Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director Finance.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approves:-

(1)  the overall financial position for the 2022/23 Annual Capital Programme;

(2)  the amendments and the further funding requests to the Council’s Annual Capital Programme for 2022/23; and

(3)  the additional funding request for the purchase an additional workboat for the Harbour Team be included in the Council’s Annual Capital Programme for 2022/23.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report and as amended at the meeting.

The Executive received the report on the current position of the Council’s revised annual capital programme and advised Members of the anticipated level of deferred expenditure into future years. The report also sought Member approval to amend the annual capital programme to reflect the reported variations.

The Leader proposed an additional recommendation:-

·         That a further funding request be added for the purchase an additional workboat for the Harbour team. 

It was explained that the reason for the additional recommendation was that a delegated decision had been taken by the Director Net Zero Exeter & City Management and relevant Portfolio Holders to use unspent revenue budgets to fund the cost of £30,000 to purchase the new boat. The Council would then be able dispose of two boats, leading to some small savings in mooring fees and fuel costs. The delegated decision was to approve the funding for the capital asset and now required Council approval to make the purchase.

Members were advised that during the first nine months of the year, the Council had spent £52.592 million on the programme, and was compared with £12.924 million spent in the first nine months of 2021/22.

The Director Finance referred Members to the three further requests for funding outlined in section 8.6 of the report advising that the BLRF scheme would be financed by Grant, the Cathedral Green Display Cases would be financed from surplus money from the Guildhall shopping centre. The Topsham Museum would require borrowing for the further funding request.

Councillor D. Moore, as an opposition group leader, spoke on this item. She enquired about the budget line carried forward for the Exeter Quay Cellars cliff face, and whether the money would be made available for the re-opening of the Quay toilets.

The Leader, in responding, requested that response to the re-opening of the Quay toilets would be provided from the Portfolio Holder.

In response to a question raised by a Member, the Director Finance explained that the money for the Topsham Museum would cover extensive rendering and repair work to the front of the museum and associated work at the site. He would provide a detailed response on the work to be undertaken at the museum.

Following the discussion, the Leader moved and was seconded by Councillor Wright to include the additional recommendation in the report which was voted for unanimously and supported.

RECOMMENDED that Council approves:-

(1)  the overall financial position for the 2022/23 Annual Capital Programme;

(2)  the amendments and the further funding requests to the Council’s Annual Capital Programme for 2022/23; and

(3)  the additional funding request for the purchase an additional workboat for the Harbour Team be included in the Council’s Annual Capital Programme for 2022/23.