Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/090

Contact: Katy Jurczyszyn, Strategic Finance Manager (Finance, Strategy & Monitoring) Tel: 07584 909518

Report by Director of Finance (CA8).

This is the first separate capital programme update and monitoring report and focuses on the delivery of the 2018/19 capital programme based on projections at the end of May 2018 and new inclusions within the overall ten-year capital programme. 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)      note the report;

(b)      approve the updated Capital Programme at Annex 2 and the associated changes to the programme in Annex 1c;

(c)      approve the basic need programme up to September 2019 set out in Annex 3;

(d)      approve the School Structural Maintenance Programme for 2018/19 set out in Annex 4;

(e)      approve the inclusion of the budget requirement of £1.550m for the developer led new primary school for Crab Hill, Wantage;

(f)        approve the inclusion of the budget requirement of £1.300m for the developer led new primary school for North Curbridge, West Witney;

(g)      approve the inclusion of the budget requirement of £1.630m for the developer led new primary school for Graven Hill, Bicester;

(h)      approve the commencement of the re-provision of Maltfield House with a £3m budget provision;

(i)        approve the stage 0 budget requirement of £1.240m towards the Children Services Phase 2 electronic social care record system;

(j)        approve the revised two-year Highways Structural Maintenance Programme set out in Annex 5;

(k)      approve the additional £10m Highways Structural Maintenance Programme for 2018/19 as set out in Annex 6;

(l)        approve that a business case is produced to support the significant borrowing investment in the Council’s assets;   

(m)     approve the inclusion of £40.8m for the investment in the Street Lighting estate;

(n)      approve the inclusion of the Botley Road Corridor scheme with a budget provision of £9.1m as part of the Growth Deal Infrastructure Programme;

(o)      approve the inclusion of the budget requirements of £0.5m each towards the Housing Infrastructure Fund bid projects for Didcot Garden Town and A40; and

(p)      approve the inclusion of the budget requirement of £1.6m towards improvements to facilities at Didcot Library.

Cabinet had before them the first separate capital programme update and monitoring report. The report focused on the delivery of the 2018/19 capital programme based on projections at the end of May 2018 and new inclusions within the overall ten-year capital programme. 

Mr Michael Hugh Jones, spoke against the cost and value for money of the work to Maltfield House. Councillor Bartholomew thanked Mr Hugh Jones for his comments and replied that the costing of all building projects went through close scrutiny.

Councillor Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, commented on the details of the report including the expression of concern over the Collingwood crossing at Risinghurst. She supported the reprovisioning of Maltfield House and was only concerned at the lack of urgency. Councillor Phillips queried the figures in paragraphs 22 and 23. She welcomed sight of the business case referred to at paragraph 37 and welcomed the use of LED lighting. It would however be useful to know costs against pay back. Councillor Phillips referred to the ongoing impact of the Carillion issue.

Councillor Bartholomew, Cabinet Member for Finance, responded to the points raised. Councillor Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment added that the pay-back period for the street lighting was about 13 years in total and it would be a self-funded project. Councillor Lindsay-Gale, Cabinet Member for Property and Cultural Services accepted the comments on Carillion and noted that a paper was going to the Audit & Governance Committee on 25 July.

Councillor Bartholomew, moved the recommendations, introducing the contents of the report, referring to the increases and variations and highlighting individual schemes.

Responding to comments Owen Jenkins undertook to produce an information sheet explaining highway maintenance terms.

RESOLVED:to:

(a)      note the report;

(b)      approve the updated Capital Programme at Annex 2 and the associated changes to the programme in Annex 1c;

(c)       approve the basic need programme up to September 2019 set out in Annex 3;

(d)      approve the School Structural Maintenance Programme for 2018/19 set out in Annex 4;

(e)      approve the inclusion of the budget requirement of £1.550m for the developer led new primary school for Crab Hill, Wantage;

(f)        approve the inclusion of the budget requirement of £1.300m for the developer led new primary school for North Curbridge, West Witney;

(g)      approve the inclusion of the budget requirement of £1.630m for the developer led new primary school for Graven Hill, Bicester;

(h)      approve the commencement of the re-provision of Maltfield House with a £3m budget provision;

(i)        approve the stage 0 budget requirement of £1.240m towards the Children Services Phase 2 electronic social care record system;

(j)        approve the revised two-year Highways Structural Maintenance Programme set out in Annex 5;

(k)       approve the additional £10m Highways Structural Maintenance Programme for 2018/19 as set out in Annex 6;

(l)        approve that a business case is produced to support the significant borrowing investment in the Council’s assets;   

(m)     approve the inclusion of £40.8m for the investment in the Street Lighting estate;

(n)      approve the inclusion of the Botley Road Corridor scheme with a budget provision of £9.1m as part of the Growth Deal Infrastructure Programme;

(o)      approve the inclusion of the budget requirements of £0.5m each towards the Housing Infrastructure Fund bid projects for Didcot Garden Town and A40; and

(p)      approve the inclusion of the budget requirement of £1.6m towards improvements to facilities at Didcot Library.