Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Councillors Attwood and Hanna.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1        Relevant Background Information

            Members will recall that the following process has been followed for setting the district rate and agreeing the estimates for 2012/13.

1.2       At the meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 9 December 2011 the recommendations approved by Members in relation to the 2012/13 revenue estimates included the following:

·        Officers should prepare the departmental cash limits report based on a reduction of £713k.

·        A stepped increase of £1m for the waste plan should be included in the estimates.

1.3       The purpose of this report is to present the cash limits for Departmental committees and the estimates for the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for 2012/13. An outline of the key priority actions for 2012/13 for each committee has also been included as appendices to the report.

1.4       The level of additional capital investment provided for within the rate and the related investment programme will be the main item of business of Budget and Transformation Panel on the 11 January 2012, after which recommendations on the capital investment element of the rate, the Estimated Penny Product and the level of District Rate will be presented to the Strategic Policy and Resources meeting on the 20 January 2012.

2          Key Issues

            Cash Limits For Department Committees and the Estimates for SP&R Committee

2.1       One of the key tasks for Members is to agree the estimates for the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and to set cash limits for the department committees. The following section of the report provides an overview of the estimates for 2012/13 and more detail is provided in the appendices to this report.  The table below summarises the movement in departmental estimates from 2011/12 to 2012/13.

2.2       The departmental estimates are budgeted to decrease by £713k on the 2011/12 net expenditure. The reduction in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

            The Chief Executive reminded the Committee that over the previous number of months in considering the Investment Programme the Members had stressed the need to ensure that the business community were properly consulted.  He advised the Members that he and the Director of Development would be meeting with representatives of the Business Alliance on Tuesday, 10th January to discuss the matter and he asked the Committee to consider which Members they would wish to attend the meeting.

            The Committee agreed that the Chairmen and the Deputy Chairmen (or their nominees) of the Strategic Policy and Resources and Development Committees should attend the meeting.

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received from the Northern Ireland Local Government Association asking the Council to host in the Council Chamber on Wednesday, 25th January the next meeting of the Regional Governance Group.  The Group was a political forum representing all twenty-six Councils in Northern Ireland.  The meetings of the Group would be held on a rotational basis around the twenty-six Councils and the first meeting had been held in the Council Chamber of Antrim Borough Council. 

            The Democratic Services Manager explained that the aim of the Group was to develop a Local Government Sector-led Improvement, Collaboration and Efficiency Programme in order to identify and explore potential opportunities for greater collaboration and joint working across the Local Government sector to secure potential efficiencies and improve service delivery.  The Council was represented currently on the Forum by the Chairman of the Committee and the meetings were also attended by the Assistant Chief Executive.

            The Committee agreed to accede to the request and approved the provision of appropriate hospitality.