Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Val Gibson.

No declarations of interests were made.

[For approval]

Resolved:

            That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 23 April 2014 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.

[To recommend the strategy to Full Council for approval]

Cllr Elias Mattu moved that the 2014/17 strategy be referred to Council for approval.  In doing so he reported that the strategy reaffirmed the commitment of statutory, third sector, business sector and community members to work together to ensure they continued to drive down crime and improve community safety in Wolverhampton.  The strategy also built on the positive outcomes achieved over the term of the previous strategy document of 2011/14 which saw continuous reductions in total recorded crime and positive outcomes realised against strategic priorities of that plan.

Resolved:

That Full Council be recommended to approve the Crime Reduction, Community Safety and Drugs Strategy 2014-17 for implementation.

[To recommend arrangements for the issue of grants to third parties to deliver the Regional Growth Fund funded Black Country Growth Hub]

Cllr Peter Bilson presented the report that sought approval to delegate authority to issue grants to third parties to deliver the Regional Growth Fund funded Black Country Growth Hub.  The report also highlighted the opportunity to bid for European Regional Development Fund resources to extend and expand the remit of the project.

The first phase of the Black Country Growth Hub would lead to the creation of 230 jobs, safeguard 212 jobs, engage 681 businesses of which 225 would  receive over 12 hours of support, 96 skills based training levering in £7.4 million of private sector leverage.

Resolved:

1.    That Full Council be recommended to approve the payment of grants to third party providers for the delivery of products as part of the Black Country Growth Hub as detailed below:

2.    That Full Council be recommended to delegate authority to the Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Prosperity in consultation with the Strategic Director, Education and Enterprise, to agree business grants from the £1,682,414 Business Grant product and any other grants to third parties to deliver the scheme.

3.    That that the Chief Legal Officer be authorised to approve the execution of the contracts.

4.    That the opportunity to bid for external funding to expand and extend the Black Country Growth Hub be noted, the concept proposal for outline bid be endorsed and authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Prosperity in consultation with the Strategic Director Education and Enterprise to submit a full application should the outline application proceed to the next stage.

5.    That the Council act as accountable body for the larger project should the bid be successful and authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Prosperity in consultation with the Strategic Director Education and Enterprise and Assistant Director - Finance to sign off a bid for funding at full application stage. 

6.      That it be noted that the Council is already the accountable body for the first phase of the Growth Hub funded between December 2013 until June 2015.

[To appoint Council representatives onto a number of outside bodies]

Cllr Roger Lawrence presented the report that sought the appointment of representative trustees to serve on the Tettenhall Relief in Need and Educational Charities, Bushbury United Charities and the West Midlands Territorial Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) Association.

Resolved:

1.    That on receipt of the nominations from the Conservative Group office, authority be delegated to Cllr Roger Lawrence in consultation with the Strategic Director, Delivery to approve the appointment of two representatives to serve on the Tettenhall Relief in Need and Educational Charities for a four year term of office ending 2018 and two representative trustees to serve on the Bushbury United Charities for a four-year term of office ending 2018.

2.    That Cllr Steve Simkins be reappointed as a representative to serve on the West Midlands TAVR Association for a further three-year term of office expiring 31 March 2017.