PAPER C


                                                                                                                                                      

Committee:    FULL COUNCIL

 

Date :              22 FEBRUARY 2006

 

Title :               CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2006 - 07

                       

REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR RESOURCES, AUDIT, AN EFFICIENT COUNCIL AND CUSTOMER CHAMPION

 

 


SUMMARY

 

1.                  To consider the Council’s Capital Programme and Treasury Strategy for the 2006/9 period, including the requirements of the Prudential Code for Capital Finance.

 

2.         The CIPFA Prudential Code of Capital Finance in Local Authorities specifies indicators the Council must consider in determining how much it will borrow for capital purposes. The code requires the Council in determining its capital programme to set a range of indicators for the 2006/9 period, which form part of the budget setting process.

 

BACKGROUND

 

3.         The Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) developed a Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities (the Prudential Code), to underpin the system of Capital Financing introduced by the Local Government Act 2003. Local Authorities are required by regulation to comply with the code when carrying out their duties under Part 1 of the Act.

 

4.         The new system is intended to place a greater emphasis on accounting practices, and professional guidance. The advantage of this is that it is usually less prescriptive than legislation, and can be amended more easily in response to developments in local authority accounting. Furthermore, accounting guidance can often be more flexibly interpreted in the local context, whereas legislation is often inflexible. The Local Government Act 2003 requires local authorities to take account of CIPFA’s Prudential Code in setting borrowing limits, and as the CPA process develops, part of the financial use of resources assessment will examine the approach authorities have taken.

 

5.         The code requires authorities to set a number of indicators and limits in respect of capital investment and borrowing. The CIPFA requirements of the code are set out in Appendix A, together with the limits proposed by the Chief Financial Officer for 2006-9.  These limits are consistent with the recommended capital programme as contained within the body of this report.

 

STRATEGIC CONTEXT

 

6.                  The recommended capital programme has regard to the Council’s Capital Strategy, which details how the Council plans and applies its capital resources.

 

CONSULTATION

 

7.         The overall capital programme provides for consultation with a wide range of parties and stakeholders, as detailed in the Council’s Capital Strategy and Asset Management Plan.

           

FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPLICATIONS

 

8.         The Supported Capital Expenditure (SCE) that is applicable to the 2006/7 financial year is detailed below. As in previous years the indication is that failure to spend at these levels in respective service areas will impact on future supported borrowing in those service areas. The equivalent figures for 2005/6 are also detailed for comparative purposes.

 

                                                                                          2006/07              2005/06

                                                                                               £000                   £000

                            Education                                              11,308                  3,385

                            Highways                                                 4,523                  5,941

                            Housing                                                    1,769                  1,769

                            Social Services                                          175                      112

                            Fire Services                                              127                      123

                            Ventnor Landslips Works                              -                      275       

                                                                                            17,902                11,605

 

These supported borrowing levels are contained in the proposed outline capital programme as detailed in Appendix B. In addition, £1,220,000 of bids are shown, in line with the programme currently approved for 2005-06.

 

            The total level of SCE for the 2006/7 financial year is up by £5.3 million from the previous year, principally due to a large increase in that available for Education.

            This increase principally arises from the Governments increased national spending to raise investment and standards of school buildings.

 

            Coast Protection Schemes have been previously funded through a combination of SCE and Government Grant.  With effect from 1st April 2006 it is intended that such schemes will be fully grant funded by the Department of the Environment, Food and Regional Affairs (DEFRA).

 

            In addition to the above are additional Highways allocations specific to Ryde Interchange and the Undercliff drive.  These provisional allocations have yet to be formalized but a total of £1.7m and £4.5m respectively for 2006/7, have been included in the Prudential Indicators as set out in Appendix A.

 

9.         Capital Investment in respect of service areas falling outside of SCE have been previously funded by the generation of capital receipts.  The programme for 2006/7 and 2007/8 as approved by Council in February 2005 in respect of such investment is also contained in Appendix B.  It is anticipated that a total of new capital receipts of £2 million will be generated in 2006/7.

 

10.       The Officer Capital Working Group is reviewing current capital bids for prioritisation against available resources.  The Group will also be reporting to Directors regarding any application of Prudential Borrowing to finance capital investment and any recommendations on such will be brought forward to the Cabinet with a full option appraisal.

