North Yorkshire County Council
17 February 2021
The Report of the Executive
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1.0 Purpose of the Report 1.1 To provide County Council with details of reports received, decisions made and recommendations to County Council by the Executive since the last meeting of the County Council on 18 November 2020.
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2.0 Details of meetings
2.1 The following sections provide details of decisions made and recommendations to County Council by the Executive since the last meeting of the County Council on 18 November 2020. The meetings were held on the following dates: 24 November 2020; 8 December 2020; 12 January 2021 and 26 January 2021.
All of the meetings were live broadcast and the recordings of the meetings are available via the following link - https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/live-meetings
2.2 24 November 2020 Executive Meeting
The Executive met on Tuesday 24 November 2020. It was a live broadcast meeting using MS Teams and OBS software. County Councillor Carl Les in the Chair, plus County Councillors David Chance, Gareth Dadd, Caroline Dickinson, Michael Harrison, Andrew Lee, Don Mackenzie, Janet Sanderson and Greg White.
Apologies: County Councillor Patrick Mulligan.
Other Councillors Present: County Councillors Stanley Lumley, David Hugill and Paul Haslam.
Substantive agenda items were:
· Lowering the age range of Stillington Community Primary School to 3-11
· Conditions related to Department for Transport Grant Funding for A59 Kex Gill
· Review of North Yorkshire County Council’s 20 mph Speed Limit Policy
· Feedback from meetings of the Area Constituency Committees.
The link to the reports and minutes from this meeting is as follows:
2.3 8 December 2020 Executive (Performance Monitoring) Meeting
The Executive met on Tuesday 8 December 2020. It was a live broadcast meeting using MS Teams and OBS software. County Councillor Carl Les in the Chair, plus County Councillors David Chance, Gareth Dadd, Caroline Dickinson, Michael Harrison, AndrewLee, Don Mackenzie, Patrick Mulligan, Janet Sanderson and Greg White.
Other Councillors Present: County Councillors Stanley Lumley, Janet Jefferson, Derek Bastiman, Annabel Wilkinson, John Ennis and Paul Haslam,
Substantive agenda items were:
· Quarter 2 Performance Monitoring and Budget Report
· Children and Young People’s Service - Schools Condition Capital Programme 2020/21
· Annual Complaints Report including LGSCO Complaints
· Feedback from meetings of the Area Constituency Committees
· Potential Purchase of Land within the Harrogate Borough Area. (The was deferred to a future meeting.)
The link to the reports and minutes from this meeting is as follows:
2.4 12 January 2021 Executive Meeting
The Executive met on Tuesday 12 January 2021. It was a live broadcast meeting using MS Teams and OBS software. County Councillor Carl Les in the Chair. plus County Councillors Gareth Dadd, David Chance, Caroline Dickinson, Michael Harrison, Andrew Lee, Patrick Mulligan, Janet Sanderson and Greg White.
Apologies County Councillor Don Mackenzie.
Substantive agenda items were:
· Schools Budget 2021-2022
· St Hilda’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Whitby - Closure Proposal
· Feedback from meetings of the Area Constituency Committees.
The link to the reports and minutes from this meeting is as follows:
2.5 26 January 2021 Executive Meeting
The Executive met on Tuesday 26 January 2021. It was a live broadcast meeting using MS Teams and OBS software. County Councillor Carl Les in the Chair. plus County Councillors Gareth Dadd, David Chance, Caroline Dickinson, Michael Harrison, Andrew Lee, Don Mackenzie, Patrick Mulligan, Janet Sanderson and Greg White.
In attendance: County Councillors Paul Haslam.
Substantive agenda items were:
· Feedback from meetings of the Area Constituency Committees
· Revenue Budget 2021/22 and Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).
· Council Plan 2021-2025.
· Performance Monitoring of 1 Hour Free Parking on Northallerton High Street.
· Admission Arrangements.
· Kell Bank CE Primary School - Proposed Closure.
· Healthy Child Programme Consultation Report.
