Agenda item

To receive the minutes and consider the recommendations and/or referrals from the following meetings of the Executive Committee:

15^th December 2015

The Committee makes recommendations to the Council on the following items:

Minute 61 – Bereavement Services – Review of Cremation Fees and Charges and Proposed Capital Works;

Minute 62 – Fees and Charges Review

Minute 64 – Finance Monitoring Quarter 2 2015/16.

12^th January 2016

The Committee makes recommendations to the Council on the following:

Minute 77 – Purchase of Crossgates House

Minute 78 – Housing Revenue Account 2016-17

The recommendations and reports relating to these items are included with the agenda pack.  Copies of the minutes are included in Minute book no. 5.

Members considered the recommendations from the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 15th December 2015.  During consideration of these minutes a detailed discussion was held about the Bereavement Services – Review of Cremation Fees and Charges and Proposed Capital Works and the following points were raised:

·                The level of increase that had been proposed to the charges for bereavement services.

·                The Council’s existing fees for bereavement services and how these compared to charges at other local authorities.

·                The extent to which residents could afford higher fees.

·                The provision of a free service for cremations to non-residents aged 18 years old or younger and the number of young people each year within this category for whom this service was provided.

·                The intention to invest any surplus generated from the increased fees in improvement works at the crematorium.

An amendment was proposed to one of the recommendations seeking to restrict free cremation services only to young people who were residents of Redditch and aged under 18.  However, this proposed amendment was defeated.

Members also considered the minutes from the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 12th January 2016 and debated the following items in detail:

a)        Purchase of Crossgates House

Members discussed a number of points as follows:

·                Whether there was sufficient demand for office space to justify the purchase and it was suggested that the Town Hall office space could be used more effectively;.

·                Agreements with Bromsgrove District Council for provision of office space to staff in shared services and the income received from this;

·                The suitability of purchasing a property in challenging economic circumstances.

·                The length of time it would take for the Council to pay for the property and the potential for the asset to appreciate in value over time.

b)        Housing Revenue Account Rent and Capital 2016-17

Some key points were considered during the debate about this item:

·                The reduction of rents for tenants living in Council houses by one per cent per annum and the impact that this would have on Council finances.

·                The potential impact the reduction in rents would have on the finances of tenants on low incomes.

·                The original 30 year business plan to pay back the Government for purchasing the Council housing stock and the difficulties of achieving this following legislative change.

·                The value of building more Council houses or purchasing new stock to replace properties sold under the right to buy scheme.

RESOLVED that

1)        the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on 7th December 2015 be received and all recommendations adopted; and

2)        the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on 12th January 2016 be received and all recommendations adopted.