Agenda and decisions

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 25 July 2024.

To remind Members of the need to record the existence and nature of any personal, disclosable pecuniary or other registrable interests in items on the agenda, in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct.

Members of the Executive to answer questions submitted by members of the public in accordance with the Executive Procedure Rules contained in the Council’s Constitution.

Councillors or Members of the public may present any petition which they have received. These will normally be referred to the appropriate Committee without discussion.

Purpose: the report presents the provisional outturn position for financial year 2024/25 against the approved capital programme and financing implications for financial year 2025/26.       

Resolved that: Executive note

·         The forecast outturn position of planned expenditure of £62.1 million, generating a £4.1 million underspend.  During the course of the financial year it is not unusual for forecast expenditure to be reduced, resulting in a requirement for reprofiling.  Capital programme reprofiling occurs for a number of reasons, delays with projects through third party contractors, economic conditions and reprioritisation due to unforeseen events.  No capital expenditure is financed until it is incurred, protecting the capital financing budget which is funded through the revenue budget.  

That Executive approve:

·         The proposed reprofiling of planned expenditure from 2024/25 into 2025/26 of £7.6 million, detailed by service in appendix A.

·         The proposed transfer of Council funded expenditure budget totalling £2.8 million from 2025/26 into 2024/26 for support of the Northcroft Dry side Development Project. 

·         The proposed transfer of £801k of external funding from 2023/24 into 2024/25 to support delivery of the Newbury Town Centre Masterplan project. 

This decision is not subject to call in as:

·      a delay in implementing the decision this would cause the Council serious financial implications or could compromise the Council's position.

therefore it will be implemented immediately.

Purpose: to report on the financial performance of the Council’s revenue budgets for Quarter One of the 2024/25 financial year.

Resolved that: Executive note

·         The forecast Quarter One position of £5.5m overspend against a net revenue budget of £164.6 million and, if the Council outturns at the forecast position, the General Fund of £0.4m.    

·         The key areas of pressure relating to demand led services driving the forecast overspend position detailed in section 5.6 of this report.

·         The work and mitigations underway totalling £3.5m which, if achieved, would reduce the forecast overspend to £2m, and would lead to a General Fund surplus of £3.9m. Further mitigations are in progress which will be factored into the Quarter Two reporting.

This decision is not subject to call in as:

·      Report is to note only

therefore it will be implemented immediately.

Purpose: to seek approval to publish the draft waste management strategy (enclosed at Appendix A) for public consultation.

Resolved that: Executive

·         Approved that the draft waste management strategy is published for public consultation on 23 September 2024.

This decision is eligible to be ‘called-in’.  However, if the decision has not been ‘called-in’ by 5.00pm on 27 September 2024, then it will be implemented.

Purpose: to approve West Berkshire Council’s (the ‘Council’) Domestic Abuse Strategy 2024-27 (‘Strategy’). The Strategy has been produced because it’s existing Domestic Abuse Strategy 2020-23 and Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Strategy 2021-23 are subject to review. A Strategy is a statutory requirement under Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (the ‘Act’).

Resolved that: Executive approve the Strategy, as set out in Appendix B.

This decision is eligible to be ‘called-in’.  However, if the decision has not been ‘called-in’ by 5.00pm on 27 September 2024, then it will be implemented.

Purpose: the Strategy is a key document in setting out how the council will support carers in the district.

Resolved that: Executive adopt the attached strategy.   

This decision is eligible to be ‘called-in’.  However, if the decision has not been ‘called-in’ by 5.00pm on 27 September 2024, then it will be implemented.

Purpose: to review and refresh the formal public-facing Customer Charter created in 2022. 

Resolved that: Executive

·         Review the revised documents (Appendices A-C) and provide approval to proceed with the revised version.

·         The revised document will be produced, uploaded on the website, printed copies produced for reception, libraries, museums etc at minimal cost to the council.

·         A small, but targeted communications campaign, will be developed to get the refreshed version out to customers on WhatsApp, Let’s Chat, other social media channels and relaunched on our website, amongst other options to assist with embedding the new version and how it links with our behaviour and performance management frameworks.

This decision is eligible to be ‘called-in’.  However, if the decision has not been ‘called-in’ by 5.00pm on 27 September 2024, then it will be implemented.

Purpose: the report provides an update on progress to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between West Berkshire Council (WBC) and the Charitable Sector.

Resolved that: Executive

·         The Draft MOU is noted in principle, subject to wider engagement with the Charitable Sector.

·         Wider engagement takes place with the Charitable sector and with WBC internal stakeholders. 

·         A paper returns to Executive following that wider engagement.

This decision is not subject to call in as:

·      Report is to note only

therefore it will be implemented immediately.

Purpose: to provide assurance that the priority areas in the Council Strategy 2023-2027 are being managed effectively, and where performance has fallen below the expected level, present information on the remedial action taken and the impact of that action.

Resolved that: Executive

·         Note the progress made in delivering the Council Strategy Delivery Plan 2023-2027, maintaining a strong outcome for many of the measures, and remedial actions taken where performance is below target.

·         Note the remedial actions.

This decision is not subject to call in as:

·      Report is to note only

therefore it will be implemented immediately.

Purpose: as part of the Council’s Transformation programme approved by the Executive, the Council is focussing on reviewing its accommodation. One area where a disposal has been identified as a preferred option is in respect of the Council’s offices located at Turnhams Green and the recommendations within this report would see this realised.

Resolved that: Executive approved

·         For officers to instruct agents to market Turnhams Green.

·         To delegate authority to the Executive Director of Resources, in consultation with the Executive Portfolio Holder for Transformation and Corporate Services, and the Executive Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property to consider any offers received in respect of the disposal of Turnhams Green and to accept any such offer considered appropriate subject to compliance with the Council’s duty to obtain best consideration.

·         To delegate authority to the Service Director- Strategy & Governance in consultation with the Service Director- Finance, Procurement and Property to enter into the appropriate disposal documentation for Turnhams Green including any such amendments that are necessary in line with agreed sales heads of terms.

·         That the existing Roger Croft meeting room at Market Street, Newbury, is reconfigured to allow the centralisation of Child Protection Conferences, and retained for Executive use on Thursdays and Fridays.

This decision is not subject to call in as:

·      a delay in implementing the decision this would cause the Council serious financial implications or could compromise the Council's position.

therefore it will be implemented immediately.

Members of the Executive to answer questions submitted by Councillors in accordance with the Executive Procedure Rules contained in the Council’s Constitution.

RECOMMENDATION: That members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items as it is likely that there would be disclosure of exempt information of the description contained in the paragraphs of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 specified in brackets in the heading of each item. Section 10 of Part 10 of the Constitution refers.

(Paragraph 3 – information relating to financial/business affairs of particular person)

(Paragraph 5 – information relating to legal privilege)

Purpose:  as part of the Council’s Transformation programme approved by the Executive, the Council is focussing on reviewing its accommodation. One area where a disposal has been identified as a preferred option is in respect of the Council’s offices located at Turnhams Green and the recommendations within this report would see this realised.