Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies.

There were no declarations.

There were no deputations.

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

There were no announcements.

There was no notification.

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.

There were no representations.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 16^th January 2019.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 16^th January 2019 be approved and signed as a correct record.

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

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.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation

Camden continues to operate in a financially challenging environment. Continued austerity coupled with rising cost pressures and growth in demand for services means that the Council faces a budget deficit of between £35m and £40m by 2021/22. In December 2018, Cabinet approved a financial strategy that not only sought to ensure that the Council could continue to operate on a sound financial footing over the medium term, but also to align the Council’s limited resources to achieving the ambition for our borough, residents and communities as set out within Our Camden Plan.

This report sets out the detailed budget for 2019/20 in the context of that medium term financial strategy. It asks Cabinet to make recommendations to Full Council, and for Full Council to agree the council tax for 2019/20 that will allow the authority to balance its budget in 2019/20.

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

In response to a question regarding whether the uplift in Climate Change Alliance fees would mean businesses would have to pay more for the service in future and, if so, what the likely change in number of businesses buying our services under that scheme would be, the Cabinet Member undertook to seek clarification from officers on this.

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT the decisions below be exempt from call in (as agreed by the Chair of the Resources and Corporate Performance Scrutiny Committee) on the grounds of urgency, and for the reasons set out in Paragraphs 2.2 to 2.3 of the report;

(ii)          THAT, in relation to fees and charges

(a)        The new fees and charges and those increasing above 5%, as discussed in Appendix B1 and listed in Appendix B2 of the report, be agreed.

(b)        Authority be delegated to the relevant Director to decide increases to existing fees and charges up to a maximum of 5% or to keep them at the same amount, in consultation with the relevant portfolio holder.

(c)        Full Council be recommended to approve the existing and new fees and charges discussed in Appendix B1 and listed in Appendices B3 and B4 of the report.

(iii)         THAT it be noted that no feedback has been received following the consultation with Non-Domestic Ratepayers as set out in Paragraphs 6.1 and 6.2 of the report, and that the equality impact assessment in Appendix F of the report be noted.

(iv)         THAT the following be recommended to Full Council for approval:

(a)        The council tax requirement for the year 2019/20 of £112,412,186.

(b)        The calculations for determining the council tax requirement for the year 2019/20 in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as set out in Appendix C.

(c)        To note that the 2019/20 Greater London Authority (GLA) precept set out in this report is £320.51 for Band D and is subject to Greater London Authority approval of the budget.

(d)        That the Council sets the amount of council tax for 2019/20 as detailed in Appendix C of the report and notes that this will mean a Camden element of council tax of £1241.84 (3.99% increase) for Band D residents not in garden squares.

(e)        That the Council hereby determines that its basic amount of council tax for the financial year 2018/19 is not excessive as outlined in Paragraph 2.31 of the report.

(f)         That the Council agree the Capital Strategy as set out in Appendix E.

(g)        The budget summary as set out in Table 5.

(h)       To note the Garden Squares levy requirements received for each Garden Square Committee for 2019/20 as shown in Table 7.

(v)          THAT the proposals in paragraphs 2.52 to 2.54 of the report, to allow for the use of general balances and earmarked reserves, be agreed.

ACTION BY:             Executive Director Corporate Services

Reasons

For the reasons set out in the report.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation

This report sets out the Treasury Management Strategy for 2019/20 including the Borrowing and Investment Strategies.

Our Camden Plan includes a commitment to “strong financial management”. A robust and effective Treasury Management Strategy is crucial to enabling this ambition. This report provides a perspective on the management of investments of £267m and debt of £343m worth of Council resources, considers the Council’s long term borrowing needs and updates on external factors that impact the future treasury management plans of the Council.

The report is coming to Cabinet and Council because it is a Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) requirement for the Treasury Management Strategy to be agreed by those committees.

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

RESOLVED –

THAT the following be endorsed and recommended toCouncil for agreement:-

(i)            the Borrowing Strategy as set out in section 2 (paragraphs 2.11 – 2.18) and Appendix 2 of the report;

(ii)          the operational boundaries and authorised limits in Table 1 of the report;

(iii)         the prudential and treasury management indicators set out in the tables presented in Appendices 1, 2 and 3 of the report;

(iv)         the Investment Strategy as set out in section 2 (paragraphs 2.19 – 2.27) and Appendix 3 of the report;

(v)          the creditworthiness policy and credit rating criteria as set out in Appendix 3 of the report;

(vi)         the investment instruments categorised as specified and non-specified in Appendix 4 of the report; and

(vii)        the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy for depreciating assets set out in Appendix 5 of the report.

ACTION BY:             Executive Director Corporate Services

Reasons

For the reasons set out in the report.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Safer Communities

This report seeks authorisation to use community protection notices to tackle anti-social behaviour that is having a negative impact on individuals and communities in Camden.

Community protection notices (CPNs) give councils and the police the power to issue warnings and formal notices to individuals and businesses committing environmental or community safety related anti-social behaviour that is having a negative impact on a local community’s quality of life. The CPN process requires officers to use informal approaches to tackle anti-social behaviour before issuing a full CPN. This includes a written warning to the person or organisation committing anti-social behaviour, to ensure they are aware of the impact of their behaviour and to allow them time to put thing right. Therefore, the use of CPNs would complement the council’s restorative approach to tackling anti-social behaviour by supporting us to intervene early to tackle ASB, preventing problems escalating and allowing perpetrators to see the impact their behaviour is having on others and the opportunity to rectify it.

The use of CPNs will help deliver the council’s Our Camden Plan objectives by supporting our work to reduce anti-social behaviour, keep residents safe, and ensure our green spaces, streets, estates and public spaces are clean, attractive and safe.

The report seeks authorisation to:

·         Use community protection notices, known as CPNs, to tackle cases of noise nuisance, waste issues and community safety related anti-social behaviour across the borough as outlined in paragraphs 2.8 – 2.12 of this report.

·         Set the level of penalty for breach of a CPN at a maximum of £100.00 per CPN, with a reduced penalty of £80.00 if paid within 14 days.

Under the Council’s Constitution the introduction of new fees and charges require Cabinet approval.

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Safer Communities.

In response to a question regarding whether the Council would ensure that it could take action against those who owned or had interest in land on which anti-social behaviour was taking place, the Director of Community Services undertook to clarify this.

The Cabinet

RESOLVED –

(i)            THAT the use of community protection notices across the borough to tackle instances of environmental and community safety related anti-social behaviour, as set out in paragraphs 2.8 to 2.12 of this report, be agreed.

(ii)          THAT a set level of Fixed Penalty Notice, under Section 52 of the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, be agreed, at the maximum amount of £100.00 for the offence of failing to comply with a community protection notice, and a reduced amount of £80.00 if paid within 14 days of issue.

(iii)         THAT authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services and the Director of Place Management to take all necessary steps to put the above decisions into effect in their respective areas, including the authority to authorise officers as set out in paragraph 1.13.

The Leader

RESOLVED –

THAT authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Safer Communities to keep under review the use and implementation of Community Protection Notices as outlined in this paper and to take any further decisions in respect of the use of those powers in the areas set out in this report.

ACTION BY:             Executive Director Supporting Communities

Reasons

For the reasons set out in the report.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Promoting Culture and Communities

Leisure centres form part of Camden’s physical activity system and contribute to Camden 2025 and Our Camden Plan objective for citizens to live healthy and independent lives by creating opportunities to be physically active.

This report sets out the strategy to procure the leisure centre management contract. The current contract with Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) ends in March 2020. It is proposed that a contractual arrangement with a leisure centre operator through a competitive process is the most advantageous method for commissioning the future management of our leisure centres.

This report is coming to Cabinet in order to obtain approval for the procurement strategy as set out within the body of this report.

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Promoting Culture and Communities.

RESOLVED –

THAT, having considered the citizen and stakeholder research findings set out in section 1 of the report and the results of the equalities impact assessment in Appendix 1 to the report, and having due regard to the needs set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010

(i)            The Design Principles for the Camden Leisure Centre Management Contract set out in section 1.7 of the report be agreed.

(ii)          The Procurement Strategy for the Camden Leisure Centre Management Contract set out in section 3 of the report be agreed; and

(iii)         Authority be delegated to the Executive Director Supporting Communities, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Promoting Culture and Communities, the Executive Director Corporate Services and the Borough Solicitor, to authorise the contract award and any associated steps, including any refinement of methodology and the grant of leases of the Leisure Centres, necessary to give effect to the Procurement Strategy and the contract. 

ACTION BY:             Executive Director Supporting Communities

Reasons

For the reasons set out in the report.

There was no urgent business.