Agenda item

Capital Programme Update 2023-24

Decision:

RESOLVED

KEY DECISION

That the Executive:

i) Approved the following changes into the capital programme:

a. Local Authority Treescape Fund (LATF) – budget approval for £261.5k which will be profiled as £96.5k in 2023/24, £55k in 2024/25, £55k in 2025/26 and £55k in 2026/27. The scheme is to be funded from external grant.

b. Burton Latimer Multi Wheeled Sports Facility – budget approval for £46.3k in 2023/24, £41.8k to be funded from external grant and £4.5k to be funded from S106 contributions/a virement from the Property Minor Works Budget.

c. Local Highways Maintenance additional funding – budget approval for an increase in the capital programme of £2.138m, £1.069m in 2023/24 and £1.069m in 2024/25, to be funded from Department for Transport (DfT) grant.

ii) Noted the following change of purpose to an existing capital programme scheme:

a. Montsaye Academy – amendment of scope of the approved scheme with £135k originally approved for yard and lift improvements to be re-purposed to fund a multi-use games area.

iii) Noted the following budget virement approved by Council on 7^th December:

a. Isham Bypass – virement of budget of £0.790m from Integrated Transport Block to facilitate the next stage of the planning application process approved on 27th November by the Leader of the Council, in consultation with the Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets.

Reasons for Recommendations: These are set out in greater detail within section 5 of the report, but can be summarised as helping to meet the Council’s corporate plan objectives:

- Active, fulfilled lives

- Safe and Thriving Places

- Green sustainable environment

- Connected Communities

Alternative Options Considered:

· For those schemes which are grant funded, they are undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the grant conditions and, therefore, there is no alternative option proposed in this report.

· The budget virement in support of the ICT equipment could have been released, however, the replacement of end user devices is an important element of ensuring that the Council has the appropriate equipment to support and deliver services and further investment is required in this area.

· Where individual schemes are over £0.5m, separate reports are included elsewhere on this agenda, and these set out the wider options that were considered before reaching the proposals put forward.

Minutes:

The Chair invited Cllr Jim Hakewill to address the meeting. Cllr Hakewill welcomed the funding for Montsaye Academy but queried its source. Cllr Hakewill also queried the reasoning for the timing of approval for an increase in the capital programme for Isham Bypass to be funded from Department for Transport (DfT) grant.

The Chair then invited Cllr Lloyd Bunday, Executive Member for Finance and Transformation to introduce a report that requested approval for capital schemes that had come forward for inclusion in the Council’s Capital Programme. Approval of the funding would allow the schemes to move forward to procurement and delivery. Three schemes were highlighted as per the report and recommendation below.

The Executive was also requested to note a change of purpose to an existing capital programme scheme and a budget virement approved by Full Council at its meeting on 7^th December 2023.

In response to Cllr Hakewill, Cllr Bunday stated the Montsaye Academy funding was coming from the Higher Needs Dedicated Schools Grant. Regarding Isham Bypass, a governmental announcement had required an urgent decision to be taken.

Cllr Matt Binley spoke on the subject of Isham Bypass, noting that the matter and timings thereof had previously been subject to discussion at Full Council. Due to an unexpected Government announcement that the project would be fully funded, further work and documentation required submission that, if delayed, had the potential to further delay, or even mothball, the project, hence the requirement for an urgent decision.

The Chair spoke to note that the Council had constitutional processes in place to allow urgent decisions to be taken expeditiously.

Cllr Scott Edwards made reference to the funding for the Montsaye Academy to allow for a multi-use games area and also welcomed the funding for Burton Latimer Multi Wheeled Sports Facility, stating that he would be writing to the two boys who put forward the proposal to congratulate them.

Cllr Harriet Pentland spoke to welcome the changes to the Local Authority Treescape Fund, external grant funding that would allow the Council to continue its significant scheme of tree planting with the local community that formed part of a multi-faceted approach to tackling climate change.