Decision status: Recommmend Forward to Council
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hamilton-Cox)
Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer Resources that proposed a Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy for 2024-25 to complement Phase 2 of the Council’s Outcomes-Based Resourcing programme – Fit for the Future.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
Option 1: Adopt the Strategy
Advantages
The Council will be able to make use of the Flexible Capital Receipts provision in delivering its Fit for the Future programme.
Disadvantages
None identified from this report.
Risks
Capital receipts, savings and transformation benefits may not be realised as anticipated in the Strategy; the associated risks will be mitigated through the implementation of the Fit for the Future programme.
Option 2: Do not adopt the Strategy
Advantages
None identified from this report.
Disadvantages
The Council will be unable to consider funding savings initiatives and service transformation through use of capital receipts, and may therefore be unable to achieve the savings, outcomes and benefits anticipated from these projects.
Risks
Not adopting a Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy at this point would severely constrain the Council’s ability to deliver its Fit for the Future programme.
The officer preferred option is Option 1, to enable the Council to make use of the Flexible Capital Receipts provision in supporting its savings and service transformation initiatives over the coming years. This report, if approved, will enable the council to use capital receipts to fund savings and service transformation initiatives. Failure to adopt a Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy will severely constrain the council’s ability to pursue these initiatives.
Councillor Hamilton-Cox proposed, seconded by Councillor Wood:-
“That the recommendation, as set out in the report, be approved.”
Councillors then voted:-
Resolved unanimously:
(1) That Full Council be recommended to approve the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy 2024/25 as set out in the report, in accordance with the relevant statutory guidance.
Officer responsible for effecting the decision:
Chief Officer Resources
Reasons for making the decision:
Statutory guidance from the Department for Levelling Up, Homes and Communities (DLUHC) and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) enables local authorities to make flexible use of capital receipts to fund projects which are likely to generate savings to the authority and / or other public bodies. To make use of this provision, authorities must submit to the Secretary of State a Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy setting out how the provision will be applied in the next financial year.
If adopted by Council, the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy would form part of the council’s Policy Framework. From a strategic perspective, enabling the use of capital receipts to deliver savings and service transformation initiatives will give the council scope to pursue its Outcomes-Based Resourcing programme with greater flexibility and effectiveness.
Publication date: 12/03/2024
Date of decision: 07/03/2024
Decided at meeting: 07/03/2024 - Cabinet
Accompanying Documents: