Agenda item

Councillor I C Bates, Leader and Chairman of the Cabinet presented the Report of the meetings of the Cabinet held on 25th September, 16th October, 6th, 7th and 20th November 2008. 

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In connection with Item No. 42, the Executive Councillor for Finance and Environment, Councillor T V Rogers reported that the Minister of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government had announced that there were no adjustments proposed to the grant settlements for Huntingdonshire previously indicated for 2009/10 and 2010/11.  As a result approximately £600,000 in grant had been withheld to financially support other authorities.  In addition, the Executive Councillor highlighted several areas critical to the preparation of the budget and MTP for the period 2009/14, making specific reference to capital and revenue reserves and the difficulties which potentially might arise from exceeding the budgets for disabled facilities grants and concessionary fares.  Mention also was made of the significant level of spending adjustments identified by Heads of Service and Chief Officers following a review of budgets, MTP schemes and plans for the next five years and the continued uncertainty surrounding the Government’s approach to capping.

To clarify the position, the Executive Councillor reported that the District Council’s contribution to the County Council’s accident safety scheme on the A141/Kings Ripton road junction, Huntingdon would be financed from the MTP bid for the local transport plan (£30,000), Huntingdonshire Transport Strategy (£5,000) and Safe Cycle Routes (£20,000) with a balance of (£20,000) coming from LPSA reward funding. 

In concluding his address, Councillor Rogers envisaged that Council Tax was unlikely to rise above 4.99% leading to an increase of between 0.48p and £5.76 per month for a band D property.  Therefore, he commended the recommendation of the Cabinet on the draft budget and MTP 2009 – 2014 to the Council. 

The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor P J Downes, welcomed the contribution made by the Overview and Scrutiny Panels to the budgetary process and the clarification received on the position in respect of the A141 safety scheme.

Referring to the income raised by the Council from fees and charges, Councillor I C Bates, Leader of the Council, drew attention to the difficulties which might result from the effect of the economic downturn on income from planning fees, recycling credits and admissions to the leisure centre complexes, with a possibility that spending might require further adjustment to allow for any resulting loss of income over the next few months. 

Whereupon, having been moved and seconded and put to the vote the recommendation contained in Item No.42 was declared to be CARRIED

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In connection with Item No. 49 and in response to a question from Councillor P J Downes regarding the setting of more ambitious targets for recycling and composting, the Leader, Councillor I C Bates, referred the questioner to a response to a similar question given by the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change to a meeting of the County Council held on 21st October 2008 when Councillor Downes had been present.

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In connection with Item No. 50 and in response to a question from Councillor G S E Thorpe, regarding the extent of consultation thus far with town councils in the District over a proposal to introduce additional cleansing services in town centres on Sunday mornings, the Leader, Councillor I C Bates replied that the Head of Operations had been requested to investigate the feasibility of the proposal which had arisen following a study by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery).  Consultation with the town councils would follow and in the circumstances Councillor Bates suggested that it would be premature to draw any conclusions regarding a necessity to increase the town councils' precepts to cover additional cleansing rotas.

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Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

  that, subject to the foregoing paragraphs, the Report of the meetings of the Cabinet held on 25th September, 16th October, 6th, 7th and 20th November 2008 be received and adopted.