Agenda and minutes

Cabinet - Wednesday, 16th January, 2019 7.00 pm

Venue: The Council Chamber, Crowndale Centre, 218 Eversholt Street, London, NW1 1BD. View directions

Contact: Vicky Wemyss-Cooke  Committee Services Manager

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Georgia Gould.

2.

Declarations by Members of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests in Respect of Items on this Agenda

Minutes:

There were no declarations.

3.

Deputations

Minutes:

There were no deputations.

4.

Announcements

Webcasting of the Meeting

 

The Chair to announce the following: “In addition to the rights by law that the public and press have to record and film public meetings, I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live by the Council to the Internet and will be capable of repeated viewing and copies of the recording could be made available to those that request them.

 

If you are seated in the chamber it is likely that the Council’s cameras will capture your image and you are deemed to be consenting to being filmed and to the use of those images and sound recordings for webcasting and/or training purposes.  If you are addressing the Committee your contribution will be recorded and broadcast unless you have already indicated that you do not wish this to happen.

 

If you wish to avoid appearing on the Council’s webcast you should move to one of the galleries.”

 

Any Other Announcements

 

Minutes:

There were no announcements.

5.

Notification of Any Items of Business that the Chair Decides to Take as Urgent

Minutes:

There was no notification.

6.

Representations Received about Why the Meeting Should be Open to the Public

On occasions part of a Cabinet meeting will be held in private and not open to the public, if an item is being considered which is likely to lead to the disclosure of exempt or confidential information. In accordance with the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, members of the public can make representations about why that part of the meeting should be open to the public.

 

No such representations were received in respect of items on this agenda.

Minutes:

There were no representations received.

7.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 64 KB

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 12th January 2018.

Minutes:

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 12th December 2018 be approved and signed as a correct record.

8.

Matters Referred from a Council Scrutiny Committee

At this point in the meeting items referred from a Council Scrutiny Committee requiring urgent consideration will be taken.

 

Minutes:

There were no matters referred.

 

Please note that there were no alternative options considered or rejected by the Cabinet for the following items, unless indicated, although Cabinet Members duly considered, where applicable, options listed within the reports.

 

9.

Approval of Resource Base for Council Tax (CS/2019/04) pdf icon PDF 160 KB

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation

 

This report is about the council tax base which shows how much council tax could be raised across the Borough for each £1 of council tax charged at band D. This enables Camden to work out the right amount of tax to charge and ensure money is available to maintain the high standard of services required to support the Camden Plan. The tax base is also used by the Greater London Authority and the Garden Square Committees to work out their precept on the council tax.

 

The report is coming to the Cabinet and then to Full Council because the Constitution requires the Council to approve the council tax base every year.

 

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation.

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the following be recommended to Council:-

 

(i)            That the calculation of the Council’s tax base for 2019/20, as set out in the report, be approved;

 

(ii)          That in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by the London Borough of Camden as its council tax base for the year 2019/20 shall be 90,500 as shown in Appendix 2 to the report; and

 

(iii)         That the tax base for the three Garden Squares, as shown in Appendix 3 of the report, shall be as follows:-

 

Gordon Square                     24.50

Fitzroy Square                      52.84

Mecklenburgh Square        87.17

 

                        ACTION BY:             Committee Services

 

Reasons

 

For the reasons set out in the report.

 

10.

Approval of Resource Base for Business Rates (CS/2019/05) pdf icon PDF 94 KB

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation

 

This report asks the Cabinet to approve the estimate of business rates yield for 2019-2020. Camden is allowed to retain a proportion of the business rates collected, the purpose being that this encourages Councils to promote economic growth, which in Camden’s case can be reinvested back into Our Camden Plan objectives.

 

The report is coming to the Cabinet and then Full Council because the yield forms an important part of the budget and tax setting report before Cabinet on 20 February 2019.

 

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation.

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the following be recommended to Council:-

 

(i)            That the approach and assumptions for the calculation of the Council’s business rates yield, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report, be approved;

 

(ii)          That, in accordance with the Non-Domestic Rating (Rates Retention) Regulations 2013, the amount calculated by the London borough of Camden as its business rates yield for the year 2019-20 shall be £656 million as shown in line 17 of Appendix 1 to the report;

 

(iii)         That authority be delegated to the Executive Director Corporate Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation, to make any adjustments to the calculation of the estimated business rates yield for the year 2019-20, in order to reflect any technical amendments to the calculations or late regulatory changes made by the Treasury or in respect of the London Pilot Pool; and

 

(iv)         That authority be delegated to the Executive Director Corporate Services to submit the notification of the calculation of the estimated Non-Domestic Rates income to the Secretary of State and the Greater London Authority.