· Approval of the 0-19 Healthy Child Draft S75 Agreement.
The link to the reports and minutes from this meeting is as follows:
3.0 Recommendations by Executive for approval/information at County Council
The following recommendations were made by Executive at the above meetings for approval and/or information at County Council:
3.1 Revenue Budget 2021/22 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS)
This item was considered at Executive on 26 January 2021, where Executive was asked to recommend to County Council for approval the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2021/22 to 2024/25, the Revenue Budget for 2021/22 and Council Tax for 2021/22.
Item 7a is a full copy of the report.
The Executive RECOMMENDS:
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1. That the County Council approve the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2021/22 to 2023/24, the Revenue Budget for 2021/22 and Council Tax for 2021/22, which includes:
a) The Section 25 assurance statement provided by the Corporate Director for Strategic Resources regarding the robustness of the estimates and the adequacy of the reserves (paragraph 9.12) and the risk assessment of the MTFS detailed in Section 10 be noted. b) In accordance with Section 42A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended by Section 75 of The Localism Act 2011), a Council Tax requirement for 2021/22 of £332,531,725.62 be approved and that a Council Tax precept of this sum be issued to billing authorities in North Yorkshire (Section 4.3 and Appendix D). c) In accordance with Section 42B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended by Section 75 of The Localism Act 2011), a basic amount (Band D equivalent) of Council Tax of £1,411.05 be approved (paragraph 4.3.6 and Appendix D). d) That a Net Revenue Budget for 2021/22, after use of reserves, of £400,248k (Section 5.0 and Appendix F) be approved and that the financial allocations to each Directorate, net of planned savings, be as detailed in Appendix C. e) In the event that the level of overall external funding (including from the final Local Government Settlement) results in a variance of less than £10m in 2021/22 then the difference be addressed by a transfer to/from the Strategic Capacity unallocated Reserve in line with paragraph 4.2.6 with such changes being made to Appendix E as appropriate. f) The Corporate Director for Children and Young People’s Service be authorised, in consultation with the Corporate Director for Strategic Resources and the Executive Members for Schools and Finance, to take the final decision on the allocation of the Schools Budget including High Needs, Early Years and the Central Schools Services Block (paragraph 3.1.15). g) A sum of £720k be provided in 2021/22 and a further sum of £720k be provided in 2022/23 for Member Locality Budgets as set out in paragraph 4.8.2. h) A one-off sum of £1m be provided in 2021/22 to provide pump priming for Carbon Reduction & Environmental schemes as set out in paragraph 4.8.3. i) The Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2021/22 to 2023/24, and its caveats, as laid out in Section 4.0 and Appendix G be approved. j) The Corporate Director for Business & Environmental Services be authorised, in consultation with the Executive Members for BES, to carry out all necessary actions, including consultation where he considers it appropriate, to implement the range of savings as set out in Appendix B1 (BES 1 to 6). k) The Corporate Director for Health and Adult Services be authorised, in consultation with the Executive Members for HAS, to carry out all necessary actions, including consultation where he considers it appropriate, to implement the range of savings as set out in Appendix B1 (HAS 1 to 7). l) The Corporate Director for Children and Young People’s Services be authorised, in consultation with the Executive Members for CYPS, to carry out all necessary actions, including consultation where he considers it appropriate, to implement the range of savings as set out in Appendix B1 (CYPS 1 to 5). m) The Chief Executive be authorised, in consultation with the Executive Members for Central Services, to carry out all necessary actions, including consultation where he considers it appropriate, to implement the range of savings as set out in Appendix B1 (CS 1 to 9). n) Any outcomes requiring changes following Recommendations j), k), l) and m) above be brought back to the Executive to consider and, where changes are recommended to the existing major policy framework, then such matters be considered by full County Council. o) The existing policy target for the minimum level of the General Working Balance is retained and be set at £28m in line with paragraphs 4.5.4 to 4.5.5 and Appendix F. p) The pay policy statement (Appendix I) covering the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 be approved as set out in Section 7. · The delegation arrangements referred to in Section 12 that authorise the Corporate Directors to implement the Budget proposals contained in the report for their respective service areas and for the Chief Executive in those areas where there are cross-Council proposals, be noted and approved. · In approving the Budget proposals contained in the report, the Executive gave due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty (identified in Section 8 and Appendix J).
