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Thank you. Thanks very much. Welcome everybody. I'd like to welcome members and officers to this Cabinet meeting, and also welcome anybody watching online. Before the meeting starts, I'd like to invite the committee member and scrutiny officer to take attendance of officers attending virtually and to explain how proceedings will work. Good evening. Can I confound the applying officers joining remotely, can hear us and that we can hear them? Sarah Kingsley? Good evening, present. Thank you. Louise Randall? Good evening. Are there any other officers in attendance remotely tonight that I haven't called out? Speaking, if a member wishes to speak, they should raise their hand and the chair will invite you to speak at the relevant time. There are microphones around the room to ensure the sound is picked up for the YouTube stream. When requested to vote, voting will take place by raising your hand and the outcome of the result will be announced by the committee clerk. Where recorded vote is required, this is now individually, member by member, and we call it manually, which will then be included within the minutes. Are there any questions? We'll now hand back to the chair. Thank you very much. Apologies for absence. I have received apologies from Councillor Tamps and Thomas, and there are no further apologies from executive members this evening. Minutes of 19 March, 2024, the purpose of clarification, the minutes of the previous meeting could be moved and seconded by members who were not present at the meeting, although it is preferable that those who were not present could abstain from voting and commenting on the motion. There are two members here tonight that were in attendance of the last cabinet meeting, Councillors Ian Albert and Amy Allen. I propose that we take as read and approve the true record, the minutes of the meeting held on the 19 March, 2024. Can I have a seconder please? Councillor ALLAN, thank you. And can we, are there any comments? No. In that case, can we go to the vote, please? Members, please indicate by raising their hand to vote for this recommendation. Chair, that motion is closed. Very much. And we will get the proper officer to sign the minutes on the behalf of the Council as per section 13.4.1 of the constitution. A notification of other business, there has been no other business notified. No. Chair's announcements. In accordance with Council policy, this meeting is being recorded. The recordings will be available both on the Council's YouTube channel, as well as on the Council's modgov site along with documents from the meeting. Members are reminded that this Council is secured by the climate emergency and an ecological emergency. These are serious decisions that mean, as it is an emergency, all of us officers and members have that in mind as we carry out our various roles and tasks, or the benefit of the district, more details are included on the agenda from sheet. Members are reminded to make decorations of interest before an item. The detailed reminder about this and speaking rights is set out under the Chair's announcements on the agenda. The purpose of clarification 4.8.23A of the constitution does not apply to this meeting. Therefore, a member may leave the room during debate and consideration of that item and be able to vote. However, please be mindful of the business on the agenda, wherever possible, leave an appropriate point in the proceedings. We have no public participation this evening. Section 6 is items referred on other committees. 6A, overview and scrutiny committee. Question 4, update on the Council delivery plan will be considered with item 7. 6B, the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, 2324 year-end report on risk management governments will be considered with item 8. 6C, the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, Revenue Budget, Outrun 2324 to be considered with item 9. 6D, Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, Investment Strategy, Capital and Treasury, end of year review 2324 to be considered with item 10. 6E, overview and scrutiny committee. Keep from its indicators to be considered with item 11. 6F, overview and scrutiny committee, Leisure Investment Options Part 2 to be considered with item 14. 6G, Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, Leisure Investment Options Part 2 to be considered with item 14. 6H, the overview and scrutiny committee, Leisure Investment Options Part 1 to be considered with item 15. And 6I, the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee, Leisure Investment Options Part 1 to be considered with item 15. 7, Council delivery plan, Q4 update. Referral from overview and scrutiny. Can I invite the Chair of overview and scrutiny, Councilor Matt Barnes to present the referral plates? Thank you, Chair. So the committee considered the report and was well-exatticed with what it said. There was particular interest in the projects within the enterprise service area, which I think will have a desire to invite the Cabinet member for that area to one of our future meetings. Also, there was particular interest in the risks associated with waste, waste contract mobilization for the depots and things like that. So we're looking to do some work in that area too, but we're talking on that topic next week, I believe, already. Otherwise, there were some questions around the detail from mechanisms for reviewing what's on the Council delivery plan backwards. I'm not sure how well established that process is. Otherwise, that works good. Okay, thank you so much. Do you have any questions, Councilor Barnes? Thank you very much. Councilor Albert, can I ask you to present the report, please? Thanks, Chair, and again, obviously, thanks to Matt and the scrutiny colleagues for their consideration