The Cabinet of Barking and Dagenham Council met on Tuesday 23 January 2024 to discuss a range of financial and strategic matters. Key topics included the monitoring of the Council's revenue budget, the Housing Revenue Account budget and rent setting for the upcoming year, the Dedicated Schools Budget, school place planning, the Council Tax Support Scheme, debt management performance, and the calculation of the Council Tax base. The meeting also covered the Corporate Plan's performance outcomes, redevelopment projects, procurement strategies, and specific operational contracts.

Revenue Budget Monitoring 2023/24 (Period 8, November 2023)

The Cabinet was scheduled to receive an update on the Council's revenue budget monitoring for the 2023/24 financial year, as of the end of November 2023. The report highlighted a projected overspend of £10.540 million for the General Fund, representing a positive movement of £1.065 million from the previous period. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) was forecasting an overspend of £5.052 million. The report detailed key risks and opportunities, including pressures from social care costs, temporary accommodation availability, and the financial performance of council companies like Be First. It was noted that significant drawdowns from reserves were anticipated to cover projected overspends, impacting the Council's financial resilience.

Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget and Rent Setting for 2024/25 and Draft 30-Year Business Plan

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The Cabinet was to consider the HRA budget and rent setting for 2024/25, alongside a draft 30-year business plan. This plan aims to inform recommendations for rent levels and HRA budgets, considering the management of the Council's housing stock, compliance with fire safety regulations, and estate renewal. The report indicated a projected overspend of £5.052 million on the HRA for 2023/24, with a positive movement of £2.029 million from the previous period. The proposed rent increase for general needs housing was 7.7%, aligning with government policy, and adjustments to various service charges were also scheduled for discussion. The Cabinet was also to review the HRA capital programme for 2024/25, which was proposed at £24.7 million, and note the indicative 4-year programme.

Dedicated Schools Budget and School Funding Formula 2024/25

The Cabinet was to receive an update on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2024/25, including indicative and final allocations. The report detailed the strategy for the DSG, which is comprised of four blocks: Schools, High Needs, Early Years, and Central Services. The Schools Block funding was set to increase by 5% per pupil. The High Needs Block was also to see an increase, reflecting national funding changes and a move towards a formula-based allocation. The Central Services Block was to be uplifted by inflation but would see a reduction in historically agreed services. The Early Years allocation had recently been published, and the report proposed increasing funding rates for three and four-year-olds to £5.15 per hour and for two-year-olds to £6.09 per hour. The Cabinet was asked to approve the principles for the Local Schools Funding Formula, with delegated authority to finalise it after consultation.

School Place Planning and Capital Investment Update

An update on the forecast demand for education places in primary, secondary, and special needs settings was scheduled. The report aimed to provide context for changing demand and outline actions to ensure sufficient places are available over the next 5-10 years. It also detailed new grant allocations for basic needs and school condition, proposed projects using grant funding, and changes to the approved capital investment programme. Key projects included a new build and remodel for Trinity School, the conversion of Rectory Road Library for Mayesbrook School's Outreach Tuition Plus service, and a proposed new Alternative Resource Provision (ARP) at All Saints Catholic Secondary School.

Council Tax Support Scheme 2024/25

The Cabinet was to consider proposals for the Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme for working-age recipients for 2024/25. Following a public consultation, the report recommended adopting an income-banded discount scheme (Model 1) to replace the current means-tested approach. This new scheme aims to simplify administration, provide consistent support, and work better with the Universal Credit system. The report detailed the proposed income bands, discounts, disregarded incomes, and household size limitations. It also noted the proposed reduction in the capital limit to £6,000 and the introduction of a flat-rate non-dependant deduction. The financial implications indicated a slight increase in overall scheme costs compared to retaining the current scheme.

Debt Management Performance 2023/24 (Quarter 2)

The Cabinet was to receive a report on the performance of the Collections service in the second quarter of the 2023/24 financial year. The report detailed the collection rates for Council Tax, Business Rates, Housing Benefit Overpayments, General Income, and Rents. It highlighted improvements in collection in some areas, such as a reduction in Council Tax arrears and an increase in Direct Debit payers, while noting challenges in others, such as rent arrears increasing in value despite a decrease in the number of tenants in arrears. The report also covered the performance of Reside collections and general income.

Calculation and Setting of the Council Tax Base 2024/25

The Cabinet was asked to approve the Authority's Council Tax Base for 2024/25. This calculation, required by law to be completed by 31 January each year, determines the number of Band D equivalent properties for tax-setting purposes. The report indicated a net increase in the Council Tax Base for 2024/25 of 3%, representing an increase of 1,589.7 band D equivalent properties. This increase, combined with a proposed 4.99% rise in the Council Tax rate, was projected to generate an additional £6.3 million in Council Tax income.

Corporate Plan 2023-2026 - Outcomes Framework Performance Report Q1 and Q2 2023/24

This report provided the first performance overview under the new Corporate Plan, summarising progress against the 54 outcome measures for the first two quarters of the 2023/24 financial year. The report highlighted areas of significant performance improvement and challenges across the seven Corporate Plan priorities, including resident support during the cost-of-living crisis, safety and vulnerability, health and independence, education and employment, inclusive growth, safer neighbourhoods, and housing. The RAG rating indicated six outcome measures were rated 'Red' with a negative direction of travel, suggesting these would be areas for further focus.

Oxlow Lane Redevelopment - Approval of Disposal, Head Lease and Loan Facility Agreement

The Cabinet was asked to approve arrangements for the disposal of the Oxlow Lane redevelopment scheme by granting long leases to appropriate Reside entities. This followed previous approvals for similar arrangements for other new build properties. The report provided an update on state aid and subsidy control workstreams and sought delegated approval to finalise lease and loan terms. The scheme comprises 63 affordable homes, with estimated practical completion in March 2024.

Procurement Strategy for the LBBD Development Framework 2024 - 2028

The Cabinet was to consider a procurement strategy for a new Be First Development Framework to cover the period 2024-2028. The previous framework expired in early 2023, having facilitated the delivery of over 2,400 new homes. The proposed new framework has the potential to deliver an estimated 3,150 homes with a value of up to £1.3 billion. The procurement strategy involves a two-stage restricted procedure, with a Selection Questionnaire followed by an Invitation to Tender for the top 20 qualifying bidders per Lot. The framework would be divided into two Lots: works under £50 million and works over £50 million, with 10 contractors appointed to each Lot.

Procurement of 8x8 Telephony Services Contract

The Cabinet was to consider the procurement of a new two-year contract for 8x8 Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS). The current contract expires in March 2024. The report noted that moving to a new platform was not considered advantageous at this time due to the cost of change and advancements in AI and automation. The proposed strategy is to award a new contract via the G-Cloud 13 Framework, estimated at £350,000 per annum, for a total contract cost of approximately £700,000 over two years.

Procurement of Culvert Repair Works at Choats Road, Barking

This report sought approval for the procurement of works to repair and strengthen the culvert bridge at Choats Road, Barking. Routine inspections identified deformation in the culvert structure, posing a risk to the stability of the road above. The recommended option was to repair and strengthen the culvert using a GRP lining, estimated to cost £850,000 and take approximately 12 weeks to complete, allowing Choats Road to remain open. The report sought delegated authority to award the contract, provided it remained within budget.

Any other public items which the Chair decides are urgent

This agenda item allowed for any urgent public matters, not previously listed, to be raised at the discretion of the Chair.

Private Business

The agenda indicated that there were no other confidential or exempt items to be discussed in private session at the time of publication.