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3.2 Capital Plan
The item was considered at Executive on 26 January 2021, where Executive was asked to recommend the Capital Plan to County Council for approval.
The Executive RECOMMENDS:
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That County Council approve the Capital Plan, which includes:
a) The refreshed Capital Plan summarised at paragraph 3.4 be approved; b) A £1.0m budget provision from Capital Receipts be approved, to address the DfE funding conditions for the proposed Free School development as set out at paragraph 3.13 and that authority be delegated to the Corporate Director, Children & Young Peoples Service in consultation with the Corporate Director, Strategic Resources and the Assistant Chief Executive, Legal & Democratic Services to agree terms and arrangements with the Department for Education; c) No action be taken at this stage to allocate any additional capital resources (paragraph 6.7).
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3.3 Treasury Management Strategy
This item was considered at Executive on 26 January 2021, where Executive was asked to recommend to County Council for approval the Treasury Management Strategy.
The Executive RECOMMENDS:
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That County Council approve the Treasury Management Strategy, which includes:
· Capital Prudential Indicators (Appendix A), Borrowing Strategy and Treasury Prudential Indicators (Appendix B) and Annual Investment Strategy 2021/22 (Appendix C), and in particular: i. an authorised limit for external debt of £577.9m in 2021/22; ii. an operational boundary for external debt of £557.9m in 2021/22; iii. the Prudential and Treasury Indicators for 2021/22 to 2023/24: iv. a limit of £40m of the total cash sums available for investment (both in house and externally managed) to be invested in Non-Specified Investments over 365 days; v. a 10% cap on capital financing costs as a proportion of the annual Net Revenue Budget; vi. a Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policy for debt repayment to be charged to Revenue in 2021/22; vii. the Corporate Director – Strategic Resources to report to the County Council if and when necessary during the year on any changes to this Strategy arising from the use of operational leasing, PFI or other innovative methods of funding not previously approved by the County Council; · The Capital Strategy as attached at Appendix D; and · The Treasury Management Policy Statement as attached at Schedule 1.
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3.4 Council Plan 2021-2025
This item was considered at Executive on 26 January 2021, where Executive was asked to recommend to County Council for approval the draft Council Plan and that the County Council authorise
Item 7b is a full copy of the Council Plan 2021-2025 report.
The Executive RECOMMENDS:
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That County Council approve the draft Council Plan and authorises the Chief Executive to make any necessary changes to the text, including reflecting decisions made by the County Council on the budget, Medium Term Financial Strategy and updated performance data.
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3,5 Admissions Arrangements
This item was considered at Executive on 26 January 2021, where Executive was asked to recommend to County Council for approval the proposed admissions arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools for the school year 2022/23.
Item 7c is a full copy of the Admissions Arrangements report.
The Executive RECOMMENDS:
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That County Council be recommended to approve the proposed admission arrangements, which includes: · Admission policy for community and voluntary controlled schools; · Admission policy for nursery schools, schools with nursery classes and pre-reception classes, appendices 1 & 2. · Co-ordinated admission arrangements at Appendix 3; · In-Year Fair Access Protocol at Appendix 4; · Published admission numbers (PAN’s) for community and voluntary controlled schools as shown in Appendices 5 (Primary) & 6 (Secondary).
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3.6 Appointment to Committees and Other Bodies
This item was considered under any other business at Executive on 12 January 2021, where Executive was asked to nominate County Councillor Stephanie Duckett to the Looked After Children Members Group.
The Executive RECOMMENDS:
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That County Council note that County Councillor Stephanie Duckett be confirmed a Member of the Looked After Children Members Group.
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CARL LES
Leader
County Hall
Northallerton
8 February 2020