Agenda

Minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 12 January 2021, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required to disclose any personal interest (which includes any disclosable pecuniary interest) they may have in any of the items included on the agenda for the meeting in accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council on 4 July 2012, and are reminded that if they have any personal interests of a prejudicial nature (as defined under paragraph 17 of the Code Conduct) they must not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room. NB Any member needing clarification must contact Legal Services, on 01670 623324. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter.

The purpose of this report is to enable the Cabinet to make formal budget

recommendations to the County Council.

The report provides the Revenue Budget for 2021-22 and Revenue Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2021-24 and the Capital Budget for 2021-22 and Capital MTFP to 2021-24, following the Government’s Spending Round Announcement 2020 (SR 2020), on 25 November 2020, and the publication of the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement on 17 December 2020.

It is important to note that there may need to be some revisions to the figures following receipt of the Government’s February 2021 Final Local Government Finance Settlement figures. It is proposed that any changes to the figures as a result of this announcement, which impact on the Budget 2021-22 and MTFP 2021-24 are delegated to the Council’s Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services.

This report informs Cabinet of the outcomes of the consultation on School Admission Arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools for the 2022/23 Academic Year as required by the School Admissions Code 2014.  Approval (determination) of these admission arrangements is also sought (Appendix A).

The report of the FACS OSC on this matter will be circulated when the Committee has met.

The Green Economy and Climate Change have never been more important for Northumberland.  The Climate Change Action Plan sets out the actions that the Council will take to create a net-zero Northumberland by 2030, whilst also seeking to attract green investment into the county and generate more green jobs.

The Action Plan focuses on the priorities for the next two years (2021/22, 2022/23) alongside the work required to develop the strategies and deliver the projects needed from 2023. Fundamental to the delivery of this Action Plan will be a county wide change in mindset and behaviours, which will only be possible through effective and far reaching engagement and partnerships with residents, communities, businesses, visitors and central government.  The Action Plan builds on and supersedes the previous Climate Commitment Action Plan 2020-21 (Appendix B).

The report of the CSEG OSC on this matter will be circulated when the Committee has met.

The report summarises proposed amendments to the Capital Programme considered by the officer Capital Strategy Group on 6 January 2021 (Appendix C).

It is expected that matters included in this part of the Agenda will be dealt with in private.  Reports referred to are enclosed for members and officers only, coloured pink and marked "Not for Publication".

The Committee is invited to consider passing the following resolution:

(a)    That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item on the Agenda as it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the 1972 Act, and

(b)    That the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure for the following reasons:-

Agenda Item            Paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A

10                             3

                                Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). The public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure because the negotiations with Government to secure external funding would be prejudiced.

To outline the content of the negotiated Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and the role of the County Council in subsequent delivery (Appendix D).

The report of the CSEG OSC on this matter will be circulated when the Committee has met.