of the report. I sat in on that part of the meeting up really, really helpful. I think, formally, to say, the report sets out the position on the projects at the end of the year. Power 8.4 sets out where there's been changes in quarter four, and then powered by five sets out the completed projects. Now, this is a really key document. I was really agreed. Previously, we'll have a more focused set of projects for 24, ready five. That list was agreed in March, and we will have a chance to review following the setting of a new Council plan and, obviously, cabinet colleagues who know about the work that's going ahead to actually produce that new Council plan. Obviously, covering the point that Matt was just making, we'll also keep this delivery plan under review on a quarterly basis. I think they're comments and scrutiny comments about that process. We'll certainly take into account, and, obviously, firm those out as we go forward with anything, firm those up here as we get to a new Council, a Council plan itself. I totally agree with scrutiny colleagues. We need to make sure we keep the Council delivery plan under regular view, and there is very much scope to add and remove projects from the plan. But we need to make sure it reflects our actual plans that we've got the resources to deliver. As a reminder to colleagues, and I think particularly so, I knew a cabinet colleague's paragraph 8.8 sets out where you can access IdeaGen, previously Pentana, to see further details on individual projects. And I'd certainly encourage cabinet colleagues to do that. A couple of recommendations in front of each air that I'm happy to move. The cabinet notes the progress against the Council projects. The Council delivery plan, and XA, building new milestones, and changes to dates, milestone dates, and the cabinet notes completion in quarter four of the projects detailed in paragraph 8.5. Happy to move, Chair. Thank you very much for moving that. I'm Councillor Albright, and thanks for the response. May I have a second of my thoughts? That's for Alan. Thanks very much. Move on to the debate. Does anyone have anything they wish to discuss on? I'd like to say thank you for your comments. And thank you, Councillor, for bringing this through. Could I have one thing, Chair? Yes, it sounds just, I wasn't intending tonight to go through any sort of particular individual items. He obviously colleagues have that. Indeed, obviously wants to do any further deeper dives on this in the future. We can certainly put that up on a note. That's something that's strictly no doubt we're doing as well. But, yeah, thank you, Chair. Thank you. In that case, can we move on to the vote, please? Can this please indicate by raising their hand to vote for this. Yeah, that motion is carried. Thank you very much. Annual Court on Risk Management Governance. This is item 8, Referral from File. Can you invite the Chair of File, Councillor Sean Nolan to present it? Referral, please. Thank you, Chair. It's very worth saying at this point that as of this last time we held far, I was only continuing a member. So, there was a slight risk that there would be, I suppose, a lesser level of performance and comment. Luckily, we have a number of members whose background is in risk management and other areas like that. So, that did help along a few of these items. I think in terms of this particular report, there was a number of questions raised on specific items. The Bulldog Fire being one of the items on their understanding elements around that risk and exactly what it represented to the Council was one of those. Another point raised was around looking, again, forward at those risks that might approach, particularly in the areas of legislation, whether that's any continuing areas of potential post-Brexit legislation changes in accordance with moving on from some EU laws through to the effects of obviously the general election that's upcoming and any potential changes after that in terms of how we might then as a Council have to deliver against those and what risks that then entails. And I think overall, a lot of the rest of the discussions were around understanding the scoring system, understanding how the risks were kept. And I think we're hoping that by the next time the report comes through again, I think for the mid-year review committee members will have had the chance to look through the risk management system, understand some of the backgrounds, and therefore have a bit more of a grounding in those areas. But other than that, nothing else to add. Thank you very much, Council. And I'm very happy with the new far team. We've got some brilliant customers involved there with some really good knowledge, so I think that will continue well. Councillor Alba, can I ask you to present your report? Thanks. Thanks, Chair, and again, obviously thanks to Sean and the far team and obviously previous colleagues that were on the committee in the previous civic year. Risk management is a really vital part of the work we do as a Council, and they make sure that we actually do monitor the challenges, the things that are coming up in an appropriate way and help to protect public money, taxpayers' money and so on. Just to formally say the report sets out the various aspects of work on risk management over the year to give assurance to the finance committee, us and the Council that it is operating effectively. Well as covering our key risks and the review of those risks, it also covers a range of linked topics such as insurance, health and safety and business continuity, and I certainly draw the Cabinet colleagues' attention to those points. 