Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Paul Sweet and Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal.

There were no declarations of interest.

[For approval]

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 19 July 2017 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

[To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting]

There were no matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

1.    That Council be recommended to approve the utilisation of the existing borrowing provision to support the Interchange Programme.

2.    That the submission of funding applications to the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Black Country LEP to support the Interchange Programme be approved

3.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources and the Director of Finance to accept any grants awarded.

Councillor John Reynolds presented the Wolverhampton Interchange Programme report for recommendation to Council. The report provided an update on the Interchange Programme and sought approval for a revised funding strategy.

Resolved:

1.     That Council be recommended to approve the utilisation of the existing borrowing provision to support the Interchange Programme.

2.     That the submission of funding applications to the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Black Country LEP to support the Interchange Programme be approved.

3.     That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources and the Director of Finance to accept any grants awarded.

1.    That an extension to the local business rates discretionary relief policy be approved.

2.    That it be noted the scheme would need to be reviewed and revised each year in line with the funding be noted.

Councillor Andrew Johnson presented the Business Rates Discretionary Relief report, which proposed an extension to the Council’s local scheme for business rate discretionary relief. Councillor Johnson thanked the Head of Revenue and Benefits for the work undertaken. The scheme was also aligned with the principles of other local schemes in the region and welcomed by the businesses impacted by the change.

Resolved:

1.    That an extension to the local business rates discretionary relief policy be approved.

2.    That it be noted the scheme would need to be reviewed and revised each year in line with the funding be noted.

[To present the key findings and approve the recommendations of the scrutiny review.]

1.    That the recommendations detailed in Appendix 1 of the report be approved.

Councillor John Reynolds presented the report on behalf of Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, the Chair of the Scrutiny Review. The report presented the findings of the scrutiny review of the City’s apprenticeships offer and requested the approval of the recommendations, detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, to improve the City’s offer.

Resolved:

1.    That the recommendations detailed in Appendix 1 of the report be approved.

1.    That Council be recommended to approve the receipt of grant for £478,000 awarded by the Office for Ultra Low Emissions to the Council to install 24 electric vehicle charge points in the City.

2.    That Council be recommended to approve the delegation of authority to the Cabinet Member for City Environment, in consultation with the Director of Finance, to transfer the full grant to the preferred private partner, once identified.

3.    That Council be recommended to reduce the Capital Programme budget for Smart and Accessible City against which this programme is assigned to £478,000 to reflect the grant allocation.

Councillor Steve Evans presented the supplementary report on Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Scheme for recommendation to Council. Councillor Evans thanked the employees involved in producing the report for the work undertaken. The report requested that Cabinet recommends that Council approves the receipt of a grant from the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and for that grant to be transferred to a private delivery partner in due course.

Resolved:

1.    That Council be recommended to approve the receipt of grant for £478,000 awarded by the Office for Ultra Low Emissions to the Council to install 24 electric vehicle charge points in the City.

2.    That Council be recommended to approve the delegation of authority to the Cabinet Member for City Environment, in consultation with the Director of Finance, to transfer the full grant to the preferred private partner, once identified.

3.    That Council be recommended to reduce the Capital Programme budget for Smart and Accessible City against which this programme was assigned to £478,000 to reflect the grant allocation.

[To approve the revised Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy under the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002.]

1.    That the proposed amendments to the Housing Assistance Policy ve approved and published as required by the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 for the purposes of:

i.      to amend the policy to allow a wider range of adaptations to be undertaken including:-

·      All stairlifts, modular ramps and ceiling track hoists – up to £8,000, including the provision of stairlift maintenance contracts

·      Bathroom adaptations to enable safe access to bathing and toileting facilities – up to £5,000

ii.    to provide a more comprehensive approach to assisting vulnerable households by considering “whole home” solutions rather than addressing issues on a piecemeal basis by enabling a single housing assistance proposal to be delivered under a streamlined grant/loan process.

2.    That the delivery of the Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy programmes through Wolverhampton Homes be approved.

Councillor Peter Bilson presented the Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy. The report sought to amend the existing policy, as detailed in the recommendations of the report and that the policy programmes would be delivered through Wolverhampton Homes. The revised policy would continue to be delivered within existing budgetary provision.

Resolved:

1.     That the proposed amendments to the Housing Assistance Policy be approved and published as required by the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 for the purposes of:

i.       to amend the policy to allow a wider range of adaptations to be undertaken including:

·     All stairlifts, modular ramps and ceiling track hoists – up to £8,000, including the provision of stairlift maintenance contracts

·     Bathroom adaptations to enable safe access to bathing and toileting facilities – up to £5,000

ii.      to provide a more comprehensive approach to assisting vulnerable households by considering “whole home” solutions rather than addressing issues on a piecemeal basis by enabling a single housing assistance proposal to be delivered under a streamlined grant/loan process.

