Agenda item

Decision taken by the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Property & Business Services

DECISION:

That, on behalf of the Cabinet, the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Property & Business Services:

1.    Note the budget position as at February 2019 (Month 11) as outlined in Table 1;

2.    Note the Treasury Management update as at February 2020 at Appendix E;

3.    Agree to continue the delegated authority to the Chief Executive to approve any consultancy and agency assignments over £50k, with final sign-off of any assignments made by the Leader of the Council. To also note those consultancy and agency assignments over £50k approved under delegated authority between 12 March 2020 and 23 April 2020, detailed at Appendix G;

4.    Accept a grant of £250k from Network Rail for carriageway works at Station Approach, West Drayton;

5.    Approve to charge an affordable rent for the 19 new build general needs flats at Acol Crescent - Roundel House (£174.59 pw for one bedroomed flats and £231.08 pw for two bedroomed flats in 2020/21) as detailed in Appendix F;

6.    Approve acceptance of £66k grant funding from the Food Standards Agency for the costs of EU Exit planning;

7.    Approve acceptance of £35k grant funding from the Food Standards Agency for the costs of the implementation of the Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625 (OCR).

8.    Agrees funding of £8k to the Mayor of Hillingdon's Charitable Trust in lieu of the Council not entering the Mayor of London's New Year’s Day Parade in 2020.

9.    Note the following recent decisions taken under the Leader’s Emergency Power in response to Coronavirus:

a)    Approved essential changes to the Council's contractual arrangements during the Pandemic, including the implementation HM Government’s COVID-19 Procurement Policy Note issued on 20 March 2020;

b)   Accepted a £6.86m social care grant from HM Government and agreed an immediate spend of £1.87m of this grant to support our Social Care providers in maintaining resilience over the coming months;

c)    Agreed a 10% temporary uplift to permanent front-line social care staff salaries amounting to £197k revenue to reflect their critical role at this time;

d)   Agreed up to £50k external grant funding for H4All to support the local voluntary sector response;

e)    Released £49k of capital funding for urgent works to secure the Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Centre site following its temporary closure.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet Members were informed of the final Month 11 forecast revenue, capital and treasury position for the current year 2019/20 to ensure the Council had achieved its budgetary and service objectives.

Additionally, Cabinet Members made a number of financial decisions, including the acceptance of external grant funding towards various schemes and set affordable rent charges for new flats built in the Borough. Some funding was also granted towards the Mayor’s Charitable Trust in place of the monies usually incurred for the Lord Mayor of London’s New Year’s Day Parade.

Importantly, Cabinet Members noted some of the key emergency decisions taken by the Leader of the Council over recent weeks as part of the Council’s robust response to the Coronavirus national emergency.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None.

Officer to action:

Paul Whaymand, Finance