Venue: To be held in the Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield, S1 2HH
Contact: Rachel Appleyard, Democratic Services
Email: rachel.appleyard@sheffield.gov.uk
Media
Items
| No. |
Item |
1. |
Apologies for Absence
Additional documents:
Minutes:
|
1.1
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No apologies for absence were received.
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2. |
Exclusion of Press and Public
Additional documents:
Minutes:
|
2.1
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No items were identified where resolutions may
be moved to exclude the press and public.
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3. |
Declarations of Interest  PDF 86 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
|
3.1
|
There were no declarations of interest.
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4. |
Minutes of Previous Meeting PDF 72 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
|
4.1
|
The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee
held on 23 January 2024 were approved as a correct record.
|
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5. |
Public Questions and Petitions PDF 55 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
|
5.1
|
Two questions had been submitted by Aidan
Cassidy from ACORN Sheffield. A representative did not attend the
meeting to ask the questions therefore a written response would be
provided.
|
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6. |
Members' Questions PDF 77 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
|
6.1
|
A schedule of questions to the Chair,
submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16, and which
contained written answers, was circulated. A supplementary question
was asked under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.4, the
Chair agreed to provide a written response.
|
|
7. |
Work Programme PDF 207 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
|
7.1
|
The Committee received a report containing the
Committee’s Work Programme for consideration and discussion.
The aim of the Work Programme was to show all known, substantive
agenda items for forthcoming meetings of the Committee, to enable
this Committee, other committees, officers, partners and the public
to plan their work with and for the Committee.
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7.2
|
Officers agreed to request an update on the
Lease of land in Millhouses Park item and the two items which had
no Committee date allocated on the Work Programme.
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7.3
|
RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Finance
Committee:-
1.
approves the Committee’s work programme, as set out in
Appendix 1, including any additions and amendments identified in
Part 1;
2.
gives consideration to any further issues to be explored by
officers for inclusion in Part 2 of Appendix 1 of the next work
programme report, for potential addition to the work programme;
and
3.
notes any referrals from Council (petition and resolutions)
detailed in Section 2 of the report and agrees the proposed
responses.
|
|
8. |
Capital Approvals Month 9 (2023/24) PDF 143 KB
Additional documents:
Decision:
Minutes:
|
8.1
|
The Finance Manager
submitted a report that provided details of proposed changes to the
existing Capital Programme as brought forward in Month 9
2023/24.
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8.2
|
Officers agreed to
provide an update on whether the three tower blocks in the Nether
Edge and Sharrow Ward were included in the Tower Block Fire Safety
work.
|
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8.3
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RESOLVED
UNANIMOUSLY: That the Finance
Committee:-
1.
approves the proposed additions and variations to
the Capital Programme listed in Appendix 1;
2.
approves the issuing of grant funding as identified
in Appendix 2; and
3.
approves the acceptance of grant funding as
identified in Appendix 3.
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8.4
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Reasons for Decision
|
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8.4.1
|
The proposed changes
to the Capital Programme will improve the services to the people of
Sheffield.
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8.4.2
|
To formally record
changes to the Capital Programme and gain Member approval for
changes in line with Financial Regulations and to reset the Capital
Programme in line with latest information.
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8.5
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Alternatives Considered and Rejected
|
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8.5.1
|
A number of alternative courses
of action are considered as part of the process undertaken by
Officers before decisions are recommended to Members. The
recommendations made to Members represent what Officers believe to
be the best options available to the Council, in line with Council
priorities, given the constraints on funding and the use to which
funding is put within the Revenue Budget and the Capital
Programme.
|
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9. |
Amendment to Council Tax Long-Term Empty Premium and Introduction of Second Home Premium PDF 161 KB
Additional documents:
Decision:
Minutes:
|
9.1
|
The Senior Revenues
and Benefits Manager and the Assistant Policy and Support Manager
presented a report that provided details of the Council’s
powers to make changes to the Council Tax Long-Term Empty Premium
and to introduce a new Council Tax premium for second
homes.
|
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9.2
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RESOLVED
UNANIMOUSLY: That the Finance
Committee:-
1.
notes the new powers which will enable the Council
to make changes to the Council Tax Long-Term Empty Premium from
2024/25, and the ability to introduce a new Council Tax Premium for
second homes from 2025/26; and
2.
agrees to adopt these powers and introduce the
Council Tax Long-Term Empty Premium, for dwellings empty and
substantially unfurnished for more than 12 months, from 1 April
2024.
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9.3
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Reasons for Decision
|
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9.3.1
|
Legislation provides
for making changes to the Long-Term-Empty Premium and for the
introduction of a second home premium.
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9.3.2
|
The Council must
decide if it wants to make changes to the Long-Term-Empty Premium.
If the Council decides it wants to make changes to the
Long-Term-Empty Premium, it must decide if it wants to do so from
2024/25 or from 2025/26.
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9.3.3
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The Council must also
decide if it wants to introduce a second home premium. If the
Council decides to introduce a second homes premium, that is agrees
to apply a premium of 100% to dwellings that meet the definition of
being a second home and that it will do so from 2025/26.
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9.4
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Alternatives Considered and Rejected
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9.4.1
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The alternative options the
Council has is to not adopt these new powers and keep the
Long-Term-Empty Premium the same and to not adopt the second home
premium.
|
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10. |
Finance Committee Climate Statement PDF 176 KB
Additional documents:
Decision:
Minutes:
|
10.1
|
The Director of Finance and
Commercial Services presented a report that set out the Statement
of Climate Commitments relevant to the Finance Committee.
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10.2
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RESOLVED
UNANIMOUSLY: That the Finance
Committee consider and agree the Statement of Climate
Commitments relevant to the Finance Committee to ensure that the
proposed actions contained in such statement are reflected in their
Work Programme.
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10.3
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Reasons for Decision
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10.3.1
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It is important that
the response to the Annual Climate Progress Report is open and
transparent in setting out the challenges which the local authority
faces in making progress and clarifies future expectations on the
part we all have to play in addressing climate change.
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10.3.2
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Committee do not
currently have specific strategic goals for climate. The process
required to develop these, and have the statements approved to be
read at each committee meeting meant that option 5.2 was not
feasible with the available resource and timeframe.
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10.4
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Alternatives Considered and Rejected
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10.4.1
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Not providing committee climate
statements considered due to the resource required to
collate.
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10.4.2
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Providing more detailed
Committee Climate Statements that provided an overview of strategic
climate goals, with each Chair then reading the committees
statement publicly at their respective committee meeting following
release of the report.
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