 

11.       It has become increasingly difficult to realise capital receipts and the Council as part of recent capital finance considerations approved a total of £2 million of unsupported borrowing (prudential borrowing) for the past two years.  This sum was for use in the event of planned capital receipts being delayed, or for projects that would be self-financing over the medium term (on an ‘Invest to save’ principal) and which would be subject to a robust business case being approved by the Cabinet. A new requirement for prudential borrowing also arises from the need to neutralize retrospective adjustments to the accounts caused by changes to national policies. Use of prudential borrowing for this purpose does not affect capital financing costs so affordability is not an issue.

 

12.       It has been the Council’s practice for some years to acquire its plant and vehicles through an operating lease. Under the former capital finance regime this had the advantage that such acquisitions did not qualify as capital expenditure and so require scarce capital resources.  The annual revenue premiums associated with operating leases became a charge on the budget of the service receiving the asset.  Under the Prudential Code, an authority may choose to purchase rather than lease its vehicles, and an option appraisal would need to take place in order to decide as to whether leasing or purchase was the most cost effective method of financing.  The revenue cost of prudential borrowing in such instances would fall as a cost to the relevant service budget just as lease premiums had under the previous capital finance regime.

 

13.       No capital provision has been made at this stage in respect of a replacement for the County Records office.  Initial forecasts for a replacement are for an associated cost of £4.5 million.  It is currently anticipated that a grant funding of two thirds of this sum could be available from the Heritage and Lottery Fund.  Initial works on a feasibility study for a replacement Records Office is to be undertaken during the next financial year.

 

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

14.       CIPFA’s Prudential Code is regarded as mandatory guidance associated with the Local Government Act 2003.

 

OPTIONS

 

15.      (i)         To approve the recommended outline Capital programme for 2006/9 as contained in Appendix B.

            (ii)        To amend the proposed programme having regard to other budget pressures and/or capital priorities.

            (iii)       To approve the prudential indicators as detailed in Appendix A.

            (iv)       To amend the prudential indicators.

            (v)        To approve the annual Treasury Strategy as contained in Appendix C.

            (vi)       To amend the Treasury Strategy.

 


EVALUATION/RISK MANAGEMENT

 

16.      All capital investment carries risk and available resources to finance such investment are increasingly limited; capital bids have been evaluated on a scoring mechanism in order to prioritise against available resources. The CIPFA Code of Practice for Treasury Management and Treasury Strategy taken together are the instruments which provide for the identification, management and control of all risk associated with the Councils treasury management activity and the pursuit of optimum performance consistent with those risks. The proposed Treasury Strategy for 2006/7 is in accordance with the Prudential Code and is attached as appendix C.


 

17.   CAPITAL PROGRAMME RECOMMENDATIONS

 

i.      That the overall capital programme for 2006-07 be set at the level of supported capital expenditure plus available capital grants and receipts plus approved prudential borrowing plus approved and resourced schemes slipped from previous years.

 

ii.    That Supported Capital Expenditure (SCE) levels be allocated to each respective Strategic Director for prioritisation, and subsequent approval by the Cabinet, with the use other resources being the subject of recommendations to the Cabinet from time to time.

 

iii.  That a contingency of £3 million of unsupported capital borrowing be approved, for use in the event of planned capital receipts not being received on time, for Invest to save Schemes that are approved by the Cabinet, for the acquisition of vehicles and plant where an option appraisal demonstrates purchase to be financially beneficial compared to leasing, and to neutralize the impact of retrospective adjustments to the minimum revenue provision requirement.

 

iv.  To approve the prudential indicators and limits as set out in Appendix A.

 

v.    That the Chief Financial Officer, be delegated responsibility for effecting changes between the ‘borrowing’ and ‘long-term liabilities’ elements of the authorised limit and operational boundaries for external debt, as contained in Appendix A.

 

vi.  That the relevant Cabinet Member be delegated authority to amend the Capital Programme as priorities may determine, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resources, Audit, Council Efficiency & Customer Champion, relevant Directors and the Chief Financial Officer.

 

vii.That the Treasury Strategy for 2006/07, as set out in Appendix C, be approved.

BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

Local Government Act 2003

CIPFA Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities.

Capital working papers and bids

 

APPENDICES

 

Appendix A – Prudential Indicators

Appendix B – Capital Programme 2006-09

Appendix C – Treasury Strategy/Guidance on Local Government Investments/Approved Investment List

 

 

Contact Point:            Gareth Hughes - Financial Services Manager

                                    (  01983 823604     [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PAUL WILKINSON

Assistant Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer

 

COUNCILLOR JILLY WOOD

Cabinet Member for Resources, Audit, an Efficient Council and Customer Champion