Agenda and decisions

Apologies were received from Councillor Wearmouth.

Minutes of the meeting of the meeting of Cabinet held on Tuesday 12 February 2024, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the meeting of Cabinet held on Tuesday 12 February 2024, as circulated, 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 where a matter arises at a meeting;

a.         Which directly relates to Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (‘DPI’) as set out in Appendix B, Table 1 of the Code of Conduct, to disclose the interest, not participate in any discussion or vote and not to remain in room. Where members have a DPI or if the matter concerns an executive function and is being considered by a Cabinet Member with a DPI they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with the matter.

b.         Which directly relates to the financial interest or well being of a Other Registrable Interest as set out in Appendix B, Table 2 of the Code of Conduct to disclose the interest and only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting but otherwise must not take part in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not remain the room.

c.         Which directly relates to their financial interest or well-being (and is not DPI) or the financial well being of a relative or close associate, to declare the interest and members may only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak. Otherwise, the member must not take part in discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room.

d.         Which affects the financial well-being of the member, a relative or close associate or a body included under the Other Registrable Interests column in Table 2, to disclose the interest and apply the test set out at paragraph 9 of Appendix B before deciding whether they may remain in the meeting.

e.         Where Members have or a Cabinet Member has an Other Registerable Interest or Non Registerable Interest in a matter being considered in exercise of their executive function, they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with it.

NB Any member needing clarification must contact monitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk. Members are referred to the Code of Conduct which contains the matters above in full. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter.

Financial Performance 2023-24 – Position at the end of December 2023

The purpose of the report is to ensure that the Cabinet is informed of the current and forecast financial position for the Council against the Budget for 2023-24 (Agenda item 4).

RESOLVED that:-

(a)      Cabinet approve the following:

·            the re-profiling to the Capital Programme of £47.326 million from 2023-24 to 2024-25 to reflect estimated expenditure levels in the current financial year. £4.738 million of this has already been factored into the 2024-25 to 2027-28 Medium Term Financial Plan.

·            the utilisation of £2.000 million from the Business Recovery Reserve to fund additional financial support for Active Northumberland in recognition of significant inflationary pressures and to allow Active Northumberland to maintain reserves at a sufficient level to facilitate an orderly closure of the business and transition to the new leisure provider. Any funds remaining upon the winding up of the business will transfer back to the Council to support leisure services in Northumberland.

(b)      Cabinet note the following:

·            the projected overspend on services of £3.527 million and the assumptions outlined in this report.

·            the projected net overspend of £0.510 million after the utilisation of the reserves.

·            £2.000 million underspend on the Todstead Landslip scheme resulting in only £3.000 million of the £5.000 million allocation from the Severe Weather Reserve being required.

·            the supplementary estimates at Appendix A and the required changes to the budgets.

·            the delivery of the approved savings at Appendix B.

·            the use of the contingency shown at Appendix L.

·            the use of reserves shown at Appendix M.

·           the virements requested by services shown at Appendix N.

·            the details of capital project reprofiling shown at Appendix O.

Summary of New Capital Proposals considered by Officer Capital Strategy Group

This report summarises proposed amendments to the Capital Programme considered by the Capital Strategy Group (Agenda item 5).

RESOLVED that:-

(a)      A197 Bothal Terrace, Ashington

1)    Cabinet note the capital grant secured of £0.200 million via Sustrans from the Department for Transport (DfT) 6 National Cycle Network (NCN) Activation Programme.

2)    Cabinet approve the proposed spend and amend the capital programme in 2024-25 to include the capital grant of £0.200 million.

(b)      Wooler Visitor Infrastructure

3)    Cabinet approve the spend of £0.106 million to carry out the works detailed in section 6.

4)    Cabinet approve the amendment to the Capital Programme to reallocate £0.106 million from the Strategic Regeneration Projects – Wooler Visitor Infrastructure to the Wooler Parking project in 2024-25.

(c)      Energising Blyth Strategic Acquisitions

5)    Cabinet approve the amendment to the Capital Programme to reallocate £0.634 million (£0.382 million in 2023-24 and £0.252 million in 2024-25) from the Energising Blyth Acquisitions Project to the Strategic Acquisitions project.

(d)      Prudhoe Waterworld Soft Play

6)    Cabinet approve the spend of £0.060 million to replace the existing soft play area at Prudhoe Waterworld in 2024-25.

7)    Cabinet approve the amendment to the Capital Programme to reallocate £0.060 million from the Prudhoe Waterworld project to the Prudhoe Waterworld Soft Play project in 2024-25.

To consider such other business as, in the opinion of the Chair, should, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

The Cabinet 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 Items          Paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A

8                               Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information).

AND                         The public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the interest in disclosure because disclosure could adversely affect the Authority’s ability to conduct its affairs and achieve best value.

Summary of New Capital Proposals considered by Officer Capital Strategy Group

To consider a confidential appendix in relation to item 5 on this agenda (Agenda item 8).