Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of Resources providing an update on the progress of the capital programme as at June 2013.  The report includes an update of capital resources, a summary of schemes which have been upgraded from ‘Amber’ status to ‘Green’ status since February and also provides a summary of progress made on some major schemes.  In addition, the report advises of recent changes to the Capital Approvals process introduced to reduce bureaucracy and increase accountability, includes an update on the economic impact of the capital programme and provides an update on current approval levels in relation to schemes completed in the last financial year.  Finally, the report seeks some specific approvals in relation to funding injections and the method for distribution of Capital Receipts Incentive Scheme funding across all Wards.

The Director of Resources submitted a report providing an update on the progress made in respect of the capital programme as at June 2013.  The report included an update of capital resources, a summary of schemes which have been upgraded from ‘Amber’ status to ‘Green’ status since February 2013 and which also provided a summary of progress made on some major schemes.  In addition, the report advised of recent changes to the Capital Approvals process which had been introduced to reduce bureaucracy and increase accountability, included an update on the economic impact of the capital programme and provided details of current approval levels regarding schemes completed in the last financial year.  Finally, the report sought some specific approvals in relation to funding injections and the method for distribution of Capital Receipts Incentive Scheme funding across all Wards.

Responding to an enquiry, the Board received an update on the current position regarding the Changing the Workplace initiative, specifically around the work which had been undertaken in respect of Merrion House.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the latest position of the General Fund and HRA capital programmes be noted.

(b)  That the changes to the Capital Approval process, designed to reduce bureaucracy and improve accountability, be noted.

(c)  That the transfer of schemes from the Amber to the Green programmes, as set out within  section 3.4 of the submitted report, be noted.

(d)   That authority to incur expenditure of £734,000 to allow completion of an alternative technical solution to delivery of the Electronic Documents Records Management System (EDRMS), as set out within section 3.3.4 of the submitted report be approved.

(e)   That the following injections into the capital programme be approved:-

· £12,860,600 funded by government grant to enable the provision of additional primary school places;

· £1,247,000 funded by additional LTP grant towards costs of developing a Park and Ride facility at Elland Road;

· £355,000 of prudential borrowing, funded by Children’s Services Directorate to fund the replacement of Infobase IT system;

· £416,000 for the Refurbishment of Shire View former Home for Older People, funded by prudential borrowing;

· £311,200 unsupported borrowing for capitalisation of interest on assets under construction.

(f)  That the economic impact of the Council’s capital programme, as detailed within section 5 of the submitted report, be noted.

(g)   That the position on completed schemes and authority to spend be noted.

(h)  That approval be given for the ‘Capital Receipts Incentive Scheme’ receipts available for allocation across all wards, be transferred to the Area Committees with the sum available being allocated to individual Committees on the basis of the existing Area Wellbeing needs based formula.