8.2 point price sets out our key call progress, but also it's worth pointing out to 8.2.6, which actually also details the service level risk, which sit below our call progress, and it's worth, again, obviously, Cabinet colleagues taking a look and keeping those things in mind as well. Again, as I say, thanks to FAR for their consideration of the item. I think the recommendation and the discussion we had at the meeting, the future reports will show more detail about target risk scores and changes in risk scores for the corporate risk, but this will be easier when we have fewer projects and will allow us to have a better focus. It's worth also getting obviously to draw Cabinet colleagues' attention to 8.5.3. That was the horizon scanning that was done by the senior management group and there's really key issues in there, including things like cyber attacks, which has been very topical in recently in terms of NHS and elsewhere, and that's certainly something that we are looking at closely and setting up a new cyber board and so on. So, again, obviously, draw Cabinet colleagues' attention to that, but also that we do have a risk of performance management group and without overloading Mr Cooper and his team, obviously, Cabinet colleagues, there would be also none. That invite turns out to finance committee and scrutiny committee to actually to attend a risk and performance management group that take the type of score to be. That would encourage particularly newer members of Cabinet to come along to one of those if you can. There's a couple of recommendations. In front of this chair, I'm happy to roll one recommendation that we note this report and refer it on to full Council and happy to move that recommendation. Thank you very much. Just a reference. There were no amendments to recommendation from that. So, we have a proposal being Councillor Albert. Can you have a seconder, please? Councillor MURPHY. Thank you very much. We move on to the debate. Does anyone want to bring up here on this? Hello? Okay. Again, from the amendments, that makes perfect sense. Thank you very much. Can we go on to the vote, please? Members, please indicate by raising that hand to vote for these recommendations. Chair, that motion is adjourned. Thank you. Item 9 is the revenue budget out term for 23-24. This is a referral from FAR. Finance, audit, and risk. Can I invite Chair of FAR, Councillor SRILL, Nolan, to present the referral? Councillor SRILL. Thank you, Chair. So, there are a number of areas looked at here. I think one of the key ones in particular was something they've been hanging over for a couple of years, which was the value of income from car parking fees. If the rebase signing there, I think it gives us that stability now in understanding forward projections in that area, given that I think that in Cooper and his team have the confidence in those numbers of what is the likely income on that side. The discussion was around the legend management center fees, so understanding where the performance in that area had changed, in particular now going forward with a new contract, how that might look in the future in the income there. Planning fees as well came up as understanding the difference that was shown up on that side. And because of the nature of planning with the variances, they expected from different size developments, how that would rise before potentially, but hopefully with the right amount being brought in across the year. The only other real areas mentioned that brought up was around the commercial waste and the bid numbers. So, I think the bid numbers were stable, but the value in terms of the income was slightly lower. So, it was a bit discussion and understanding how exactly that came around. And rather than that, yeah, it was recommended by the council, by the cabinet that I committed to come to cabinets unelected. Thank you very much. Yeah, so Albert. Just thanks, Chair. That would be to, again, to move this report. And I think particularly at the start of the civic year, it's really important, I think, to think in Cooper and his finance team. I mean, it's without them. We wouldn't be in the position that we are in the strength of their work. It enables us to actually provide the right assurance to the discommitted, to the full council and to the rest of us. And I think it's really there. The service to us is absolutely invaluable. Each quarter, we review our budgets to come up with a revised estimate, spending the year. The revised forecast becomes the new budget for the next quarter. This is the year-end position, so it's been preceded by updates in the previous three quarters. Table three explains the significant changes in the last quarter, and there are a number of requests to carry forward budget for plan work that are not being completed by the end of the financial year. Table four sets out significant variances, including the significant extra work needed from our external auditors to meet new regulatory and compliance standards. To give overall context, Appendix A provides the summary detail of variances over the whole year. This demonstrates the most significant element is that we have had higher than expected returns on our cash investments due to the higher interest rate. This feeds into the increased end year-end general fund balance detailed in table seven. I think it's right to point out that our cash balances and interest rates will drop, so this is not a continuing source of income. What's it particularly like to thank far for their consideration of this item and their discussion about the analysis of our key sources of income, which are detailed in tables five and six, and then obviously look to our various risks and challenges. Really colleagues going forward, we will be, as we're going to the new financial year, progress through the new financial year, we will be reviewing and continuing to review our budgets. We've got an important piece of work in the running up to the budget setting in 25, 26, as I said, at the budget