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Capital Programme

Published: 15/11/2021

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve a number of schemes forming part of the Council’s Capital Programme 2022/23 – 2024/25 when it meets on Tuesday, 16 November.

The Capital Programme covers investment in assets for the long term to enable the delivery of high quality and value for money public services.  Assets include buildings (such as schools and care homes), infrastructure (such as highways, IT networks, and waste transfer stations) and assets not owned by the Council (such as works to improve and adapt private sector homes). The proposed capital investments are aligned to the portfolio service business plans and the Council Plan.

The report divides the Council Fund Capital Programme into three sections:

  • Statutory / Regulatory - allocations to cover regulatory and statutory works, including the Equalities Act- where the budget needs to increase from £0.200m to £0.500m to enable continued delivery of school adaptation work.
  • Retained Assets - allocations to fund infrastructure works necessary to ensure service and business continuity:
    • Highways Asset Management Plan (HAMP) requires a proposed increase by £0.400m to £1m in order to help maintain the current network performance.
    • IT infrastructure: various schemes are needed to maintain service and business continuity and support the Council’s Digital Strategy.
  • Investment - allocations to fund works necessary to remodel services to deliver efficiencies outlined in portfolio business plans and invest in services as outlined in the Council Plan:
    • Historic building conservation: £50,000 per annum is proposed for grants to owners of historical buildings to preserve these for future generations;
    • Adaptations to foster carers’ homes to be able to provide a suitable environment to support a child;
    • Joint Archive Facility for Flintshire and Denbighshire – a modern facility to replace current facilities, both of which are old and not fit for purpose.

New investment schemes being put forward for approval include:

• Penyffordd CP school extension

• Decarbonisation of the vehicle fleet

• New Croes Atti residential home

• Relocation of Tri-ffordd day service.

Flintshire’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Social Value, Councillor Paul Johnson, said:

“In recent years, much of the Council’s programme has been funded from capital receipts, but the ability to generate these is getting harder and is almost exhausted.  We will, wherever possible, look for assets to sell to help fund the Capital Programme.”

Options to fund the shortfall include a combination of future capital receipts, alternative grants, and scheme phasing as the expenditure profile of large complex projects could change. Every effort will be made to ensure that other sources of funding are used to fund the programme.

However, should other sources of funding not materialise the Council will need to use prudential borrowing to finance the shortfall. 

Councillor Johnson added:

"We will look to make the most of the funding streams mentioned above so that we continue to develop our ambitious Capital Programme.  I’m pleased that we will be able to undertake these improvements in our schools and care homes, showing that Flintshire continues to be a forward-thinking, innovative Council investing in the well-being of the residents of our County.”