Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Mark Boleat, Roger Chadwick, Marianne Fredericks and Revd Stephen Haines.

There were no declarations.

To consider minutes of meetings as follows:-

The minutes of the meeting held on 14 January 2016 were approved.

The minutes of the joint meeting of the Resource Allocation and the Efficiency and Performance Sub-Committees with Committee Chairmen held on 14 January 2016 were approved.

Report of the Deputy Town Clerk.

NB: The Sub-Committee’s recommendations on this item will be considered by the Policy and Resources Committee later this day.

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Deputy Town Clerk concerning the implementation of the grants review.

A Member referred to the list of on-going grants and payments agreed by the previous Finance Grants Sub-Committee and questioned whether it was still necessary to retain the Finance Committee Chairman’s Discretionary Fund. It was felt that, in view of the City Corporation’s ability to respond to suitable unforeseen requests for funding, this Discretionary Fund should now be abolished.

RESOLVED – That the following be recommended to the Policy and Resources Committee that:-

1.   the grant programmes identified as in scope for immediate centralised administration, those under review, and those not in scope be noted;

2.   the following be agreed:-

·         transfer of funding commitments from Finance Grants Sub-Committee to the relevant Committees for on-going administration and request that each commitment be reviewed and reported back to this Committee no later than December 2016, except in cases where a specific review date had already been agreed;

·         the staffing resources for a new Central Grants Unit, to be funded from the individual grant programmes;

·         the grant programme arrangements are reviewed in 2017/18 to align with City Bridge Trust’s next quinquennial review;

·         the four overarching funding themes for the grant programme (for 2016-2018) i.e. Stronger Communities; Education and Employment Support; Enjoying Open Spaces and the Natural Environment; and Inspiring London through Culture; and

·         the allocation of funding across the four funding themes as set out in the report.

3.   The Finance Committee Chairman’s Discretionary Fund of £10,000 be abolished.

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

NB: This report was considered and approved by the Streets and Walkways and the Projects Sub-Committees.

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Director of the Built Environment concerning the allocation of the funding totalling £954,000 received from Transport for London in 2015/16.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Director of the Built Environment.

NB: This report was considered and approved by the Projects Sub-Committee.

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Director of the Built Environment concerning proposed street enhancements to Cousins Lane and the use of Section 278 funding to cover the costs.

Discussion ensued on whether the schemes to be funded from resources provided by developers via a Section 278 or Section 106 agreement should be noted or agreed by the Resource Allocation Sub-Committee. Members were reminded that, when the community infrastructure levy (CIL) was created, it was agreed that the Sub-Committee should take more of a strategic role by approving the overall percentage of funding to be utilised from the various budgets falling under its remit, but that the actual allocation of resources from those budgets for individual projects would be dealt with by the relevant service committee. A Member questioned whether the Sub-Committee had the ability to make a judgement or apply intelligence at such an early stage. After further discussion, the Chairman suggested that the report be noted and that officers be requested to submit a paper clarifying the process for considering and utilising this type of funding. Members supported his suggestion.

RESOLVED – That the content of the report be noted and that the Chamberlain be requested to submit a report clarifying the process for considering and utilising resources provided by developers via a Section 278, Section 106 and CIL agreements.

There were no questions.

There were no items of urgent business.

MOTION – That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

Part 2 – Non-Public Agenda

MOTION - That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act:-

Item Nos.                         Paragraph(s) in Schedule 12A

10 - 16                                                1, 2 and 3

Part 2 – Non-Public Agenda

To consider the non-public minutes of meetings as follows:-

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 14 January 2016 were approved.

The non-pubic minutes of the joint meeting of the Resource Allocation and the Efficiency and Performance Sub-Committees with Committee Chairmen held on 14 January 2016 were approved.

Report of the Chamberlain.

NB: To be read in conjunction with the back ground reports relating to the One Safe City Projects and the Contact Centre Move initiatives (circulated electronically only). The Museum of London funding report is available via  the Policy and Resources Committee agenda. The Sub-Committee’s recommendations on this item will be considered by the Policy and Resources Committee later this day.

The Sub-Committee considered and approved a report of the Chamberlain concerning the allocation of one off funding to three projects, namely, the One Safe City; Contact Centre Relocation and the Museum of London.

Joint report of the Chamberlain and the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Sub-Committee considered and agreed a joint report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor and the Chamberlain proposing an increase in the Comptroller’s base budget to cover additional staffing requirements.

Joint report of the City Surveyor, Chamberlain and Commissioner of the City of London Police.

NB: This report reflects the recommendations considered and approved by the Police Committee and the Projects Sub-Committee.

The Sub-Committee considered and approved a joint report of the Chamberlain, City Surveyor and the Commissioner of the City of London Police concerning the progress of the Police accommodation project and in particular the decant pan for the project.

Resolutions of the Barbican Centre Board, Board of Governors of the Guildhall School and Corporate Asset Sub-Committee, together with a report of the Chamberlain.

The Sub-Committee considered resolutions from the Barbican Centre Board, Board of Governors of the Guildhall School and the Corporate Asset Sub-Committee together with a report of the Chamberlain concerning the detailed arrangements for the replacement of the Barbican Centre and Guildhall School’s capital cap.

Report of the City Surveyor.

The Sub-Committee considered and agreed a monitoring report of the City Surveyor concerning the City of London Corporation’s bids for National Lottery Funding.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Sub-Committee noted a report of the Town Clerk reporting action taken since the last meeting of the Sub-Committee in relation to the refurbishment of 4-14 Tabernacle Street in accordance with Standing Order No. 41(a).

There were no questions.

There were no items of urgent business.