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Agenda and decisions

Venue: County Hall, Usk - Remote Attendance. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services 

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Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

2.

Declarations of Interest

3.

To consider the following reports (Copies attached):

3a

CORONAVIRUS STRATEGY: PROGRESS AND NEXT STEPS pdf icon PDF 782 KB

Division/Wards Affected: All

 

Purpose: To provide an overview of progress on the Council’s strategic aims set by Cabinet in the Winter Strategy.

 

To endorse an updated whole authority strategy for the summer and early autumn of 2021 that will sit alongside the Corporate Plan as we continue to deliver services within the context of the pandemic.

 

Authors: Matthew Gatehouse, Head of Policy Performance and Scrutiny

Emma Davies, Performance Officer

 

Contact Details: matthewgatehouse@monmouthshire.gov.uk

emmadavies@monmouthshire.gov.uk

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

That Cabinet assure themselves of the progress made against the purpose and strategic aims that have been in place in the Winter Strategy and use this to inform future activity.

 

That Cabinet formally endorse the purpose and strategic aims, set out in the latest strategy which is attached as appendix 2 to cover the summer and early autumn of 2021.

 

That Cabinet commits to the development of a more fundamental medium term planning document to be considered in late autumn of this year

3b

A COUNTY OF SANCTUARY pdf icon PDF 198 KB

Division/Wards Affected: All

 

Purpose: To ensure that Monmouthshire plays its part in accommodating and supporting a small number of asylum seekers as part of the vision for Wales to be a nation of sanctuary providing a safe haven for those fleeing persecution.

 

Author: Matthew Gatehouse, Head of Policy, Performance and Scrutiny

 

Contact Details: matthewgatehouse@monmouthshire.gov.uk

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

That the authority formally confirms a commitment in principle to playing its part in the national scheme to offer accommodation to those seeking asylum while their claims are processed, becoming a county of sanctuary for those fleeing persecution.

3c

2020/21 REVENUE & CAPITAL OUTTURN STATEMENT pdf icon PDF 704 KB

Division/Wards Affected: All

 

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to provide Members with information on the revenue and capital outturn position of the Authority based on capital slippage and reserve usage & deferment.

 

This report will also be considered by Select Committees as part of their responsibility to,

 

·       assess whether effective budget monitoring is taking place,

·       monitor the extent to which budgets are spent in accordance with agreed budget and policy framework,

·       challenge the reasonableness of projected over or underspends, and

·       monitor the achievement of predicted efficiency gains or progress in relation to savings proposals.

 

To provide an update on the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Council.

 

Author: Peter Davies, Deputy Chief Executive (Chief Officer Resources)

Jonathan Davies, Acting Assistant Head of Finance (Deputy S151 officer)

 

Contact Details: peterdavies@monmouthshire.gov.uk

jonathandavies2@monmouthshire.gov.uk

 

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

That Cabinet recognises a balanced net revenue budget position at outturn after accounting for transfers to earmarked reserves that represents a significant improvement of £5.15m from the overall deficit reported at month 9, primarily as a result of:

·       Receipt of £5.29m of Welsh Government Covid-19 hardship funding since month 9 to compensate the Council to support its enhanced costs of service delivery and loss of income as a direct result of Covid-19 impact;

·       Receipt of significant unbudgeted Welsh Government grants that were communicated to and received by the Authority late in the financial year and that have offset core budget funding;

·       Underspends across many service areas as a result of the pandemic and where services have been reduced or stopped, travel requirements have reduced, office and buildings have remained closed and substantial staff vacancies have remained unfilled.

 

That Members acknowledge the extent that the Welsh Government Covid-19 Hardship Fund has covered all Covid-19 related additional costs directly incurred during the financial year of £11.25m together with compensation for loss of income of £8.38m.

 

That Members note the 85% delivery of the service specific budgeted mandated savings as detailed in Appendix 2 and as agreed by full Council previously and the implicit remedial action/savings included in the financial outturn to compensate for circa 15% savings (£734k) reported as delayed or unachievable by service managers.

 

That Members endorse the strategy applied to replenish earmarked reserves as noted within the report to support future financial challenges and ensure financial resilience during a period of significant uncertainty as we continue to recover from the pandemic and as the delivery of our services change in light of a severely altered socio–economic landscape, and as wider policy commitments, both locally and nationally begin to take shape.

 

In taking the approach set out above, Cabinet recognises the extraordinary nature of the 2020/21 financial year and accepts that there remains significant recurring service pressures and risks in 2021/22 and over the medium term.

