local partners and other stakeholders the opportunity to review the draft budget proposals and provide feedback during the five-week consultation period. The draft budgets had also been subject to scrutiny by the Finance and Resources Scrutiny Committee.

The budget was further updated for the latest position and presented to the Executive at its meeting on 10^th February, for approval and recommendation on to Council.

The Final Local Government Settlement was announced on 7^th February 2022 (after the report to the Executive on 10^th February had been published) and largely remained unchanged to the provisional settlement with the exception of an increase of £8k for the Lower Tier Services Grant – the final budget proposals included this change.

The report set out the final revenue budget for 2022-23 and the forecast Medium-Term Financial Plan for North Northamptonshire Council, including the proposed Council Tax level for 2022-23, for approval at Full Council.

The Revenue Budget 2022-23 and Medium-Term Financial Plan formed part of a full suite of budget reports being presented to Full Council. Separate reports were included on the agenda for the Housing Revenue Account Budget 2022-23 and the Capital Strategy and Capital Programme Budget. These reports together provided a framework for revenue and capital planning for 2022-23 and into the medium term. The Council Tax Resolution for 2022-23 was included within the report.

The Government announced a three-year national spending review on 27^th October 2021, however, the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement published on 16^th December 2021 was a one-year settlement only. It assumed an increase of 6.9% in the Core Spending Power for Local Authorities to meet demand and cost pressures and contained the expectation that each Council would increase its Council Tax precept by the maximum amount allowable, i.e., 2.99%, inclusive of a 1% precept for Adult Social Care.

Whilst the additional funding provided within the Settlement was welcomed, this alone was insufficient to address the pressures and funding risks facing local authorities during a time of high inflation and increasing demand, particularly whilst COVID was still present. Further service efficiencies and an increase in the level of Council Tax would enable a balanced budget to be set for 2022-23 as well as supporting the medium-term position.

The proposed budget for North Northamptonshire Council included a core Council Tax increase of 1.99% and applied the maximum allowable social  ...  view the full minutes text for item C/88

The report before Full Council set out the final Capital Programme for 2022-23 and the Medium-Term Financial Plan for North Northamptonshire Council. The draft budget proposals were considered by the Executive on 23^rd December 2021.

The budget consultation period commenced on 23^rd December 2021 and ended on 28^th January 2022. The draft budgets had been subject to scrutiny by the Finance and Resources Scrutiny Committee. The consultation provided residents, local partners and other stakeholders the opportunity to review the budget proposals and provide feedback during the five-week consultation period. The final budget proposals were reported to the Executive at their meeting on 10^th February 2022.

The report set out the baseline Capital Programme and identified the key factors and challenges influencing the development of North Northamptonshire Council’s future commitments for 2022-23 and beyond.

The report presented the General Fund Capital Programme for 2022-25, the Baseline Development Pool and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Programme 2022-25.

The key principles underpinning the current Capital programme were detailed in the report and included: -

·         The delivery of a Medium-Term Capital Programme which was affordable and sustainable, ensuring that the Council’s internal resources and application of external borrowing were utilised to fund capital expenditure where it supported the delivery of the Council’s financial sustainability and where there were statutory requirements such as health & safety;

·         New capital investment would only be permitted where it contributed to the achievement of the Council’s corporate priorities;

·         The use of external funding was prioritised against the areas of greatest need, in the main supporting highways maintenance, the delivery of education places, Super-Fast Broadband and Homelessness Prevention. Priority would be given to schemes that also delivered transformation and/or revenue savings;

·         Maximisation of the use of the Council’s assets, and where possible working with local partner organisations to maximise the efficiency of assets across the public sector and North Northants;

·         Take into account external influences such as the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership, Oxford Cambridge Arc, Health and joint working with other partner authorities;

·         Key integration and links with the Council’s other corporate strategies including Corporate Plan, Treasury Management, Investment Strategy, and Asset Management Plan;

·         Set out the Council’s regeneration and economic development ambition and additional objectives;

·         Set out the governance and risk management arrangements.

The current Capital Strategy demonstrated how the Council would make expenditure and investment decisions in line with service objectives and properly take account of stewardship, value for money, prudence, sustainability and affordability. It set out the key objectives and broad principles to be applied by the Council when considering capital investment and its funding and provided the context for how the Medium-Term Capital Programme sought to support the realisation of the Council’s vision and corporate objectives. The Strategy also provided details of the Council’s planned future capital programme and capital funding expectations.

It was noted that the current Capital Strategy and the key principles had been developed with reference to the requirements of the current Prudential Code and Treasury Code  ...  view the full minutes text for item C/89

Members noted that the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) was a separate ring-fenced account within the Council for the income and expenditure associated with its housing stock. The HRA did not directly impact on the Council’s wider General Fund budget or on the level of council tax. Income to the HRA was primarily received through the rents and other charges paid by tenants and leaseholders.

Whilst North Northamptonshire Council must only operate one HRA it would continue, for a limited period of time, to operate two separate Neighbourhood Accounts, these being:

·         the Corby Neighbourhood Account - responsible for the stock that was previously managed by Corby Borough Council and

·         the Kettering Neighbourhood Account - responsible for the stock that was previously managed by Kettering Borough Council.

A future decision would be required around the timeframe for which these two Neighbourhood Accounts continue – typically these interim arrangements would cover a two to three-year period.

Work was underway on preparing a Housing Strategy for North Northamptonshire. This would consider the challenges faced by the Council across the local housing market and would set out measures to enhance housing options for local residents. This document would form a key element of the overarching strategy for North Northamptonshire which will be reported to Members during 2022/23.

The report sought approval for the proposed draft budget for the HRA for 2022/23 and the key principles on which it was based together with the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) that covered the following four years (2023/24 – 2026/27).

The report also set out the proposals regarding rent increases for 2022/23, as required by the Housing Act 1985. A table summarised the average rent levels for 2021/22 and the proposed rent increase of 4.1% in rent levels for 2022/23.

The draft HRA Budget had been discussed and debated as part of the Finance and Resources Scrutiny sessions and with tenants representing each of the Neighbourhood Accounts. The final budgets reflected a rental increase of 4.1% which accorded with the Government’s Rent Setting Policy and had been clarified by the Rent Regulator. The draft Budget proposals and Medium-Term Financial Plan were set out in Appendix A and Appendix B.

The overriding approach as part of the transition to the Unitary council for North Northamptonshire was to ensure that the arrangements were ‘safe and legal.’  It was determined that for the HRA this would, in the first instance, be best achieved through operating two Neighbourhood Accounts to be combined under a single HRA for North Northamptonshire. Work was planned to be undertaken during the course of 2022/23 to start to move to a single HRA and this included developing a new 30-year Business Plan.

To help maintain and protect levels of service provision and to continue investment into the housing stock the proposed average rent increase was 4.1% for each of the Neighbourhood Accounts.  ...  view the full minutes text for item C/90

The following motion was MOVED by Councillor Smithers and SECONDED by Councillor Colquhoun under Meeting Procedure Rule 4.1(g).

“North Northamptonshire Council unreservedly condemns the unprovoked aggression of Russia in invading the Ukraine and stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and supports the British Government in its diplomatic and economic measures against the Russian State.”

Several councillors spoke in favour of the motion, totally condemning the unwarranted aggression being shown by the Russian government in its invasion of Ukraine and sending its solidarity and support to the Ukrainian people.

RESOLVED that: -

1.         The motion be agreed.