Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/170

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

Report by Director of Finance (CA6).

This report focuses on the delivery of the 2018/19 capital programme based on projections at the end of January 2019 and new inclusions within the overall ten-year capital programme. The programme also includes all changes approved by Council in February 2019 as part of the Service & Resource Planning process.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)         note the report;

(b)         approve the changes to the programme in Annex 1c;

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet considered a report that focused on the delivery of the 2018/19 capital programme based on projections at the end of January 2019 and new inclusions within the overall ten-year capital programme. The programme also included all changes approved by Council in February 2019 as part of the Service & Resource Planning process.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, commented that with the 10-year programme it was possible to see the longer-term picture and the regular reports gave assurance that money was being spent appropriately. The report illustrated the increasing need for school places and Council’s were unable to force academies to expand. Councillor Price noted that all final decisions were with the Secretary of State for Education and expressed the view that it would be good to see the restoration of local decision making.

Councillor David Bartholomew, Cabinet Member for Finance, responding to the comments made stated that the reports would enable fluctuations in the programme to be monitored, adjusted and controlled. He noted that the Council had no control over Government policy.

Councillor Bartholomew introduced the contents of the report and moved the recommendations. Councillor Hudspeth referred to the successful £218m bid for projects for Didcot Garden Town projects that should be recognised in noting the report. He added that a further bid would be submitted for HIF2.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)                  note the report subject to also noting the recent successful £218m bid for Didcot Garden Town projects; and

(b)                  approve the changes to the programme in Annex 1c;