A report by the Interim Director of Finance informed the Cabinet of the current position regarding the Council’s 2012-13 to 2014-15 Capital Programme.  The Interim Director’s report reflected the following:

·  the re-profiled 2012-13 capital programme budget;

·  the expenditure to date, which continued to be less than it should be;

·  a request for a revision to the Capital Programme to reflect slippage of £10m of schemes into the 2013/14 Financial Year;

·  a request for an increase in the Programme for schemes requiring no unsupported borrowing;

·  the projected outturn figures for 2012-13, which suggested an under spend of £12m on the revised programme; and

·  the current funding of the Programme and its future affordability, which was subject to a review.

Appendix 1 to the report detailed Capital Freeze Projects considered during October 2012.

Councillor Phil Davies welcomed the work being undertaken to ensure a more robust Capital Programme.  He also welcomed:

(a)  the schemes that had been supported;

(b)   the Capital Steering Group that had been established; and

(c)  the work to maximise capital receipts. 

Items involving capital and revenue would continue to be scrutinised when they were put forward.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the Cabinet:

(a)  agrees the revised Capital Programme of £65.609m;

(b)  agrees slippage in the programme of £10.025m from 2012/13 to 2013/14;

(c)  agrees an increase to the programme of £0.855m for Regeneration, Housing and Planning schemes which do not require financing from unsupported borrowing and in respect of use of a Children and Young People Aiming High for Disabled Children grant of £0.3057m;

(d)  notes the spend to date at month 6 of £14.3m, which represents 21.8% of the revised capital budget, with 50% of the financial year having elapsed;

(e)  notes the work of the Capital Steering Group to detail the schedule of sites to validate the estimate of capital receipts; and

(f)  notes that a future report will include proposals to cease or reduce schemes arising from a review of the current capital programme.

(2)  the Cabinet also agrees the rejected freeze items set out in Appendix 1 in the columns ‘rejected’ totalling £899,610 as evidenced in paragraph 2.15 of the report.