Agenda

A copy of the record of the previous decisions taken at Cabinet on 8 December 2016 are attached.

RECOMMENDED that the record of the decisions taken at Cabinet on 8 December 2016 be approved as a correct record to be signed by the Leader.

The purpose of the report by the Deputy Director of Children's Social Care is to share with the Cabinet details of the Portsmouth Youth Offending Team's annual review of the three year Youth Justice Strategic Plan (Appendix 1).

RECOMMENDED: That Cabinet notes the achievements made by the Youth Offending Team in implementing the plan and endorses the priorities for the team and Management Board in maintaining high levels of practice and performance.

The purpose of the report by the Director of Children's Services is to seek agreement to allocate the Special Educational Needs Implementation Grant for 2017-18 plus the additional funding to conduct a strategic review of high needs provision. 

·         The implementation grant funding allocated to Portsmouth for 2017-18 is £147,605. This has been allocated as an unringfenced grant and so Cabinet approval is required in order to allocate this grant to the education directorate to support the continued implementation of the SEND reforms.

·         This funding will be used to continue to fund the additional staff who have been recruited to carry out the transfer of existing statements and learning disability assessments to education health and care plans, as specified in the new special educational needs and disabilities legislation (Children and Families Act 2014).

·         Additional funding has been allocated to enable all local authorities to carry out a strategic review of their high needs provision. Portsmouth has been allocated £90,993 for this purpose.

RECOMMENDED: Cabinet is recommended to:

(1)  Approve the allocation of the Special Educational Needs Implementation Grant of £147,605 in 2017-18 to the Education portfolio.

(2)  Approve the allocation of the funding of £90,993 to support high needs strategic planning in 2017-18 to the Education portfolio.

The purpose of the report by the Director of Culture and City Development is to provide background information on, and to seek an agreement in relation to, the appropriate inclusion of animals at events and circuses on Portsmouth City Council land or on any sites where a venue is operated on behalf of the City Council. 

RECOMMENDED

(1)  That the City Council adopts a clear and robust approach so we can effectively demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that animal welfare is a prime consideration while balancing the need to ensure a broad and varied events programme where animal involvement can appropriately be included, both for entertainment and education purposes.

(2)  That the City Council does not permit any circuses or events that include captive, endangered or wild animals to take place on City Council land or on any sites where a venue is operated on behalf of the City Council.

(3)  That the City Council agrees to permit performances and displays of animals (both domestic and working animals) at circuses and/or events with the provision that documentation and supporting evidence is submitted to the appropriate City Council department for consideration in advance. All paperwork must fully and appropriately demonstrate that the welfare of the animals has been considered and secured when performing, at rest and when in transit to the event and/or circus. This would require the submission of a veterinary certificate, risk assessments and animal welfare policy.

(4)  That the City Council will not permit mobile petting zoos, static exhibitions or the sale of animals (which includes invertebrates, reptiles and fish, excluding working animals) at any events on City Council land, or on any sites where a venue is operated on behalf of the City Council, irrespective of whether appropriate documentation is available or not. The exception to this would be Cumberland House Natural History Museum and Butterfly House, Blue Reef Aquarium, schools or similar where the main role of the venue is for educational or conservation purposes and that it can be demonstrated that all appropriate measures have been put in place to safeguard the well-being of the animals, invertebrates and insects on display there.

(5)  That only those domestic or working animals performing at the event and/or circus be permitted to be kept on site, excepting domestic pets of members of the circus.

(6)  That the wording within the Licence issued by the City Council that permits use of a site for circuses on its land be amended to state that 'the Licensee shall be permitted to hold a circus show provided only domestic or working animals shall take part in the circus show or be kept on the Site (save that domestic pets of circus members shall be permitted to be kept on the Site provided that they are not used to take part in performances or for exhibition purposes).