 

Cabinet notes the unprecedented improvement in Schools reserve balances of £3.85m as contained in Appendix 1 that has resulted in 15 of the 17 schools entering the year in deficit returning to a surplus balance. This reflects the significant levels of grant support from Welsh Government that was notified late in the financial year primarily relating to Schools Revenue Maintenance Grant and Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards.

 

That Cabinet endorses the requirement for schools carrying significant surplus balances that are above levels guided by Welsh Government to provide investment plans setting out how they intend to spend their significant surplus balances, whilst also appreciating that the inherent structural budget deficits that have led to 17 schools being in deficit at the start of the year remain and require resolution irrespective of additional funding received.

 

That Members consider the capital outturn spend of £19.0m, introducing an underspend of £3.18m primarily due to underspending of the capitalisation directive budget and specific grant related schemes and that this subsequently releases £1.08m of capital receipts back to reserve for  ...  view the full decision text for item 3c

3d

UK GOVERNMENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES: LEVELLING UP FUND AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL FUND pdf icon PDF 549 KB

Division/Wards Affected: All

 

Purpose: To consider the Council’s proposals for the submission into two UK Government funding opportunities; Levelling Up Fund and Community Renewal Fund and provide a strategic overview of the emerging projects and priority areas.

 

Author: Frances O’Brien, Chief Officer Enterprise

 

Contact Details: francesobrien@monmouthshire.gov.uk

Decision:

To endorse the strategic direction of travel as set out within the report and to note the bid criteria and deadlines which define the shape of the projects that are eligible for submission.

3e

SHIRE HALL / MONMOUTH MUSEUM pdf icon PDF 153 KB

Division/Wards Affected: Drybridge

 

Purpose: To update members with progress on the feasibility study to establish a new

Cultural destination at the Shire Hall Monmouth including the relocation of the current

Monmouth Museum and the review of museum collection storage.

           

To propose a phased approach to the new provision

 

Authors & Contact Details: Ian Saunders    - Chief Operating Officer MonLife

Email: iansaunders@monmouthshire.gov.uk  Tel: 07876545793

 

Matthew Lewis – Environment & Culture Manager MonLife

Email: matthewlewis@monmouthshire.gov.uk Tel: 07990783165

 

Tracey Thomas - Engagement and Workforce Development Manager MonLife

Email: traceythomas@monmouthshire.gov.uk Tel: 07818 016924

 

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

To note the progress in undertaking a feasibility study to establish a new cultural offer at Shire Hall incorporating the Monmouth Museum and the review of museum collection storage.

 

To approve the establishment of an initial phase within Shire Hall and to confirm that Monmouth Museum will not reopen in Market Hall.

 

To reopen key areas of Shire Hall for public use, subject to Covid regulations and any restrictions required to allow the completion of the phase 1 provision incorporating temporary museum displays.

 

Cabinet recommends to Council a £250,000 contribution from capital receipts to facilitate the initial phase of works, and that in turn will also provide a match funding contribution to the Levelling Up Fund bid for Monmouth that would if successful enable the longer term vision to be achieved.

 

Future reports be presented to Cabinet as the long term proposals for Shire Hall, Monmouth and for museum collection storage are further developed

3f

DIGITAL AND DATA pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Division/Wards Affected: All

 

Purpose: To provide an overview of changes to staffing arrangements which create a new Digital Design and Innovation Team, strengthen our information governance arrangements and broadens the remit of the existing performance team to include data analytics.

 

To seek approval for the strategic direction that will be taken by these re-purposed teams as they utilise investment agreed as part of the 2021-22 budget process to transform how we meet needs and achieve our purpose beyond the pandemic and into the next stage of the development of our organisation and county.

 

Author: Matthew Gatehouse, Head of Policy, Performance and Scrutiny

Sian Hayward, Head of Digital

 

Contact Details: matthewgatehouse@monmouthshire.gov.uk

sianhayward@monmouthshire.gov.uk

 

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

To approve the direction of travel set out within this paper which will enable the council to build on successes to date and move at greater pace to achieve services transformation in line with the strategic direction set within the Corporate Plan.

 

The costs to implement the proposals will be funded through £300k budget provision incorporated in the 2021/23 budget and Medium Term Financial with the remainder being met from existing service budgets.

3g

WELSH CHURCH FUND WORKING GROUP pdf icon PDF 125 KB

Division/Wards Affected: All

 

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to make recommendations to Cabinet on the Schedule of Applications for the Welsh Church Fund Working Group meeting 1 held on the 15th April 2021 and meeting 2 held on the 13th May 2021

 

Author: David Jarrett – Senior Accountant – Central Finance Business Support

 

Contact Details: davejarrett@monmouthshire.gov.uk

Additional documents:

Decision:

That grants be awarded as per the schedule of applications.