In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct this is the time for Members to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests or non-pecuniary interests they may have in any matter being considered at this meeting having regard to the guidance attached to the agenda.

Decisions of Cabinet made on 30^th January 2024

For the reasons set out in the report and its appendices Cabinet RESOLVED to Agree to:

i)  Note the Council’s performance in complaints handling during the fiscal year 2022/23, and the planned actions that will be taken in 2023/24 to review the complaints operating model.

Alternatives Considered

a)  None required.

For the reasons set out in the report and its appendices Cabinet RESOLVED to Agree to:

i)  Note the report and its appendices.

ii)  Note the financial controls.

Alternatives Considered

N/A

For the reasons set out in the report and its appendices Cabinet RESOLVED to Agree to:

i)  Note the Budget Scrutiny Report 2024 and the Executive Response.

Alternatives Considered

N/A

For the reasons set out in the report and its appendices Cabinet RESOLVED to Agree to:

2.1  Endorse the budget proposals for the year 2024/25, as summarised in this report and detailed in Appendices One, Two, Three and Four, to be recommended to Full Council for approval, save for the amendments set out in recommendations 2.1.1 to 2.1.6, inclusive

2.1.1. Vary the published budget by deleting the following savings proposals:

  2.1.1a   SAV/CYPS/007 24-25

  2.1.1b  SAV/MAR/001 24-25

  2.1.1c   SAV/MAR/009 24-25

  2.1.1d SAV/CYPS/016 24-25

2.1.2 Vary the published budget by deleting the following growth proposal:

      2.1.2a  GRO/RES/006 24-25

2.1.3 Vary the published budget by adding an additional saving of £610,000, over and above those included in the published budget, by making further savings in communications and policy staffing and in the Mayor’s office budgets

2.1.4  Vary the published budget by deleting all revenue and capital budgets for 2024/25 associated with the Newham Sparks project, reflecting a pause in the current proposals

2.1.5 Undertake a rigorous review and reconsider the Council’s contribution (financial and in-kind) to the Borough of Culture bid

2.1.6  Delegate to the Corporate Director of Resources to make such changes as are necessary to the report and appendices to reflect the substance of recommendation 2.1.1 to 2.1.4, inclusive

2.2  Agree to recommend to Full Council the General Fund net budget requirement for 2024/25 to be set at £395m as set out in Appendix Seven, the Medium Term Financial Strategy, save for the amendments set out in recommendations 2.2.1 and 2.2.2

2.2.1  Delegate to the Corporate Director of Resources to amend the “net budget requirement” figure published at recommendation 2.2 to such other figure as reflects the effect of recommendations 2.1.1 to 2.1.4, inclusive

2.2.2. Delegate to the Corporate Director of Resources to amend Appendix Seven, and such other references in the report as may be necessary, to give effect to recommendation 2.2.1

2.3  Recommend to Full Council an overall 4.99% increase in the Council’s element of council tax for 2024/25 with 2% as a precept for Adult Social Care and a 2.99% general increase.

2.4  Endorse the proposals relating to empty and second homes, reducing the minimum period that a property is empty before a premium is charged to one year from 1st April 2024, and to apply a premium for second homes from 1^st April 2025.

2.5  Note the allocation of the Public Health Grant for 2024/25 as detailed in Appendix Eight.

2.6  The HRA Business Plan as set out in Appendix Nine.

2.7  An average 7.7% rent increase on all Council-owned rented accommodation (including homes managed under a PFI contract), and 6.7% service charge increases as set out in Section Ten of this report.

2.8  To recommend to Full Council the capital programme along with the minimum revenue provision policy as set out in Appendix Three.

2.8.1 Delegate to the Corporate Director of Resources to amend Appendix Three, and such other references in the report as may be necessary, to give effect to  ...  view the full decision text for item 8.

For the reasons set out in the report and its appendices Cabinet RESOLVED to Agree to:

i)  The assets listed in Exempt Appendix 1 should be disposed of, provided a suitable price can be obtained.

ii)  Delegate authority to Corporate Director of Resources, in consultation with the Lead Member for Finance and Corporate Services and the Director of Property to finalise the terms of the disposals set out in Exempt Appendix 1 in accordance with the terms set out Appendix 2.

iii)  Delegate to the Corporate Director of Resources, in consultation with the Lead Member for Finance and Corporate Services and the Director of Property authority to agree any non-material amendments as may be necessary to achieve suitable sales, including delegation to agree the price in accordance with paragraph 4.7 and to take all necessary actions to complete the freehold transfers, together with any necessary ancillary agreements.

iv)  Note that further due diligence will be carried out on other assets within the Council’s portfolio, with a subsequent report to be presented to Cabinet ahead of any potential sales.

v)  Approve the setting of a disposals budget as set out at Paragraph 4.8.

vi)  Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Resources, in consultation with the Lead Member for Finance and Corporate Services, to approve any necessary procurement processes and to award of contract or contracts for legal and professional services to progress the relevant sales and as set out in paragraph 4.8.

vii)  Note the methodology to be taken on disposals as set in Exempt Appendix 2.

