Decision details

1. To thank the scrutiny commissions for their comments on the draft capital budget.

2. To recommend to Council the following:

a)         Approve the capital programme, including the maximum prudential borrowing for schemes as described in this report and summarised at Appendices 1 to 6, subject to any amendments proposed by the City Mayor in accordance with his powers as set out in 2.1(f);

b)         Note if the amendment within the general fund revenue budget for 2026/27 is approved in relation to Adventure Playgrounds, a corresponding amendment will be made to the capital programme. 

c)         To delegate to the Director of Finance, in consultation with the City Mayor, to apply available capital receipts to finance the capital programme in place of prudential borrowing where this is considered financially advantageous, having regard to affordability, sustainability, and the Council’s Treasury Management and Capital Strategies

d)         For those schemes designated immediate starts, delegate authority to the lead director to commit expenditure, subject to the normal requirements of Contract Procedure Rules, rules concerning land acquisition and Finance Procedure Rules;

e)         Delegate authority to the City Mayor to determine a plan of spending for each policy provision, and to commit expenditure up to the maximum available;

f)          For the purposes of Finance Procedure Rules:

•           Determine that service resources shall consist of service revenue contributions; HRA revenue contributions; and government grants/third party contributions ringfenced for specific purposes.

•           Delegate to the appropriate Divisional Director the ability to reallocate resources within the following programmes to meet operational requirements:

o          Operational estate

o          Children’s capital maintenance

o          Highways maintenance programme

o          Transport Improvement Grant for 2026/27

o          Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG)

g)         Delegate to the City Mayor:

•           Authority to increase any scheme in the programme, or add a new scheme to the programme, subject to a maximum of £10m funded from corporate resources in each instance and to borrow whilst remaining within the prudential limits for debt which are proposed in the treasury management strategy (elsewhere on your agenda);

•           Authority to reduce or delete any capital scheme, subject to a maximum reduction of £10m; and

•           Authority to transfer any “policy provision” to the “immediate starts” category.

h)        Delegate to directors, in consultation with the relevant deputy/assistant mayor, authority to incur expenditure up to a maximum of £250k per scheme in respect of policy provisions on design and other professional fees and preparatory studies, but not any other type of expenditure.

i)          Approve the capital strategy at Appendix 6.

j)          Resolved that the Council:

•           agrees to act as Accountable Body for funding provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) under the Pride in Place Programme

•           adds such funding to the Council’s revenue or capital budget as appropriate

•           delegates to the Section 151 Officer, Monitoring Officer and Director of Corporate Services authority to administer the Programme, allocate funding, and manage delivery and compliance in accordance with MHCLG requirements and the Council’s approved budget framework.

It is a requirement of the constitution that the City Mayor recommends a capital programme to the Council.

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