Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were submitted.

No declarations of interest were made.

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

Resolved:

          That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2016 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

[To consider any matters arising from the minutes.]

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

[To receive an update on bids for European Structural funds and to grant necessary approvals for other externally funded projects]

Cllr John Reynolds presented the report on an update on current and future bids for European Structural funds and sought necessary approvals for other externally funded projects.

Resolved:

     EU Funds

1. That the Head of Governance be authorised to sign the Grant Funding Agreement relating to the Black Country Blue Network project and enter into Service Level Agreements with Delivery Partners (Walsall MBC, Environment Agency, Canal and River Trust and Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust) relating to the delivery of this project.

2. That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources, in consultation with the Director of Finance, to approve budgets for Black Country Blue Network project upon signing of the Funding Agreement.

3. That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Economy, in consultation with the Service Director City Economy and Director of Finance to submit outline applications to future calls for European Regional Development Fund projects.

4. That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Economy, in consultation with the Service Director City Economy, to enter agreements to progress the delivery of the RAINBOW project if the bid is successful.

     Other Funding

5. That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Economy, in consultation with the Service Director City Economy to submit a full business plan to the Edge Foundation should the initial bid be successful.

6. That the submission of bids for the Communities Fund, Libraries Opportunities for Everyone Innovation Fund and mitigating the impacts of immigration on local communities be approved and authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Economy, in consultation with the Service Director City Economy, to enter agreements to progress the delivery of this scheme.

7. That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources, in consultation with the Director of Finance to approve budgets for Communities Fund, Libraries Opportunities for Everyone Innovation Fund, mitigating the impacts of immigration on local communities and RAINBOW project should the bids be successful.

8. That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Economy, in consultation with the Service Director City Economy to issue a grant up to £50,000 to our named Voluntary Community Sector partner should our bid to the Communities Fund be successful.

[To approve the Council acting as the accountable body to facilitate the restoration of the war memorial]

Cllr John Reynolds requested approval for the Council to act as the accountable body to facilitate the restoration of the Oxford Street war memorial in the town centre.  The restoration would be funded through external grant and contribution from Bilston Remembered.

Resolved:

1.     That the Council acting as the accountable body to facilitate the restoration of the Oxford Street war memorial in Bilston be approved.

2.     That the establishment of a capital budget of £46,000 for the restoration works funded by external grants and contributions be approved. 

[To approve the acquisition of the property by negotiation or by the making of a Compulsory Purchase Order]

Cllr Peter Bilson sought approval to acquire by agreement or compulsory purchase order the property 34 Hordern Road, Wolverhampton.

The proposal was part of the Council’s Empty Property Strategy which aimed to bring long term empty properties back into use.  The property had been empty for six years and was having a detrimental impact on the neighbourhood and adjoining properties. 

Resolved:

1.     That the Strategic Director, City Housing be authorised to negotiate terms for the acquisition of the property, and, in default of that acquisition, give authority for a compulsory purchase order (CPO) to be made under Part II Section 17 Housing Act 1985 in respect of the property.

2.     That expenditure for the potential acquisition of the property, with subsequent capital receipts being recycled within this programme be approved.

3.     That in the event that the property is improved and re-occupied to the satisfaction of the Service Director for City Assets, the withdrawal of the property from the CPO be authorised.

4.     That following any acquisition, the Strategic Director, City Housing be authorised to dispose of the property on the open market on condition that the property is refurbished and re-occupied with in 6 or 12 months (as appropriate to the scale of the works).

5.     That the Director of Governance be authorised to:

a.          Take all reasonable steps as soon as it is reasonably practical to secure the making, confirmation and implementation of the CPO including the publication and service of all Notices and the presentation of the Council’s case at any Public Inquiry.

b.          Approve agreements with the owners of the property setting out the terms for the withdrawal of objections to the CPO, and/or making arrangements for re-housing or relocation of any occupiers.

c.           Approve the making of a General Vesting Declaration (the property is brought into Council ownership via this process).

d.          Approve the disposal of the whole and/ or parts of the property by auction, tender or private treaty.

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

Resolved:

That the summary of open and exempt individual executive decisions, approved by 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 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 falling within the paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

[To declare property surplus to the Council’s requirements and approve the terms of disposal]

Cllr Peter Bilson sought approval to declare surplus to the Council’s requirements the property 29 and 31 Coronation Road, Bilston and to the terms of disposal.

Resolved:

1. That an application be made to the Secretary of State under Section 32 of the Housing Act 1985 for consent to the disposal of the Council’s freehold interest in 29 and 31 Coronation Road, Bilston if required.

2. That the shops with living accommodation of 29 and 31 Coronation Road, Bilston be declared surplus to the Council’s requirements and the terms of the disposal be approved.

[To select the preferred developer for the refurbishment and reuse of the former Heath Town Baths and adjoining land]

Cllr John Reynolds presented the report seeking authority to select a preferred developer for the refurbishment and reuse of the former Heath Town Baths (including adjoining land) following the recent marketing exercise.

Resolved:

1. That the selection of the preferred developer identified in the body of the report be approved.

2. That the disposal be on the basis of the grant of a long lease or the sale of the freehold with adequate provision for forfeit in the event of the developer failing to meet agreed milestones in terms of completion of refurbishment works

3. That an exclusivity agreement with the preferred developer for an initial period of six months to enable further due diligence to be undertaken be approved.

4. That authority be delegate to the Cabinet Member for City Economy, in consultation with the Service Director – City Economy to approve:

a.      any extension to the exclusivity period.

b.      the agreement of remaining heads of terms for the disposal of the property.

[To consider various delegations of authority and the award of contracts]

The Panel considered a report on proposals for the award of contracts for works, goods and services.

Resolved:

1. That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Adults, in consultation with the Strategic Director for People, to approve the award of a contract for Pear Tree Lane Residential Care Home when the evaluation process is complete.

2. That authority be delegated the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing in consultation with the Strategic Director of Place to award contracts for delivery of the Primary Care Sexual Health Services to appropriately qualified GPs from 1 February 2017 to 31 May 2019, once the evaluation process is completed.  The overall contract value is approximately £667,000, individual provider would be paid in accordance with the level of delivery in accordance with the tariff.

3. That the award of a new contract for the delivery of Tuberculosis Service to Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP for the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2019, with a nine month notice period be approved. The overall contract value is approximately £436,000.

4. That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources, in consultation with the Director for Finance, to approve the award of a contract for Mobile Voice and Data once a detailed evaluation process has been completed.

5. That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, in consultation with the Strategic Director for People, to approve the award of a contract for the assessment of potential foster carers when the evaluation process is complete.

6. That the Director of Governance be authorised to execute contracts in respect of the above as required.