Alternatives Considered

a)  The proposed prioritisation of sales is based primarily on financial considerations, i.e. the income that would be lost compared with the capital receipt likely to be generated. An alternative approach would be to prioritise sales based on alternative criteria. This may include prioritising assets located outside of the borough or assets of a certain type e.g. retail or industrial premises. Such approaches would result in a lower financial benefit but would be more aligned to retaining a degree of influence over local economic activities.

b)  Another approach would be to prioritise the sale of freehold interests where the Council has previously sold a long lease. In such cases, the Council has little influence of the use of a property and is unable to actively promote its redevelopment or improvement until the lease ends. This is typically at least 30 years away and often much longer. Similarly, the leaseholder has little incentive to invest in the property as it does not have long-term ownership. Selling its freehold interest would normally remove such barriers to development.

c)  Both alternatives are realistic and very reasonable alternatives to the approach in this report and should be given consideration in reaching. a decision. However, as stated in paragraph 4.5, the scale of sales proposed is insignificant compared to the Council’s total property holdings and any future, more substantial, transactions will only be considered after the wider property strategy has been agreed.

For the reasons set out in the report and its appendices Cabinet RESOLVED to Agree to:

i)  The Residential Building Safety Strategy – High-rise Buildings (at Appendix 1).

ii)  Delegate authority to the Director of Housing, in consultation with the Lead Member for Housing Management and Modernisation, to update and amend the strategy from time to time if changes in future legislation.

Alternatives Considered

a)  Do nothing - This is not an option. As a landlord, the Council has a duty to ensure:

·  Its properties are maintained to a proper standard and in line with legislative obligations and;

·  effective and appropriate management of its available financial resources.

For the reasons set out in the report and its appendices Cabinet RESOLVED to Agree to:

i)  The Populo Group Business plan for 2024/25 (Appendix 1).

Alternatives Considered

a)  Populo is required by the Council to produce a Business Plan for each financial year. The alternative of the Council not agreeing the Business Plan would leave Populo operating within the parameters of the previously approved Business Plan for 2023/24.

For the reasons set out in the report and its appendices Cabinet RESOLVED to Agree to:

i)  Approve the Recycling, Waste and Street Cleansing Strategy (attached at Appendix A of this report) and agree with the actions outlined in the Action Plan (Section 7) of the Strategy.

ii)  Approve the updated planning guidance outlined in the ‘Waste Management Guidelines for Architects and Property Developers’ attached at Appendix B of this report.

iii)  Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Environment and Sustainable Transport in consultation with the Lead Member for Environment and Sustainable Transport to make minor amendments to both the appended Waste and Street Cleansing Strategy and the Waste Management Guidelines for Architects and Property Developers.

Alternatives Considered

a)  The alternative to publishing the Recycling, Waste and Street Cleansing Strategy would be to continue without a defined strategy. This could result in stagnant recycling rates, would not contribute sufficiently towards Newham’s targets to increase recycling and meet the Council’s net zero goals, and may mean that the Council cannot meet incoming Government requirements.

For the reasons set out in the report and its appendices Cabinet RESOLVED to Agree to:

i)  Approve the preferred preliminary scheme design following its endorsement by the community in an extensive recent public consultation exercise, as detailed in Appendix A and B.

ii)  Approve the pooling of the existing funding allocations already secured for this phase of the scheme into one package, circa £816k for 2023/24.

iii)  Note that Officers have made an application to TfL for funding for circa £4m to fund Phase 1A, if successful, approve the Council drawing this funding down to complete this phase of the scheme.

iv)  Grant delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Environment & Sustainable Transport, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Sustainable Transport to:

a)  complete detailed design and implementation of this phase of the scheme in parcels, according to funding allocations being available, using the Council’s term highway contractors;

b)  undertake the necessary statutory consultation process regarding the supporting traffic regulation orders for the implementation of the scheme, and to make the supporting traffic orders as required, subject to no material objections being received;

c)  continue to secure additional funding from external sources for the development and delivery of this phase of the scheme.

Alternatives Considered

a)  One alternative is to not complete the detail design and deliver Phase 1A of the CFR7. However, this would represent a significant missed opportunity to secure an improvement in the conditions for cycling and pedestrians in the borough, and the associated public health and environmental benefits that the presented scheme offer. This is especially significant when it would also be mostly funded by external parties.

b)  For the reasons as outlined above, this alternative is not recommended.

c)  As part of the design process, several options where investigated. All of these were variations of what is now presented to Cabinet. These were refined as part of the design process, to the do-something option, that is now being presented.

To resolve that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business to the extent that exempt information as described in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 is likely to be disclosed.