setting meeting in February. There are some major challenges there for the council, like all councils around the country. We will need to consider at a future time whether we're going to go ahead with the budget consultation that we have discussed previously with residents, and it may be because we now have a general election, maybe that doing that budget consultation immediately isn't the right type, but that's something we'll need to clearly come back to chair and discuss in a bit more details as we go forward. There are four recommendations in front of us that we note in the report, 2.2 that we approved the increase of 100,000 in the 2324 net general funding expenditures as identified in section eight, so a total of 60.494 million. We have a total of 634, 634, that we approve the adjustments to the 2425 general fund budget as identified in table four and paragraph 8.3, that's a total 634,000 increase in net expenditure, and that we also then recommend a council that we approve the net transfer to EMR preserves as identified in table nine of 2.028 million. I would like to move those four recommendations. Thank you for that. We have a seconder. Thank you for that. Thank you. We wanted to pay. Okay. We wanted to pay. Okay. Again, we know amendments, the recommendations from all that does make sense. If we go to the vote, please. Members, please indicate raising their hand to vote for these recommendations. Thank you. Thank you. It's the investment strategy, capital and treasury end of the year of year, 2324. This is a referral from our finance order. And I invite chair of far capital. She'll learn to present the referral. Thank you again, chair. I think on this item, there was a lot of understanding from the new members of the committee in terms of the complexity of suppose where we've been in the last couple of years as a council financially. Obviously, the positives have been shown in terms of the increase investment income. But I think it's fair to say that we've all accepted now that that higher rates of interest that we've benefited from is unlikely to last much longer. And it was raised specifically again by the include birthing very correctly that the reserves that we've been using for capital program right now point where they are diminishing to won't be around much longer. And that it's not far off the point where we all have to consider borrowing to fund that program going forward. So again, it's something that I think it's been kept in mind through discussions. One particular point that did ask around was the new Lloyd's call accounts, which the council now has the abilities made use of, which I think we did discuss a bit around the potential risks around using, but given the fact that I think here and team are very happy about the fact that it is another account that can be used with a high interest rate for saving money in that program, that it was a good idea to use of it and see how that could support our finances going forward. But I think other than that, again, the recommendations were unamended. So nothing else to add on that one. Okay. Are there any questions for Councilor Nolan? I've read the report. Thanks very much. Just because you mentioned it in the conversation there, can I just quickly ask you said that it's a high interest rate. Can I ask what the interest rate was? Five percent. I think they can. Yeah, it's about five percent. So, I mean, similar to what we get on the investments at the moment, but obviously, compared to the interest rates as they'll be, surely, but they significantly aren't those. So, I just wanted to have that sense that we had it on the recording. Thank you so much. That's for Albert. Can I ask you to please put in your report? Thank you. And again, obviously, thanks to Sean for trying to support their consideration. I think that does take a couple of things around the investment structures. We could go through the report, but let's formally start first of all chair with that the first part of the report relates to our capital spend, which is the spend on purchasing and maintaining assets, the things that have a useful life for more than a year. Table two or three details, the changes in the book are spending in the last quarter. And the reason for those changes. A parent graph 8.6 details the capital schemes that have been completed during the year. Table four details how the capital program has been funded and it shows our diminishing capital receipts. All capital spend has a revenue cost in either lost interest or external interest, external interest costs. So when we reach a point where we can't fund capital program from the capital receipts, then there is a further revenue charge to reflect the use of that asset over its useful life. And that obviously does clearly put further strain on our revenue budget at that particular point. But once we may have many aspirations about investing in the district, our capital program needs to set out our actual plans and very much part of that 25/26 budget process. And indeed we are thinking about that already, as I mentioned earlier, we will carry out a full review of our capital spend to make sure it matches our priorities and indeed is realistically achieved and we have the capacity to deliver it. The second part of the report relates to how we have invested our surplus cash. Those investments have all complied with our investment strategy. And they will say our particularly drawn candidate colleagues attention also to the executive summary to paragraph 1.4 that we have complied with all our legislative and regulatory requirements throughout the year. I should have since I know that paragraph 8.1.9 recommends a change to the investment strategy for the current year 24/25. And I will say it. I will mention obviously again, obviously in particular thanks to our