Agenda item

PART I DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE

To consider the following Part I Decisions of the Executive taken on 17 January 2024:

 

2.    Minutes – 13 December 2023

3.    Minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny and Select Committees

4.    Stevenage Borough Council Corporate Plan – Making Stevenage Even Better (2024 – 2027)

5.    Final Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget Setting and Rent Report 2024/25

6.    Draft General Fund and Council Tax Settings 2024/25

7.    Draft Capital Strategy 2023/24 – 2028/29

8.    Urgent Part I Business

 

Notice of Decisions to follow.

Minutes:

2.         Minutes

 

            Noted.

 

3.         Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Select Committees

 

            Noted.

 

4.         Stevenage Borough Council – Corporate Plan – Making Stevenage Even Better (2024 – 2027)

 

            The Committee was advised that at the Executive meeting a question had been raised regarding the relatively low level of public response to the consultation on the draft document.  The Strategic Director (RP) advised that the original consultation via the Residents Survey, the Tenants Survey and the Co-operative Neighbourhoods Resident Proptech Survey had produced over 3,000 responses.  The additional 72 responses were as a result of the additional 6 week period of consultation which had taken place between 23 October and 4 December 2023, at the request of the Executive.  The additional consultation had been done via the Chronicle, Social Media outlets as well as meetings with the voluntary sector and other partners.

 

            Officers agreed to find out if local schools had been included in the consultation.

 

5.         Final Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget Setting and Rent Report 2024/25

 

            Officers advised that the Executive had considered a report in respect of the final Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget and Rent Setting for 2024/25.

 

            Officers gave the following answers/comments to a number of questions raised by Members:

 

·         The proposed 7.7% increase to rents was a flat rate across all housing stock but was a combined increase of rent plus service charges;

·         In comparison to the private sector, council rents were considerably lower.  There was no available comparable information for Housing Association rent levels but it was noted that as Registered Providers, they were also governed by the same regulations as Councils;

·         Affordable rents were calculated as a maximum of 80% of market rent;

·         It was noted that the Office of National Statistics (ONS) gave a figure of 6.2% as an increase in private rents nationally.

 

6.         Draft General Fund and Council Tax Settings 2024/2025

 

            Officers advised that the Executive had considered a report in respect of the Council’s draft General Fund, Council Tax Support Scheme and draft proposals for the 2024/25 Council Tax.

 

            Members noted that officers were of the view that the provisional funding settlement was slightly better than what was expected.  2025/26 inflation figures would still be a pressure, however.

 

            Officers gave the following answers/comments to a number of questions raised by Members:

 

·         Although there was a cost for the engagement of a celebrity for Christmas events, last year’s Christmas light switch on had been extremely popular;

·         Within the Executive report, a full explanation had been given as to the 3% cap by the Government and the make-up of the proposed 2.99% increase;

·         Members were pleased to note the changes to the fuel used by Council vehicles but requested that Officers consider the origins of the fuel as well as the type used;

·         All options considered by the Council’s Financial Security Group had been included in the report which detailed those options and the scoring levels achieved.

 

7.         Draft Capital Strategy 2023/24 – 2028/2029

 

Officers advised that the Executive had considered a report in respect of the draft Capital Strategy for 2023/24 – 2028/29.

 

            Officers gave the following answers/comments to a number of questions raised by Members:

 

·         Officers reminded Members of the scoring rationale applied to budgets from zero – ‘do not support’ to 3 – high priority support.

·         In relation to the North Road development, the remaining budget would be returned part to the HRA and part to the General Fund budget.

Supporting documents: