Agenda item

Council is asked to approve the recommendations set out on pages 90, 91 and 92.

Please note that a full record of the of the discussion is available on the recording of the meeting at Budget Council - 25 February 2026 - YouTube at time 0:49:18-1:58:00.

 

City Mayor seconded by Councillor Joel, and moved:

 

“Council is recommended to:

 

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.”

 

Members debated the original Motion

 

AMENDMENT

 

Proposed by Councillor Rae Bhatia, seconded by Councillor Osman and moved:

 

“Approve the capital programme as proposed with the following amendments:  a. Repurpose the £0.35m allocated to Voices for Leicester as followings:

 

i. £0.19m increase to Environmental Crime/Open Spaces CCTV enforcement creating a budget of £0.39m

 

ii. £0.15m increased to Highways Drainage/Flood Mitigation programme creating a budget of £0.41m

 

b. Reducing the allocation of £0.75m for 20mph schemes within the Local Transport schemes to £0.55m and reallocating to parking issues in outer wards.

 

FRIENDLY AMENDMENT

 

During the debate, Councillor Rae Bhatia indicated that they were willing to accept a friendly amendment proposed bv Councillor Kitterick. The Monitoring Officer advised that the proposed friendly amendment had been circulated to Members shortly before the meeting and allowed time for Members to read it.

 

Proposed by Councillor Kitterick:

 

“The effect of this amendment is to transfer the £430,000 funding of Heritage Interpretation Boards into tackling issues affecting the streets across Leicester.  This would also allow the retention of funding for the 20mph speed limit programme. 

 

Add immediately after “Voices of Leicester” 

 

“and the £430,000 for Heritage Interpretation Boards” 

 

Add after bullet point 

 

“• £0.15m of it to the Highways Drainage / Flood Mitigation programme raising it to £0.41m in 2026/27.” 

 

 

 

Another two bullet points 

 

• Allocate £0.2m towards the parking issues in outer wards under Local Transport Schemes. 

 

• Allocate an extra £230,000 to gully and leaf clearing and tackling fly-tipping across the city.”  

 

Delete 

 

“Reducing the 20mph programme allocation from £0.75m to £0.55m and reallocating £0.2m towards the parking issues in outer wards under Local Transport Schemes.”

 

The Monitoring Officer confirmed with the seconder for the substantive amendment his agreement to the inclusion of the friendly amendment.

 

The amendment was debated

 

The amendment, as modified by the friendly amendment, was then put to the vote.

 

The Lord Mayor declared the amendment LOST.

 

The meeting returned to consideration of the original substantive motion.

 

The Lord Mayor put the substantive Motion to the vote.

 

The Lord Mayor declared the substantive Motion carried.