 

ACTION BY:             Committee Services

 

Reasons

 

For the reasons set out in the report.

11.

Housing Revenue Account Budget and Rent Review 2019/20 and Medium Term Financial Strategy (SP/2019/05) pdf icon PDF 255 KB

Report of the Cabinet Member for Better Homes

 

The budgetary context for the medium term is challenging with the Council needing resources to meet three key priorities; 1) building homes; 2) maintaining high quality housing stock; and 3) delivering a new standard in resident safety.  These challenges have been exacerbated by Government imposed annual rent reductions of 1% resulting in the need for savings, simply to balance the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget. 

 

Good quality housing is a key contributor to a number of Camden Plan objectives including providing sustainable neighbourhoods, reducing health inequalities and supporting complex families.  Cabinet decisions are required to produce a balanced HRA budget and in order to set the levels of rent and service charges and to update the medium term financial strategy to ensure it remains able to support the council’s key housing priorities.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Better Homes and to a late addendum setting out the views of the District Management Committees.

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT, having considered the views of the District Management Committees (Appendix G) and the Housing Scrutiny Committee, the following be agreed and that, subject to the agreement of the Chair of Housing Scrutiny Committee, the following decisions be exempted from call in to facilitate the notice of rent change being given to tenants:

 

(i)           The Housing Revenue Account budget for 2019/20 (Appendix A of the report) be approved;

 

(ii)          The implementation of the Government mandated reduction of council rents by 1% from April 2019 (paragraph 2.1 of the report) be confirmed;

 

(iii)         The updated Medium Term Financial Strategy (paragraph 2.3 of the report) be agreed and the revised MTFS savings target detailed in paragraph 2.4 and Appendix B of the report be noted;

 

(iv)         The revised tenant service charges for Caretaking, Communal Lighting, Mobile Security and Communal Mechanical and Electrical Maintenance (paragraph 3.1 of the report) be agreed;

 

(v)          A new service charge of £2.10/week for an enhanced CCTV service, to be levied from the April following the installation of a new CCTV service (paragraph 3.4 of the report), be agreed;

 

(vi)         That the Heating Pool scales remain unchanged and the surplus generated on bulk gas sites be refunded to tenants (paragraph 3.6 and Appendix E of the report);

 

(vii)       The revised service charges in the Housing Revenue Account hostels and supported housing (paragraph 3.7 and Appendix C of the report) be agreed;

 

(viii)      The revised Leaseholder Administration Charges (paragraph 3.8 and Appendix D of the report) be agreed.

 

ACTION BY:             Executive Director Supporting People

 

Reasons

 

For the reasons set out in the report.

12.

Procurement Strategy for the Renewal of Communal Heating Systems at Maiden Lane, Alexandra & Ainsworth and Weedington Road (SC/2018/66) pdf icon PDF 397 KB

Report of the Cabinet Member for Better Homes

 

The Council has a significant programme to renew or upgrade the communal heating networks across its housing stock. These systems can be large in scale and require extensive works. This report sets out the procurement strategy for the renewal of three systems at the Maiden Lane, Weedington and Rowley Way housing estates.

 

The report provides information on the nature and scope of the works and explains the rationale for the recommended procurement strategy. The report is coming to the Cabinet because the total value of the work across the three contract packages is estimated to be £25m in total and the Council’s Standing Orders require that the procurement strategy for contracts above £5m is approved by Cabinet.

 

Our Camden Plan sets out how the Council will respond to the vision of our community, set out in Camden 2025. Improving housing conditions is core to reducing inequality and the renewal of communal heating systems which are fully controllable, better insulated and energy efficient supports this work.

 

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Better Homes.

 

RESOLVED –

 

(i)            THAT the recommended procurement strategy, as summarised in paragraph 3.1.3 of the report, be approved; and

 

(ii)          THAT the award of each contract be delegated to the Executive Director Supporting Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Better Homes.

 

ACTION BY:             Executive Director Supporting Communities

 

Reasons

 

For the reasons set out in the report.

13.

Any Other Business that the Chair Decides to Take as Urgent

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.