colleagues for their consideration of the report. There are six recommendations. So I am happy to read those out. Chair in detail, if you would like me to, or indeed I can see them formally move those. But particularly draw colleagues attention to 2.6 where we are asking to recommend this report to Council and asking to approve those. The actual 23/24 protection and treasury indicators. Note the annual treasury report from 2024, but approve that change in relation to the Lloyd's call account that Council alone have mentioned. So the combined total of current account and call account is up to £5 million. And the final thing I will mention is that clearly we will also be looking during the course of the year. And I will put to the budget around their investment strategy generally. It is something Mr Cooper and I discussed the other day. Typically most of the investments that we hold as a council sit with from local authority, loans or indeed for building society and loans. That is where most of our investments sit. But we will look at our general and original parliamentary investment strategy as well. So to move those recommendations here, but I will see if you want me to read them out. I am happy to do this. I am happy for someone else to take those ads read. I will just gently point out over 8.6. There we are. Well, that is good. Do you have them all together? I should have got my mess right. Right. Is everybody OK with those as read or would you like me to read them? Yes. Right. In that case, we have those. We have a proposal in council hour. May I have a second in place? Thank you very much, council. We may move on to the debate. Does anyone have anything they would like to question on this? I already have my question answered by council and no look. I appreciate it. OK. In that case, we will move on to the vote, please. Members, please indicate by raising their hand to vote for these recommendations. That motion is carried. Thank you. Item 11 is key performance indicators 2425. That is a referral from overview and scrutiny. Chair of overview and scrutiny, council members to present the referral, please. Sorry. I've got no idea what I'm going to do. I don't know. I don't know. It's quite sincere. It's a good thing. OK. Yes. Thank you. The committee, again, asked several questions about this. Overall welcoming the introduction of the new KPIs. They're going to benefit us significantly versus the previous way of tracking projects and looking at the overall performance. We're looking at the overall performance of the council. We approved the recommendations, but we could add to further recommendations as well. So the original report, this first of those was to also consider the inclusion of KPIs for star satisfaction and on key supplier contract performance. And the reason for the latter is that is how most residents interact with the council is through those key suppliers. So the letter provider in the waste on track. There is a there is some mention of those within the guys as they are, but some more indicates their own customer satisfaction or additional indicators on those would be useful. And we also felt that it was important that KPIs to perform into the council has made a more visible to all councilors. So I'm asking for the inclusion of these within three meetings. And then there's information service at the same time as the country. Okay. To point three, I think it was a very, very good suggestion. Do we have any questions for councillor farms? Oh, I can. That's our algorithm. That last point, I mean, we can obviously thank colleagues for their comments. And indeed, there was very useful suggestions there, which we will look at how we can incorporate. So happy to accept the those, those additional points from the scrutiny colleagues and indeed, obviously to publish the quarterly updates to all members in the MIS. I think that's, that's, that's really important as well. So I think we're going to make sure we've got a real visibility and transparency to that. It's no point having key performance indicators. If they are, they, they are not a show or a key to anybody on the start somewhere on a, on a website or an internal, internal doctor or the other council. So absolutely, really to, we need to do that. And I think that's really is, I think something, hopefully that the administration will really take forward as we go along. We need to be in as transparent as possible about the, these things, even those things that may be more, more difficult for us. Not always things will go perfectly, perfectly well, but we need to be able to be visible and transparent about that. And so the purposes report is ready to make sure we have that information we need with us and spoon the insight into how the council's performing and the principles are set out in paragraph 2 and the detail proposals set out at the 9.3. I think it's something that I hope that with this, this committee will fully agree and support obviously then that we have the opportunity is to look at it and obviously receive the recommendations from scrutiny on how we are performing against those key performance indicators. So happy to move chair those recommendations. And the committee colleagues will fully endorse it. Thank you very much, Councillor BRYAN. Move on to the debate. I just want to say, as I mentioned, I think this is a really, really good thing, a really positive thing. Thank you very much to all members of over the instrumenting for this, we've been doing to appreciate it. It's the exact reason that you have over the instrumenting and keeping it visible to exactly what we need. So thank you very much. Anybody else have anything they want to say on this? Let's go to the third. Members, please indicate by raising their hand to vote for these recommendations. Chair, that motion is carried. Thank you very much. We now move on to item 12, which is the exclusion of press and public. I propose that under section 100, I have the local Government Act of 1972, the press and public excluded from the meeting on the grounds of following report will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 with part 1 of schedule 12A of the said act as amended. Members, seconded, please. Councillor Dabellin, thank you very much. May we go to the vote, please. Members, please indicate by raising their hand to vote for this recommendation. Chair, that motion is carried. I'm just going to wait for confirmation from IT. The meeting has moved into a private session before we begin. 