Agenda and decisions

Members are requested to confirm as an accurate record the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 March 2024, the Annual meeting held on 22 May 2024 and the Special Meeting of Council held on 26 June 2024.

No motion or discussion may take place upon the Minutes except as to their accuracy, and any question on this point will be determined by a majority of the Members of the body attending who were present when the matter in question was decided. Once confirmed, with or without amendment, the person presiding will sign the Minutes

Members to declare any personal and financial interests in items on the agenda. Attention is drawn to the Council’s Constitution; the Council’s Code of Conduct and associated advice.

Presentation to the Council of petitions for consideration

Up to half an hour will be allowed for questions by Members of the Public.

Questions will be taken in the order notices are received by the Chief Executive.  Each question to have no more than one part.  No member of the public shall ask more than 2 questions at a meeting.

a.      To receive written responses to questions submitted by Members in line with procedure Rule A1.38.

b.      Up to 10 minutes will be allowed for Members’ oral questions in line with procedure Rule A1.43.

Each political party may select an item of business, from the list of items on the agenda, for early debate. 

Notedthe 2022/23 Annual Audit Letter.

Noted and endorsed the comments of the Audit and Risk Management panel as published

Noted a forecasted £27.3m overall resourcing gap in 2025/26, increasing substantially each year thereafter (Section 7)

Noted the potentially significant financial risks to the MTFS going forward (Section 6)

Noted that the MTFS is a continuous process and will be updated on a regular basis

Noted the Treasury Management Outturn Report for 2023/24 (Sections 4-10)

Noted the Capital Outturn Report for 2023/24 (Sections 11-14), which shows a substantial increase in investment from £177m in the previous year to £318m in 2023/24, which included;

·           £171m on the delivery of new homes via the Councils Greenwich Builds Programme:

o    £104m on the construction of new homes

o    £67m on the acquisition of new homes

·           £56m investment in existing Council homes.

·           £20m acquiring properties to meet Temporary Accommodation, Rough Sleeping and Refugee pressures.

Noted the recommended additional allocation of £1.3m of approved contingency within the Priority Investment Programme, as a match funding contribution towards the £17.2m Future High Streets Fund programme (11.5-11.6).

Noted that comments were sought from Cabinet (24 July 2024) and Audit and Risk Management Panel (22 July 2024) with respect to decisions 1.1 and 1.2.

Agreed to adopt the Royal Borough of Greenwich Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule (set out in Appendix 2 of the report).

Agreed that the CIL Charging Schedule will be implemented and effective from 26^th July 2024.

Approved that the prior CIL Charging Schedule (approved on 25 March 2015) is superseded by the latest CIL Charging Schedule (2024) for chargeable developments first permitted on or after 26 July 2024 (subject to paragraph 2, Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the CIL Regulations 2010 applying to relevant outline planning permissions).

Agreed that the Charging Schedule approved on 25 March 2015 shall remain in effect for chargeable developments first permitted prior to 26 July 2024 and outline planning permissions referred to in paragraph 2, Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the CIL Regulations 2010.

Agreed the composition of the Health and Wellbeing Board as set out in Appendix 2 of the report

Agreed the principle of political groups appointing Political Assistants within the framework of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

Approved that authority be designated to the Director of Legal Services/Monitoring Officer to make the additions to the Officer Employment Rules in Part 4 of the Constitution set out in Appendix B, pursuant to section 9(5) of the Local Government Act 1989 relating to assistants for political groups.

Agreed to allocate one Political Assistant post to the Labour Group (35 hours per week) and one to the Conservative group (17.5 hours per week) and approve the appointment procedure at paragraph 4.6, should either group wish to make an appointment.

Noted the decisions taken under urgency procedures at Section 4 of the report.

Noted that Councillor Majid Rahman has been appointed by the Leader of the Council to become the Cabinet Member for Planning, Estate Renewal and Development.

Noted that the vacancy occurred after Councillor Aidan Smith resigned from the Cabinet effective 24 July 2024.