Agenda item

To receive and consider a written report from the Leader on the work of the Executive, and the Executive recommendations for approval, as set out below:

A       Executive Leaders Report

A written report was received from the Executive Leader, Cllr Chris Steward, on the work of the Executive.

Members were then invited to question Cllr Steward on his report and questions were received from the floor from the following Members in relation to the subjects listed:

·        Cllr Gunnell  – request for a more proactive stance in relation to the Syrian Refugees and highlighting inconsistencies between the Leader and Executive Members reports in relation to progress on the Community Stadium

·        Cllr Cannon – public concern regarding the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) closure of Bootham Park Hospital and a request for support for an independent inquiry

·        Cllr S Barnes – current funding of Yearsley Pool to 2022 and the funding gap to 2028

·        Cllr Cuthbertson – request for an update on York’s devolution bid, following Sheffield’s recent successful bid

·         Cllr Kramm – in relation to the new Ward funding model

Cllr Steward responded directly to all the questions put to him.

B       Executive Recommendations

Older Persons’ Accommodation Programme: The Business Case

Cllr Steward moved, and Cllr Aspden seconded the following recommendation contained in Minute 34 of the Executive meeting held on 30 July 2015:

Recommended: That Council agree that the £1.156m Programme management costs be funded from existing Adult Social Care Capital Grant and are added to the Capital Programme and incurred over four years; these costs would be chargeable to revenue should the capital schemes fail to progress and that revenue budgets would be needed to address this.

Reason:     So that the project can progress.

On being put to the vote, the recommendation was declared CARRIED and it was

Resolved:   That the above recommendation in respect of funding of the Accommodation Programme management costs from the existing Adult Social Care Capital Grant be approved.^1.

Capital Programme Outturn 2014/15 and Revisions to the 2015/16 – 2019/20 Programme

Cllr Steward moved, and Cllr Aspden seconded the following recommendation contained in Minute 35 of the Executive meeting held on 30 July 2015:

Recommended: That Full Council agree the restated 2014/15 to 2018/19 programme of £206.231m as summarised in Table 3 and detailed in Annex A of the report. 

Reason:     To enable the effective management and monitoring of the Council’s capital programme

On being put to the vote, the recommendation was declared CARRIED and it was

Resolved:   That the above recommendation in respect of the restated capital programme be approved.^2.

Treasury Management Annual Report & Review of Prudential Indicators 2014/15

Cllr Steward moved, and Cllr Aspden seconded the following recommendation contained in Minute 36 of the Executive meeting held on 30 July 2015:

Recommended: That Full Council agree amendment to the Treasury Management Annual Investment Strategy per Annex B of the report and the Creditworthiness Policy wording to:

“Typically the minimum credit ratings criteria the Council use will be a short term rating (Fitch or equivalents) of Short Term rating F1 and Long Term rating A-. There may be occasions when the counterparty ratings from one rating agency are marginally lower than these ratings but may still be used. In these instances consideration will be given to the whole range of ratings available, or other topical market information, to support their use.”

Reason:     To ensure the continued performance of the Council’s Treasury Management function can be monitored.

On being put to the vote, the recommendation was declared CARRIED and it was

Resolved:   That the above recommendation to amend both the Treasury Management Annual Investment Strategy and the Creditworthiness Policy be approved.^3.

Capital Programme – Monitor 2015/16

Cllr Steward moved, and Cllr Aspden seconded the following recommendation contained in Minute 48 of the Executive meeting held on 27 August 2015:

Recommended: That Full Council agree the adjustments in the programme of a decrease of £5.091m in 2015/16 as detailed in the report and contained in Annex A.

Reason:              To enable the effective management and monitoring of the Council’s capital programme.

On being put to the vote, the recommendation was declared CARRIED and it was

Resolved:   That the above recommendation to agree the adjustments in the Capital programme be approved.^4.

Draft Council Plan 2015-19: Report on the Consultation Exercise

Cllr Steward moved, and Cllr Aspden seconded the following recommendation contained in Minute 60 of the Executive meeting held on 24 September 2015:

Recommended: That Council adopt the draft Council Plan for 2015-19.

Reason:              To ensure that the Council Plan is adopted by Council to inform service delivery of the priorities set out in the Plan.

On being put to the vote, the recommendation was declared CARRIED and it was

Resolved:   That the above recommendation to adopt the 2015-19 Council Plan be approved.^5.