Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no declarations of interest.

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

Resolved:

            That the minutes of the meeting held on 30 June 2015 be approved as a correct record.

[To consider any matters arising from the minutes.]

There were no matters arising from the previous minutes.

[To approve the framework]

Councillor Sweet presented the report, which outlined the Council’s Information Governance Framework 2015-17.

Resolved:

            That the Information Governance Framework for 2015-17 be approved.

[To receive an update on external funding opportunities and to provide necessary approvals to enable delivery of externally funded projects]

Councillor Reynolds presented the report, which provided an update on external funding opportunities, including bids submitted and the project pipeline for European Structure funding.

Resolved:

1.    That the City of Wolverhampton Council be authrosed to act as accountable body for and submit bids for European Regional Development funding, should the outline bids be successful.

2.    That permission be granted to establish a budget for the Local Development Order Incentive Fund.

[To consider proposals for the delivery of housing support and social inclusion services and to agree to re-tender the contract]

Councillor Gibson presented the report, which sought consideration of proposals for the delivery of housing support and social inclusion services and approval to re-tender the contract.

Resolved:

1.    That The Haven Wolverhampton’s voluntary sector grant of £175,000 per year be not re-invested when the grant contract ends on 31 March 2016, which will meet the Children’s Commissioning budget reduction requirement of £175,000 from 1 April 2016.

2.    That The Haven Wolverhampton’s £727,126 per year contract for the provision of housing support and social inclusion services be re-tendered in line with the contract expiry on 7 December 2016.

[To approve the draft plan and delegate authority to the Service Director for City Environment, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for City Environment, to approve the final version]

Councillor Evans presented the report, which sought approval of the draft plan and delegated authority to the Service Director for City Environment, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for City Environment, to approve the final version.

Resolved:

1.    That the draft Statutory Food Service Plan 2015/16 be approved.

2.    That the Service Director for City Environment, in consultation with the City Member for City Environment, be authorised to approve the final version if the Plan.

[To approve the introduction of the scheme]

Councillor Evans presented the report, which sought approval of proposed charging arrangements for employee and councillor parking.

Resolved:

1.    That approval be given to the introduction of employee parking charges at all Council car parks that are currently free of charge.

2.    That the revised employee business need criteria be approved.

3.    That the business use criteria be amended for specific cases in exceptional business circumstances with the approval of the Strategic Executive Board.

[To consider the likely revenue outturn position compared with the council’s approved revenue budgets for 2015/16 and related targets]

Councillor Johnson presented the report, which provided councillors with a projection of the likely revenue outturn position compared with the Council’s approved revenue budgets for 2015/16 and related targets.

Resolved:

1.    That Better Care Fund pressures totalling £1.3 million, included within the 2015/16 projected outturn, be funded corporately if the People directorate are not able to deliver compensating savings during the year. [Adult Services will aim to identify savings totalling £1.3 million during 2015/16 to meet the Better Care Fund pressures during the year and future years].

2.    That approval be given to the use of £114,000 form the Regeneration Reserve to fund various regeneration priorities as detailed in Table 5 of the report.

3.    That approval be given to the write off of one sundry debt totalling £17,601.01, as a result of a deceased debtor as detailed at Appendix F to the report.

4.    That approval be given to one virement totalling £140,000 for a transfer within the Place directorate, outlined at Appendix G to the report.

5.    That approval be given to an increase in the council tax balance at which the full court summons fees are charged from £200 to £250.

6.    That approval be given to a court summons fee of £58 in respect of action taken to recover the Business Improvement District levy.

[To note the summary of decisions approved by the appropriate Cabinet Member in consultation with the relevant employee]

Resolved:

            That the summary of open and exempt individual executive decisions, approved by the appropriate Cabinet Members following consultation with the relevant employees, be noted.

[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 item of business as it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information falling within paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to the Act 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 falling within paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to the Act relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

[To award contracts and delegate authority to execute the contracts in respect of the recommendations as required]

The recommendations for the award of contracts for works, goods and services were introduced by the relevant Cabinet portfolio holders.

Resolved:

1.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Assets, in consultation with the Strategic Director for Place, to approve the award of a contract for Bilston Urban Village Highway Capacity Improvements, for an estimated sum of £3 million, on completion of the evaluation process.

2.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Assets, in consultation with the Strategic Director for Place, to agree the contract for Compton Park improvements with JA Bates Contractors, Sandwell Business Park, based on the contracted schedule of rates for the Compton Park Improvements, with an estimated value of £400,000, on completion of the process.

3.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Environment, in consultation with the Strategic Director for Place, to approve the award of contracts for the supply of four refuse collection vehicles(estimated cost £580,000) and three precinct sweepers(estimated cost £225,000), on completion of the evaluation process.

4.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Environment, in consultation with the Strategic Director for Place, to approve the award of a contract for relocation of the Market for an estimated cost of £600,000, on completion of the evaluation process.

5.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Environment, in consultation with the Strategic Director for Place, to agree the contract for Compton Road West improvements with Lafarge Tarmac based on the contracted schedule of rates for the Compton Road West improvements with an estimated value of £140,000, on completion of the evaluation process.

6.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Environment, in consultation with the Strategic Director for Place, to agree the contract for Kempthorne Avenue improvements with Lafarge Tarmac, based on the contracted schedule of rates for the Kempthorne Avenue improvements with an estimated value of £400,000, on completion of the evaluation process.

7.    That approval be given to the extension of the contracts for short breaks for disabled children and young people with Let us Play of Shaw House, Shaw Road, Wolverhampton, Spurgeons of The Workspace, All Saints Road, Wolverhampton, Action for Children of 3 The Boulevard, Watford and Trident of 16 Grosvenor Road, Handsworth, for a duration of up to 12 months until 30 April 2016, with a total value of £214,000 for all four contracts.

8.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, in consultation with the Strategic Director for People, to enter into grant agreements for the Headstart Programme up to a total value of £406,000 once the allocation process has concluded.

9.    That authority be delegated to the Leader of the Council, in consultation with the Director of Finance, to approve the extension of the contract with PWC to provide further financial, economic and strategic advice for the creation of the West Midlands Combined Authority.

10.That authority be delegated to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

[To issue a grant to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre for improvement work and to enter into an agreement relating to the total grant allocation]

Councillor Reynolds presented the report, which sought approval to obtain tenders for the removal of asbestos from the Wolverhampton Civic Halls prior to the main refurbishment programme and to the procurement process for the main contract. The report also sought approval to issue a grant to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre for improvements and to enter into a grant agreement relating to the total grant allocation.

Resolved:

1.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Economy, in consultation with the Service Director for City Economy and Director of Finance, to appoint the asbestos contractor.

2.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Economy, in consultation with the Service Director for City Economy and Director of Finance, to appoint the main contractor following a mini competition under the Construction West Midlands (CWM) framework.

3.    That approval be given to a virement of £483,000 from the regeneration priorities budget to the Civic Halls Improvement budget to meet the cost of asbestos removal.

4.    That approval be given to a capital allocation of £400,000 for grants to the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre funded through the Local Growth Fund.

5.    That approval be given to an initial grant of up to £50,000 to the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre to fund immediate improvement works.

6.    That the Director of Governance be authorised to approve the execution of the grant agreement.