Issue - meetings

To seek Cabinet’s ongoing support, working together with Braintree District, Colchester Borough and Essex County Councils, to progress North Essex Garden Communities (NEGC) and to approve the Interim Business Plan for 2019/20 for NEGC Ltd and specific governance arrangements for the project.

RESOLVED that –

a)         the 2019/20 Interim Business Plan and Budget (subject to confirmation of Government funding) for NEGC Ltd, as attached at Appendix A to the report, be approved;

b)         £350,000 be committed from the Garden Communities Budget and the associated delegations approved in order to enable phased drawdowns upon a formal request by way of a NEGC Board resolution in accordance with the agreed milestones and the agreement of the Council’s Section 151 Officer;

c)         the Councils’ Section 151 Officers be authorised to agree any future allocation of the project funds held by Colchester Borough Council between NEGC Ltd and the North Essex Authorities; and

d)         a report be submitted to a future Cabinet meeting in respect of funding requirements and financing options for 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Earlier in the meeting Councillors Stock OBE and G V Guglielmi had each declared personal interests in this item insofar as they were, respectively a Director and an alternate Director of NEGC Ltd.

The Cabinet gave consideration to a detailed report of the Leader of the Council (A.4) which sought its ongoing support, working together with Braintree District, Colchester Borough and Essex County Councils, in order to progress North Essex Garden Communities (NEGC); to approve the Interim Business Plan for 2019/20 for NEGC Ltd and specific governance arrangements for the project.

The report provided detail to the Cabinet principally on the following matters:-

(1)       the historical background to the current report;

(2)       the financial and legal implications for the Council;

(3)       the 2019/20 Interim Business Plan;

(4)       the 2019/20 Budget;

(5)       the Local Authorities’ Funding Contributions;

(6)       the transfer of the Project Budget;

(7)       the issues of Stewardship; and

(8)       the current position.

Having considered the information provided in the report and appendices thereto:-

It was moved by Councillor Stock OBE, seconded by Councillor G V Guglielmi and:-

RESOLVED that –

a)         the 2019/20 Interim Business Plan and Budget (subject to confirmation of Government funding) for NEGC Ltd, as attached at Appendix A to the report, be approved;

b)         £350,000 be committed from the Garden Communities Budget and the associated delegations approved in order to enable phased drawdowns upon a formal request by way of a NEGC Board resolution in accordance with the agreed milestones and the agreement of the Council’s Section 151 Officer;

c)         the Councils’ Section 151 Officers be authorised to agree any future allocation of the project funds held by Colchester Borough Council between NEGC Ltd and the North Essex Authorities; and

d)         a report be submitted to a future Cabinet meeting in respect of funding requirements and financing options for 2020/21 and 2021/22.