2.     That the delivery of the Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy programmes through Wolverhampton Homes be approved.

1.    That the Council pursue Associate Member status of the Black Country and West Birmingham Sustainability and Transformation Partnership.

2.    That the response to the Black Country and West Birmingham Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) attached as Appendix 1 of the report be noted.

3.    That the process and content of development of the Black Country and West Birmingham STP and the MoU attached as Appendix 1 of the report be noted.

Councillor Roger Lawrence presented the Memorandum of Understanding – Black Country Sustainability and Transformation Plan. The report advised Cabinet of the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which had been developed to support the ongoing partnership of the Black Country and West Birmingham Sustainability and Transformation Partnership. Following a discussion, Cabinet requested an amendment to the recommendations to specify that associate member status would be pursued.

Resolved:

1.     That the Council pursue Associate Member status of the Black Country and West Birmingham Sustainability and Transformation Partnership.

2.     That the response to the Black Country and West Birmingham Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) Draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) attached as Appendix 1 of the report be noted.

3.     That the process and content of development of the Black Country and West Birmingham STP and the MoU attached as Appendix 1 of the report be noted.

1.    That the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership Annual Report 2016-2017 be endorsed and identified areas be supported for development.

2.    That further dialogue be sought with partners regarding how to respond to issues of concern and areas for further collaboration in light of potential regional changes to safer partnership arrangements.

Councillor Andrew Johnson presented the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership Annual Report 2016-17 on behalf of Councillor Paul Sweet. Councillor Johnson thanked the Head of Community Safety for the work undertaken. The report provided a summary of Safer Wolverhampton Partnership progress during 2016-17 and sought support for identified areas of future development. Councillor Johnson proposed an amendment to the recommendations, which was agreed as detailed in recommendation 2, as a result of the successful collaborative work that had been accomplished in other areas, such as child sex exploitation.

Resolved:

1.    That the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership Annual Report 2016-2017 be endorsed and identified areas be supported for development.

2.    That further dialogue be sought with partners regarding how to respond to issues of concern and areas for further collaboration in light of potential regional changes to safer partnership arrangements.

1.    That the commencement of informal consultation on the proposed merger of Whitgreave Infant School with Whitgreave Junior School be approved.

2.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Education, in consultation with the Assistant Director - School Standards, to consider the outcome of informal consultation on the proposed merger of Whitgreave Infant School with Whitgreave Junior School and to determine whether or not to proceed to formal consultation.

Councillor Claire Darke presented the report on the Reorganisation of Educational Provision relating to Whitgreave Infant and Whitgreave Junior Schools. The report requested the commencement of a period of informal consultation on the proposal to merge the infant and junior schools. Cabinet was informed that the governing bodies of both schools were in support of the proposal.

Resolved:

1.    That the commencement of informal consultation on the proposed merger of Whitgreave Infant School with Whitgreave Junior School be approved.

2.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Education, in consultation with the Assistant Director - School Standards, to consider the outcome of informal consultation on the proposed merger of Whitgreave Infant School with Whitgreave Junior School and to determine whether or not to proceed to formal consultation.

At this point, Councillor Sandra Samuels OBE made the Chair aware that she had a pecuniary interest in item 6 (Business Rates Discretionary Relief) as she was the owner of a business in the City.

[To pass the following resolution:

That in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business as they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information on the grounds shown below.]

Resolved:

That in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business as they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information relating to any individual, information which was likely to reveal the identity of an individual and/or information relating to the business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

That the recommendations as detailed in the exempt report be approved.

Councillor Andrew Johnson presented the report that was exempt as it contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) under Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), Part 1, Paragraph 3.

Resolved:

1.     That the recommendations as detailed in the exempt report be approved.

That the recommendations as detailed in the exempt report be approved.

Councillor Roger Lawrence presented the report that was exempt as it contained information relating to any action taken or to be taken in connection

with the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime under Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), Part 1, Paragraph 7.

Resolved:

1.     That the recommendations as detailed in the exempt report be approved.

That the recommendations as detailed in the exempt report be approved.

Councillor Claire Darke presented the report that was exempt as it contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) under Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), Part 1, Paragraph 3.

Resolved:

1.     That the recommendations as detailed in the exempt report be approved.

That the recommendations as detailed in the exempt report be approved.

Councillor Andrew Johnson presented the report that was exempt as it contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) under Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), Part 1, Paragraph 3.

Resolved:

1.     That the recommendations as detailed in the exempt report be approved.