Agenda and decisions

No apologies were received.

To receive declarations of interest from Members in accordance with the Code of Conduct (Members are directed to the guidance sheet attached)

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no questions or deputations.

The Cabinet Member considered two applications for discretionary rate relief and made the following decisions:

SOLO Life Opportunities for Premises at 38 Walnut Close, 84 Maple Walk and SOLO at West Midlands Fire Service Streetsbrook Road

RESOLVED that:

Discretionary Rate Relief be declined as the statements provided generally show a stable financial position and it is not considered that an award of rate relief would have a significant impact on the finances of SOLO Life Opportunities.

Ordinary Magic for proposed Premises at 86 High Street Solihull, B91 3TA

RESOLVED that:

Discretionary Rate Relief be granted for one year at 50%

To inform the Cabinet Member of the Portfolio’s latest forecast financial position as at the 31st December 2020 against Revenue and Capital budgets as detailed in Appendix A.

To inform the Cabinet Member of the Portfolio’s progress against the latest 3 year savings targets in the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) as detailed in Appendix A.

To inform the Cabinet Member of the latest prudential borrowing indicators and investment benchmarking for the Council.

To seek approval from the Cabinet Member, in compliance with the Council’s Financial Regulations:

·  To make contributions to a new reserve in the Resources portfolio

·  In conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure, to make contributions to a new reserve within the Growth and Infrastructure portfolio;

·  In conjunction with the Cabinet Members for Environment and Highways and Stronger and Safer Communities, to make contributions to two new reserves within the Environment and Highways and Stronger and Safer Communities portfolios;

·  In conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Stronger and Safer Communities, to approve the reduction in an annual contribution to an existing reserve and contributions to a new reserve within the Safer and Stronger Communities portfolio;

·  In conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, to make contributions to a new reserve in the Health and Adult Social Care portfolio.

The Cabinet Member RESOLVED to:

1.  Consider the 2020/21 Revenue and Capital financial monitoring forecast.

2.  Consider the portfolio’s progress against the latest 3 year savings targets in the MTFS as at 31st December 2020.

3.  Consider the Council’s update to prudential borrowing indicators and investment benchmarking.

4.  To approve the setting up and contributions to a new reserve within the Resources portfolio to manage timing differences within, and as a result of, the Oracle Cloud project (paragraph 5.1)

5.  In conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure, to set up a new reserve for Small Habitats Grants Programme uncommitted funding in order to mitigate against potential delivery and contractual risks resulting from the overall Wildlife Ways programme for up to 5 years post-delivery (paragraph 5.3).

6.  In conjunction with the Cabinet Members for Environment and Highways and Stronger and Safer Communities to establish two new reserves to fund commitments for the Inland Border Facility and wider impacts of Brexit (paragraph 5.7).

7.  In conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Stronger and Safer Communities, to reduce the annual budgeted contribution to the Library Technology and Co-location reserve by £5,000 (paragraph 5.15).

8.  In conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Stronger and Safer Communities, to establish a new reserve for Library stock (paragraph 5.18).

9.  In conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, to approve the setting up of a new reserve within the Health and Adult Social Care portfolio for the Contain Outbreak Management Fund and the contribution of any year-end surplus to that reserve (paragraph 5.21).

The Cabinet Member RESOLVED to:

1.  To note the outstanding levels of debt as at 31 December 2020

2.  To note the level and value of debts under £10,000 authorised for write off by the Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive between 1 October 2020 and 31 December 2020

3.  To approve the write off of Business Rates, Housing Benefit Overpayment and Council Tax debt over £10,000 totalling £67,662.64.

4.  To approve the recommendation to continue with the current approach of charging full council tax on empty properties from the date they become unoccupied.

The meeting is likely not to be open to the public during discussion of the following items because the reports contain exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

That, pursuant to Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be now excluded from the meeting for the remainder of the business to be transacted, on the grounds that there would be disclosure to them of exempt information in terms of paragraph 3 and 7 of Schedule 12A to the said Act.

Private appendices for Agenda Item 6 – Debt Monitoring Report.

The Cabinet Member considered these reports when making the decision for Item 6.