Agenda, decisions and minutes

No apologies for absence were received for the meeting.

No declarations of interests were made.

[To approve the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record.]

Resolved:

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 15 June 2022 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

[To approve the award of contracts for works, goods and services]

That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Governance and Equalities, in consultation with the Director of Strategy, to approve the award of a contract for Apprenticeship Training Provider Call Off when the call off process is complete.

Councillor Obaida Ahmed presented the report on the latest procurement activity for approval.  She reported that there was one procurement coming forward this month from the Governance and Equalities portfolio. In line with the Council's commitment to the Wolverhampton Pound, this was an opportunity to support local suppliers to submit bids to be included on the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation Dynamic Purchasing System.

Resolved:

That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Governance and Equalities, in consultation with the Director of Strategy, to approve the award of a contract for Apprenticeship Training Provider Call Off when the call off process is complete.

[To approve the Noose Lane to School Street active travel project]

1.      That the construction of a segregated cycle route from Noose Lane to School Street, a project that would form part of the A454 corridor active travel scheme be approved.

2.      That the commencement of Early Contract Involvement totalling a spend of £15,000 be approved.

3.      That it be noted that approval of a capital budget for delivery of the scheme, subject to a signed grant agreement, would be sought as part of theCapital Budget Outturn 2021-2022 including Quarter One Capital Budget Monitoring 2022-2023 report at this same meeting.

4.      That it be noted that the Director of Finance would review and enter into the grant agreement for Active Travel Fund Tranche 3 for delivery of the scheme.

Councillor Steve Evans presented the report on a proposal to construct a segregated cycle route from Noose Lane to School Street, Wolverhampton. The Council had been successful in gaining £1.905 million from the Department for Transport Active Travel Fund (Tranche 3) to fund the scheme. It formed part of the wider A454 corridor programme that aimed to provide high quality cycling infrastructure and tackle traffic congestion along the A454 from the Wolverhampton ring road to Walsall ring road.

Resolved:

1.    That the construction of a segregated cycle route from Noose Lane to School Street, a project that would form part of the A454 corridor active travel scheme be approved.

2.    That the commencement of Early Contract Involvement totalling a spend of £15,000 be approved.

3.    That it be noted that approval of a capital budget for delivery of the scheme, subject to a signed grant agreement, would be sought as part of theCapital Budget Outturn 2021-2022 including Quarter One Capital Budget Monitoring 2022-2023 report at this same meeting.

4.    That it be noted that the Director of Finance would review and enter into the grant agreement for Active Travel Fund Tranche 3 for delivery of the scheme.

[To approve funding to provide two residential homes to support up to two children in each home with complex needs]

1.      That the Council develops two Children’s Homes, the first at a corporate asset site still to be confirmed and purchases a private property for the second home.

2.      That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and the Cabinet Member for City Assets and Housing, in consultation with the Executive Director of Families and the Deputy Chief Executive to approve the location and site of the two homes following consultation with key stakeholders and approve the allocation of the capital provision to the individual capital projects in order that they may be progressed in a timely manner.

3.      That it be noted that the capital costs included in this report have been incorporated into the ‘Capital Budget Outturn 2021-2022 including Quarter One Capital Budget Monitoring 2022-2023’ report which is on the Cabinet agenda for today and would subsequently be reported to Full Council for approval on the 20 July 2022, assuming that Cabinet (Resources) Panel approval to progress with the project is given. As the progression is dependent on that decision, if the project is not approved, the capital programme would be reduced accordingly.

Councillor Beverley Momenabadi presented the report seeking approval for funding to secure two properties to develop two local authority children's homes for children with complex needs.  Each home would cater for up to two young people with the aim of creating high quality, specialist provision that would provide young people with a homely environment. She reported that the proposal was about firming up the Council’s corporate parenting position in the city and making sure that children and young people in care have somewhere safe, suitable and that provides high quality support for them to live. 

Resolved:

1.    That the Council develops two Children’s Homes, the first at a corporate asset site still to be confirmed and purchases a private property for the second home.

2.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and the Cabinet Member for City Assets and Housing, in consultation with the Executive Director of Families and the Deputy Chief Executive to approve the location and site of the two homes following consultation with key stakeholders and approve the allocation of the capital provision to the individual capital projects in order that they may be progressed in a timely manner.

3.    That it be noted that the capital costs included in this report have been incorporated into the ‘Capital Budget Outturn 2021-2022 including Quarter One Capital Budget Monitoring 2022-2023’ report which is on the Cabinet agenda for today and would subsequently be reported to Full Council for approval on the 20 July 2022, assuming that Cabinet (Resources) Panel approval to progress with the project is given. As the progression is dependent on that decision, if the project is not approved, the capital programme would be reduced accordingly.

[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.]

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 the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

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 the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

The Chair reported that as stated previously the meeting was in confidential session as the information included in the report could, if released into the public domain, prejudice the financial position of the Council or its partners.  As such all present are under a legal duty of confidentiality and must not disclose any confidential information - to do so would not only be a breach of the Council's codes (for councillors and employees) but also a breach of the legal duty of confidentiality.

[To approve the award of contracts for works, goods and services]

That the variation with Engie Regeneration Ltd of Regeneration House, Gorsey Lane, Coleshill, Birmingham, B46 1JU for Heath Town Regeneration Project from 30 June 2021 to 30 November 2022 with a variation value of £2,043,375 be endorsed.

Councillor Obaida Ahmed presented, for approval, the report on a variation to the contract awarded for Heath Town Regeneration Project Phase 1.

Resolved:

That the variation with Engie Regeneration Ltd of Regeneration House, Gorsey Lane, Coleshill, Birmingham, B46 1JU for Heath Town Regeneration Project from 30 June 2021 to 30 November 2022 with a variation value of £2,043,375 be endorsed.

[To provide an update on the Southside Intervention Strategy]

1.      That the Council’s landholdings as detailed in the body of the report be declared as surplus to regeneration requirements and transferred from the Regeneration portfolio to the City Assets portfolio.

2.      That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Assets and Housing, in consultation with Deputy Director of Assets to determine the future disposal method, if applicable.

3.      That the current status of regeneration plans and proposals for the Southside area in accordance with previous updates to Cabinet be noted.

4.      That the move of responsibility of properties recommended for long term retention from City Development to City Assets be noted.

5.      That it be noted that City Assets would manage the disposal process for properties which would not be retained.

Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal presented the update report on progress and options for landholdings in the city centre (Southside) currently within the regeneration portfolio.

Resolved:

1.    That the Council’s landholdings as detailed in the body of the report be declared as surplus to regeneration requirements and transferred from the Regeneration portfolio to the City Assets portfolio.

2.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Assets and Housing, in consultation with Deputy Director of Assets to determine the future disposal method, if applicable.

3.    That the current status of regeneration plans and proposals for the Southside area in accordance with previous updates to Cabinet be noted.

4.    That the move of responsibility of properties recommended for long term retention from City Development to City Assets be noted.

5.    That it be noted that City Assets would manage the disposal process for properties which would not be retained.