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Mr. Referral from Over the Unscrutiny Man by Chair of Over the Unscrutiny Council of Matt Barnes, she presents the referral. Thank you, Chair. So, I'll take some of the recommendations separately. On 2.1, 2.2, around the terminations. And on 2.4, they increase the capital expenditure and 2.6, the revenue expenditure for the. Elimination. Let's talk today's first week. Some explored extensively the terms of the grant, and whether there's any flexibility in that, also the terms of the centric a deal. The grant, as it turns out, must or as was presented. It must be used. It must be front loaded as well. It must be used by March 2026, I think. So, it's apparently a short time window, which we can act on that. There is a very prohibitive penalty clause and centric a contract as well, which we can work through. We were satisfied that it was not realistic to have discovered the changes that I needed earlier on, because it would have been speculative spend. Prior to that, it will be made. So, that was explored as well. And obviously with no guarantee of future funding, we, we have resolved that it's best to go ahead with this. As presented, despite the financial concerns, because of the imperative around that zero, I need to meet that and say the restrictions that we talked about. We also discussed efforts to minimize the disruptions of residents during that period, and it's very keen to ensure that that's delivered on as well. From 2.5 the gym extension, nobody spoke against this at all. So, it should definitely go ahead from the support screen to me. We also learned that there was a section 106 funding assigned to that part of the project, so that I couldn't see that reference in the report. So, we're keen to do that. It's followed up on a bit, but it's like that's one. And then on the learner pool, which is the area where we did vary from the initial report for some of the reasons we took to start part two. We have put forward some revised wording, which I believe can't start what's going to talk through anyway so I won't go into that. I won't kind of read that out now, but the reason for that is the committee basically recognized that the business case currently is unfavorable and purely financial basis. Based on the information provided, but it wasn't convinced that removing the capital from the program is the right way forward at this time. The main reasons for that outlined is it's a significant opportunity for community benefit and to widen and broaden participation. We know that lessons are oversubscribed in recent we know the opportunities for swimming and disappearing. There is the opportunity around setting provision and family time at this facility as well. And the council recently passed a motion on health opportunities, which we should be mindful of. There's also significant uncertainty around the financials to say, as we know, the uncertainty continues around mobile sports center. We've heard about the potential drop in interest rates and future of the macro effects that are which mean it's more favorable in future. But perhaps most compelling we learned that there haven't been any significant efforts to explore external funding sources, which might be able to reduce the capital of the council's capital requirement. So I given that and the significance of removing it from the budget being that it becomes more of an aspiration rather than something that we're seeing will happen. We weren't in a position to to agree to that at this point. So that's why we put forward and supported and across parts of basis. But that we should not remove this from the budget by this time and we should continue to explore and means to find alternative sorts of the funding. Thank you very much. Does anyone have any questions for council. Yes, you mentioned being possible section 106 on a available for supporting the funding of the was to measure center. I do not know it was mentioned by one of the officers in the meeting or possibly in their section of entry documents by dinner the details. Don't quite be on this, but I believe that there is currently no funding available. And so it would be a question of looking at any future development in Royston and the surrounding it. Are you the catchment area, or what's the measure center and seeing whether there could be any contributions from those that would be a long term issue and potentially would be quite a sizable development to be at the sorts of contributions. Thank you. I understand from the documents was that there was some assigned to the general extension, but not so they're vulnerable. Oh, sorry. Yeah, that's just my attention. Yeah. So there's nothing assigned for the vulnerable that would need different contributions. Thank you very much. Would you be able to come back to Council H left with the amounts for the gym. And the, it's going to cancel program. You give me one of these fantastic as ever. Thank you very much. Wonderful. In that case, thanks very much, Matt. We appreciate that. We will move on. So. If you want to invite Sarah. Sarah, if you do know the figures, thank you very much. All right. I thought it was on our sheet, but it's not. It's about 170,000 pounds for the gym extension, roughly 170,000 pounds, but I can get you the exact figure shortly. Thank you so much very much appreciate. So, the amended recommendations are 2.3 and additional recommendation 2.4 added by overview and scrutiny as follows. 