Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interest they may have in any matter which is to be considered at this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

Agreed.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Resources on the Council’s provisional revenue and capital outturn position for the financial year 2007/08.

The final position for the Council’s General Fund revenue services highlighted an overall overspend of £563k, after carry forward requests from departments.

For the Housing Revenue Account, the final working balance showed a position of £2.3m which continued to demonstrate sound financial strength.

For Capital, the final position showed that £63.3m had been spent out of the original budgeted programme of £75.1m and a final working budget of £65.7m, which showed that continued progress had been made in quicker capital delivery based on accurate profiling.

Agreed, as a matter of good financial practice, to:

(i)  Note the final outturn position of the Council’s revenue budgets for 2007/08;

(ii)  Approve the use of the Council’s General Reserve balances to fund the minimal 2007/08 overspend;

(iii)  Approve the final in-year budget adjustments;

(iv)  Note the position of the working balance for the Housing Revenue Account;

(v)  Note the outturn position for the 2007/08 Financial Health Indicators;

(vi)  Note the final outturn position of the Council’s Capital programme;

(vii)  Approve the carry forward of categories A, B, D and E (i.e. committed and rolling programmes) from the 2007/08 Capital Programme to be incorporated into future years service capital programmes, and approve the carry forward of category C schemes (i.e. not yet contractually committed) subject to an appraisal through the EPO process;

(viii)  Approve that the appropriate 2008/09 budgets be adjusted for advanced expenditure in 2007/08 of £6.2m; and

(ix)  Note the outturn position for 2007/08 Prudential Indicators.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Resources setting out the three year Local Area Agreement (LAA) to be introduced in June 2008.  The LAA reflects the ambitions of all the Borough’s diverse communities and partners into priorities to be delivered by the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).

The final draft of the LAA will be submitted to Government Office for London and will be given final approval by Government Ministers by the end of June 2008.

Agreed, to assist the Council in achieving all its Community Priorities and deliver the Community Strategy, to adopt the draft LAA to be submitted to the Government Office for London and approval by the appropriate Secretary of State, subject to delegation of this function to the Executive by the Assembly.

Agreed to exclude the public and press for the remainder of the meeting, as the business was confidential.

Concerns the financial and business affairs of third parties (paragraph 3)

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Resources detailing the Council’s outturn position in respect of its treasury management activities, including returns on the Council’s investments and preparation for borrowing in order to fund the capital programme.

Agreed, in order to comply with the CIPFA Code of Practice for Treasury Management in the Public Services, to note the Treasury Management Annual Report for 2007/08.

Concerns a contractual matter (paragraph 3)

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Customer Services detailing:

(i)  The ambitious programme of investment in improving the condition of the Borough’s roads and footpaths with an area based approach; and

(ii)  The tendering process.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council in achieving its Community Priority ‘Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer’, to:

(i)  The appointment of Bardon Contracting to commence works;  and

(ii)  Authorise the Corporate Director of Customer Services to enter into formal discussions with Balfour Beatty Contracting on terms set out in the report and, if considered appropriate, to appoint Balfour Beatty as reserve contractor.        

(*The Chair agreed that these items could be considered as a matter of urgency under the provisions of Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.)