Agenda and minutes

To receive any declarations of interest from Members

There were no declarations of interest.

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

There were no announcements.

To receive the recommendations from the meeting of Cabinet held on 24 March:

Grant income from Government received late in the 2021/22 financial year and extension of budget for the Drill Hall into June 2022

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Parking available at:  Agenda Item 10

Grant Income from Government received late in the 2021/22 Financial Year and extension of Budget for the Drill Hall into June 2022

Councillor Tony Hogben, Cabinet Member for Finance & Parking, introduced the recommendation from Cabinet that related to three separate issues that required the creation of budgets: 

• Three grants were received unexpectedly late in the Financial Year and, to enable these to have income streams, budgets needed to be created.  It was noted that should the grants not be spent by 31 March they could be carried over to the next Financial Year.
  
  
• A budget to enable the Council to operate the Drill Hall for a further three months was required in the light of delays experienced by the Royal British Legion in finalising the new arrangements. 
  
  The Director of Corporate Resources confirmed that this was an extension of three months, as stated in the report to Cabinet (not one month, as incorrectly stated on page 5 of the printed Extraordinary Council agenda (subsequently amended)). 

• Standards Committee had recommended that Steyning Parish Council required additional support and a review to address ongoing issues.  A budget was required to carry out this work.   

There was unanimous support for all recommendations.

RESOLVED

i)     To approve the creation of a revenue budget in 2021/22 of £100,000 which will be spent on cyber security.

ii)    To approve the creation of a £10,047 revenue budget in 2021/22 in strategic planning to be spent on the introduction of biodiversity net gain.

iii)   To approve the creation of a £35,000 revenue budget in 2021/22 in strategic planning to be spent on establishing a business case to support future funding bids.

iv)   To approve the creation of a revenue budget in Leisure services for the Drill Hall of £9,000 income and £18,600 expenditure, which is a net cost of £9,600 in the 2022/23 budget.

v)    To approve the budget sum of £20,000 in 2022/23 to pay for a review of Steyning Parish Council to be conducted by Hoey Ainscough Associates Ltd.

REASON

i)     The funding will be used on the delivery of our Cyber Treatment Plan and actions to reduce risk created by the use of legacy operating systems.

ii)    The funding will be used in our preparations for the introduction of a mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain requirement, which is due to come into force in 2023.

iii)   The funding will be used to establish a business case to support future funding bids to create a collaborative co-working space in Horsham Town.

iv)   The budget will enable the Council to continue to operate the Drill Hall in the first quarter of 2022 whilst discussions with the Royal British Legion are finalised.

v)    The Budget will allow for alternative action to be taken for dealing with the ever-increasing and continuing code of conduct complaints that have been received from Steyning Parish Council.

To consider matters certified by the Chairman as urgent

There was no urgent business.