2.3 that cabinet does not approve the business case with Royston, the legislature center, at this time, due to Max's identified in the part two report and 2.4 project board keep business case. Under review and meaningful and legitimate work to explore all funding options is undertaken for Royston, the ball, which I'm sure read a lot back to when we move further down to your parts in a moment. The referral from far on this. Can I invite the chair or finance or the risk Council should know them to present the referral. Yeah. And I think a lot of discussion that we undertook as a committee did touch on the areas that sort of raised by opening scrutiny. And I think obviously the investigation of whether or not there was a way around the extra charge for getting out of the central contract. I believe it was raised by officers that those avenues had been explored already, particularly the idea of trying to do us an idea of making a purchase to the boilers or that sorry, making the purchase of the equipment from central to try and somehow run that down. But again, offices have made that clear that that had been explored already and was a good lead to any major savings. Clearly, the fee that had been quoted in terms of the contract cancellation was raised to the key risk. I think the fact that the overall scheme, you know, will not make that money back straight away and the fact that obviously the financial elements are some way secondary to the fulfillment of the green objectives was raised as part of the financial considerations as we went through the papers. And overall, though, again, probably similar to the over in scrutiny committees look at everything. The fact that this money is available now that the council has a decision to make now as to whether or not it is spent if it's not spent, it goes away and the opportunity is locked. What's really the key consideration. So in the end, the discussion really came down to suppose the acceptance that the. The fact that the cancellation fee, although would be a hit clearly. We wasn't enough on balance to stop the overall program going ahead and therefore, there wasn't considered any reason to deny that although there wasn't fair bit discussion and questioning around that point. And other than that, again, nothing else that came up, we disagree with that, and the other elements of the recommendations. So yeah, that that that really was the heart of debate that was undertaken. Okay. Thanks very much for that. We have any questions for Council alone. There were no amendments to Part 1 recommendations from far. Can I ask Councillor McDevitt to have a clamber for. Thank you very much. It's, it's a good idea to draw and record. So, to all of this. In February of this year, Council has advised this application to the public sector decarbonisation scheme for a project to a native substantial decarbonisation of the leisure sentence in. In June of Royston and lecturers have been successful. The Council was awarded over £7.7 million in grant funding, the measures, including air stores, heat pumps, solar PV and substantial improvements to the fabric of the buildings. In addition, the Council agreed funding of £3.06 million to fund our match contribution for the grant and additional project costs such as preliminaries. Emissions from the leisure centre's account for 45% of the Council's own emissions. As identified at paragraph 8.1, the carbon savings for the project are significant, reducing the emissions of each leisure centre by over 60%. Placing gas heating at the leisure centre with low carbon alternatives is the single most effective action we can take towards meeting our target of being carbon neutral for our operations by 2030. Upon confirmation of the grant award, we commissioned Wilmot Dixon to carry out detailed feasibility studies for the works. During feasibility, some technical issues were identified in paragraph 8.6, which have led to cost increases. Further issues also identified regarding the termination of gas CHP units are hitching and lecturers at 8.10. Alongside the feasibility for the decarbonisation works, Wilmot Dixon also carried out feasibility for both a gym extension and a learner pool at Royston. There have been cost increases for these projects as well, the paragraph 8.15. I'm merrily due to ensuring that they are built to net zero carbon standards. Please note that in the table in at 15, there is a slight error. The increase should be 220, not 200, but the overall figure at the bottom is a correct. The report to cabinet therefore lists recommendations 2.1 to 2.2 regarding the termination of the CHP units and an increase in project costs at 2.4 to 2.6, which would enable the decarbonisation project and the gym extension to proceed. There are strict conditions on the Salix ground, requiring all funds to be spent in the relevant year at project. Allocations for year 1, 24.25 is 6.2 million and year 2, 25.26 is 1.6 million. The funding is front loaded to ensure that the heat pumps and PV panels can be ordered in good time in case any supply chain delays. There is no flexibility transfer funding from one year to another. This is why a cabinet decision is needed at this juncture prior to the Council signing a pre-construction services agreement before Mike Dixon. The project programme factors in a decision being made by full council on 11 July for the approval of the additional budget in order to meet deadlines, including carrying out detailed design, obtaining planning