Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Conference Room, Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham

Contact: Email: committeeservices@horsham.gov.uk  Direct Line: 01403 215465

Items
No. Item

EX/1

Minutes pdf icon PDF 254 KB

To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2021

(Note: If any Member wishes to propose an amendment to the minutes they should submit this in writing to committeeservices@horsham.gov.uk at least 24 hours before the meeting.  Where applicable, the audio recording of the meeting will be checked to ensure the accuracy of the proposed amendment.)

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 25 March were approved as a correct record.

EX/2

Declarations of Members' Interests

To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Cabinet

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

EX/3

Announcements

To receive any announcements from the Leader, Cabinet Members or the Chief Executive

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste, Recycling & Cleansing made the following announcements:

 

-    The 25 May launch of the small electrical items and textile collection service had been successful, with 570 bookings already, 95% of which were made on-line, and no contamination.  The kerb-collection of household batteries, launched on the same day, was also proving popular.  Analysis of the impact of these services on residual waste would be made in due course.

 

-    After a public appeal regarding a fly-tipping incident, a suspect had been identified and would be brought to Crawley Magistrates Court in July.  The Cabinet Member stated the importance of pursuing such incidents and the need to do what we can to stop such anti-social and polluting behaviour.

EX/4

Public Questions

To receive questions from and provide answers to the public in relation to matters which in the opinion of the person presiding at the meeting are relevant to the business of the meeting

Minutes:

No questions had been received.

EX/5

Transformation Fund 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 278 KB

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Assets

Decision:

RESOLVED

 

i)       To approve the transfer of £111k from the General Fund reserve to the earmarked transformation reserve.

 

ii)      To delegate to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets, the authority to use the transformation fund as appropriate.

 

REASON

 

To top up of the earmarked transformation reserve for projects that will help transform the Council in the future; being effectively funded from the 2020/21 budget surplus.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Assets introduced the report on the use of the Transformation Reserve during the current financial year.  He reminded Members that the Council had operated a Transformation Reserve for a number of years, and it had been used for the modernisation of operations, including the digitalisation of a number of services.  

 

This year the fund would be used to update Environmental Health & Licensing services onto the new cloud-based planning and regulatory system.  This would require the redesign of many of the department’s processes, and ultimately lead to a more efficient service.  Over the next two to three years, Building Control & Planning systems would also be updated.

 

Cabinet had topped up this fund from operational surpluses every year to keep these projects moving forward.  The Cabinet Member advised that the Council’s operating overspend in 2020/2021, caused by the pandemic and resulting pressures on services, had been compensated for by one-off government grants, thus enabling the Council to generate a surplus, as detailed in the report.  The Cabinet Member proposed using part of this surplus to top up the fund as in previous years. 

 

He also proposed that, as suggested by the Finance & Assets PDAG, delegation of the authority to use the fund as appropriate would include himself as well as the Leader and Chief Executive.

 

RESOLVED

 

i)          To approve the transfer of £111k from the General Fund reserve to the earmarked transformation reserve.

 

ii)         To delegate to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets, the authority to use the transformation fund as appropriate.

 

REASON

 

To top up of the earmarked transformation reserve for projects that will help transform the Council in the future; being effectively funded from the 2020/21 budget surplus.

EX/6

Overview & Scrutiny Committee

To consider any matters referred to Cabinet by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Minutes:

There were no matters currently outstanding for consideration.

EX/7

Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 170 KB

To note the Forward Plan

Minutes:

The Forward Plan was noted.

EX/8

To consider matters of special urgency

Minutes:

There were no matters of special urgency to be considered.

To consider a report containing exempt or confidential information

RESOLVED

 

That, under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business, on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, by virtue of paragraph 3 regarding information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person, including the authority holding that information, and in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

EX/9

Sale of Commercial Property Asset

Exempt by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

 

To receive the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Assets

Decision:

RESOLVED

 

i)       To approve the sale of the freehold interest in a property currently let by Horsham District Council.

 

ii)      To delegate to the Director of Place approval of the legal documentation.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Assets presented the report on the proposed sale of a property asset.  Cabinet considered the report and it was

 

RESOLVED

 

i)          To approve the sale of the freehold interest in a property currently let by Horsham District Council.

 

ii)         To delegate to the Director of Place approval of the legal documentation.