(7)  That the City Council's approach on animal involvement does not restrict pets as therapy sessions in care homes, dog walking, animal grooming or dog shows on City Council land or any sites where a venue is operated on behalf of the City Council, provided that animal welfare is appropriately maintained by those managing the activity. Should the City Council receive any reports or concerns of animal abuse or cruelty at any of these activities, these will be investigated and instructed to cease as necessary.

Purpose

1.1      The primary purpose of this report is to set the Council's overall Budget for the forthcoming year 2017/18 and the associated level of Council Tax necessary to fund that Budget.

1.2      The report makes recommendations on the level of Council spending for 2017/18 and the level of Council Tax in the context of the Council's recently refreshed Medium Term Financial Strategy with its stated aim as follows:

Overall aim

'In year' expenditure matches 'in year' income over the medium term whilst continuing the drive towards regeneration of the city, being entrepreneurial and protecting the most important and valued services.

1.3      The recommended Budget for 2017/18 has been prepared on the basis of the decisions taken by the City Council on the 13^th December 2016 relating to:

·         The Council Tax proposals for the general increase as well as the additional flexibility to increase Council Tax for Adults Social Care Services

·         The approved budget savings amounting to £9m

1.4      This report also provides a comprehensive revision of the Council's rolling 3 year financial forecast for the new period 2018/19 to 2020/21 (i.e. extending the forecast to 2020/21) considering both the future outlook for both spending and funding.  In that context, wider recommendations are made regarding the levels of reserves to be maintained and additional contributions to the Capital Programme in order to meet the Council's aspirations for the City as well as maintaining the Council's overall financial strength.

1.5      In particular, this report sets out the following:

(a)          The challenging but improving financial climate facing the City Council in 2017/18 and beyond and the consequential budget deficits that result

(b)          A brief summary of the Medium Term Financial Strategy for achieving the necessary savings as refreshed by the Council in December  2016

(c)          A brief recap of the budget decisions taken by the City Council at its meeting of the 9^th December 2016

(d)          The Revised Revenue Budget and Cash Limits for the current year

(e)          The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2017/18 to 2019/20

(f)           The Business Rate income for 2017/18 and future years

(g)          The Council Tax base and recommended Council Tax for 2017/18

(h)          The forecast Collection Fund balance as at 31 March 2017 for both Council Tax and Business Rates

(i)            The proposed Revenue Budget and Cash Limits for 2017/18

(j)            The forecast Revenue Budget and revised Savings Requirements for 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21

(k)          Estimated Revenue Balances over the period 2016/17 to 2020/21

(l)            The Medium Term Resource Strategy (MTRS) Reserve, its financial position and proposed use to achieve cashable efficiencies

(m)         The statement of the Section 151 Officer on the robustness of the budget in compliance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2003.

RECOMMENDED

That Cabinet agrees and recommends to Council that the recommendations in paragraphs 3.1-3.9 of the report be approved. 

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to:

·           Summarise the key features of the Capital Strategy approved by the City Council on 4^th February 2009 and the revised Capital Investment Priorities of the City Council, approved by City Council on 24^th January 2012

·          Highlight the inter-relationship between the capital programme, the revenue budget and the Medium Term Financial Strategy

·          Determine the corporate capital resources available including:

o  Adjustments for under and overspendings to the existing approved Capital Programme

o  Update the capital resources available for all new and changed grants, capital receipts, revenue contributions and other contributions

o  The identification of additional assets which the Administration wishes to declare surplus to requirements

·          Seek approval of the overall Capital Programme and "new starts" (including the Housing Investment Capital Programme) for 2016/17 and future years in accordance with the Capital Strategy

·         Describe and approve the Prudential Indicators arising from the revised Capital Programme 2016/17 to 2021/22

·         Delegate authority to the S.151 Officer to alter the mix of capital funding to

make best use of City Council resources

RECOMMENDED that Cabinet agrees and recommends to Council that the recommendations in paragraphs 3.1 and 3.2 in the report be approved.