approvals and ordering materials prior to work starting on site. Due to the factors identified in the Part 2 report, the recommendation to cabinet on the learner pool at 2.3 is to not proceed at this stage. And I would propose an amendment at 2.4 in line with the overview and scrutiny committee that reads that project boards review the business case for the Royston learner pool after further work has taken place to explore any other funding options that are realistically available. That review will then feed into the planned review of the Council's capital programme as part of the 2025 26 budget setting process. Thank you very much. Thank you. Do we have any questions? I'd just like to take a moment to once again thank officers for their proactive work on this, because this is what is going to make a humongous difference to this Council's aim to hit net zero for 2030. So we really do appreciate their work on this. Can I have a composer for 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, and two points. Yeah. For the cabinet proposed, let's now have a seconder please house for Albert second. We go to the debate. Yes, Councilor. Let me just clarify what we are. Our second thing is that revolts 2.4 is to be to be clear. And I think just to touch on that point initially as I mentioned earlier on in relation to the investment strategy that we are intended to carry out that full review of the Council's capital programme. And, and then clearly this will form, you know, very much part part of that. I mean, aspiration, there is no question we would like to do, obviously, that's all the reasons. I think that the Council Barnes said earlier on in terms of the potentially increased demand and so on. And of course, the importance of this Council was always taken and the previously joint administration of making sure that we are able to teach our children to swim and actually that active participation in swimming is a really important thing. Yeah, as for racial and we want, we want to do this and so that's why I was really, really keen on that amendment and very much listened carefully to the scrutiny discussion that that we wanted to see and make sure that there were no stones left on turn. I'm sure there's probably a better metaphor somewhere on the way for a swim involved but whatever it might be that, you know, that we are looking really carefully and critically at that. I didn't think, and then I think as, as I think as, as some of the colleagues have said, perhaps earlier in the, you know, in the discussions around around this, that doesn't mean it will be easy to find the funding, funding options. Let's be very clear about that, but it could be the other factors may may help with that. It won't necessarily be easy, it also that, you know, in an ideal world you try and do all of these things at the same, the same, the same time. That may not now be be possible, if obviously we're having to continue to look for those sources of further, further funding, but, so I think in terms of, in terms of that, I hope, you know, colleagues here will accept that. And I think, you know, that there's our aspiration and obviously what the work will need to do it. If I can turn just chair obviously to the substantive points. I mean, let's, let's be clear, we, there are, we would rather not be in the situation that we, that we have where we obviously, particularly in relation to the centric contract, it's less than ideal. And, and therefore, you know, the, that isn't something and that's why that, that recommendation there about a profound disappointment, I'm sure there's probably a less polite word that we might want to use, but, but it's, it's part, it's part of that but, you know, that's it. There's no question as you said chair that this is going to be a huge contribution to our achieving our net zero goals are recognizing the climate emergency that we declared as a, as a district, a few years ago. And this project will, will be really an important part of that, that, that aim and aspiration going forward. And so that's why, whilst I think this is challenging, whilst I think obviously it is an additional extra expense. I certainly, in, in, to endorse the recommendations here as, as amended. Can I say one final thing chair is that I think one of the things that is in there that I haven't been, is in the paper is the importance, actually also of bringing on board some further external expertise a quantity surveyor as part of this process, which may well itself help to drive down the cost of the project and also keeping things on track and that will be a really important thing that we do in actually recruiting that that person to the team to help us manage this really important project, but really challenging project going forward across our three measures center so very much indoors, the council demonyms recommendations and indeed obviously of course to endorse all the work that our offices have done actually to get us to this one. So anybody else. Yes, just to be really clear on the recommendations. There's a few different ones not being around. It's the original 212 to get in the report. It's 2.3 as amended by screw to me. It's 2.4 new 2.4 as table by Councillor Dunning tonight. And then in the original report 2425 and 26, then come to 526 to this end. They just be clear what everyone will pass about on Tuesday. I appreciate you for interrupting that. Thank you very much. As we've had that explained, maybe they don't want to vote on it. I can members please indicate by raising their hand to vote for these recommendation. Thank you very much. In that case, I will bring this meeting to a close. Thank Councillors, Albert Lebanon on their reports and Council of Northern and Barnes and their referrals. I close the meeting on next meeting is on the 9th of July. Thank you very much.