Agenda and minutes

Cabinet Capital Assets Committee - Tuesday 15 November 2011 2.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber - Council Offices, Monkton Park, Chippenham, SN15 1ER. View directions

Contact: James Hazlewood  (Senior Democratic Services Officer)

Items
No. Item

68.

Apologies

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

 

69.

Minutes of the previous meeting

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee meeting held on 14 September 2011.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 14 September 2011.

 

70.

Chairman's Announcements

Minutes:

None.

 

71.

Declarations of interest

To receive any declarations of personal or prejudicial interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

 

72.

Capital Monitoring Report

To consider the attached report of the Chief Finance Officer.

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Cllr John Brady, Cabinet member for Finance, Performance and Risk, presented a report which informed the Committee on the position on the 2011/12 Capital Programme as at 30 September 2011, and sought approval to recommend to Council, via Cabinet, an addition to the programme.

 

The report showed the Capital Budget 2011/12 was now £114.33 million, a reduction of £49.342 million which had been reprogrammed into 2012/13.

 

The Director of Finance confirmed that the figures set out in recommendation (c) had already been approved, but were set out in the monitoring report for completeness.

 

Resolved:

 

a.    To note the position of the capital programme as at Period 6 in Appendix A.

 

b.    Subject to the approval of the recommendations at item 6 (minute 73 below refers), to recommend, via Cabinet, that Council approve the allocation of the £0.225 million to the Rural Estates Capital Programme.

 

c.    To note the additional budget for the Wiltshire Incubation Environment of £0.375 million, other budget movements of £0.539 million and the £49.342 million reprogramming of budget into 2012/2013.

 

Reason for Decision

 

To inform the Committee of the current position of the 2011/12 capital programme and to highlight changes in the capital programme.

 

73.

Rural Estates Issue

To consider the attached report of the Corporate Director (Transformation and Resources).

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Cllr Toby Sturgis, Cabinet member for Waste, Property and Development Control Services, presented a report which highlighted an issue associated with the Council’s ability to meet the requirements of the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008 on its Rural Estate and to recommend a solution.

 

Resolved:

 

To recommend, via Cabinet, that Council approve the allocation of the additional capital funding to the Rural Estates Capital Programme as follows:

 

2011/2012

2012/2013

2013/2014

£0.225m

£0.4m

£0.195m

 

Reasons for Decision

 

To reduce the risk of prosecution, loss of income and to safeguard the Council’s reputation.

 

74.

Priority Schools Building Programme

To consider the attached report of the Corporate Director (Children and Education).

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Cllr Lionel Grundy, Cabinet member for Children’s Services, introduced the report which summarised key elements in the government’s new Priority Schools Building Programme, considered the implications and opportunities for Wiltshire Council, and set out the details of the Expressions of Interest which had been submitted under the scheme.

 

It was noted that the Department for Education had asked for more information on two of the Council’s bids, although it was emphasised that this did not necessarily indicate any success.  A final decision would be known by the middle of December.

 

It was confirmed that all relevant Members of Parliament had been informed of the submission of Expressions of Interest.

 

It was noted that consideration would have to be given to the financial implications of any successful bids in the context of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) arrangements.

 

Resolved:

 

a.    That the Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee notes that the Expressions of Interest for the Priority Schools Building Programme have been submitted and the future time scales.

 

b.    That the Committee approves the delegation of authority to the Corporate Director (Children and Education) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services to agree the submission of any final bid to the Priority Schools Building Programme should proceed to the next stage subject to clarity and affordability related to costs across the life of the project, if the Expression of Interest is accepted by the Department for Education.

 

Reasons for Decision

 

For the Committee to note a decision on bidding for funding through the government’s Priority Schools Building Programme for additional education capital funding as a consequence of the timescales and the future need for a rapid response.

 

75.

Urgent items

Any other items of business that the Chair agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

None.