Decisions

Miscellaneous TRO's

1.       Approved the recommended action to implement waiting and loading restrictions to parts of Orchard Crescent, Bhylls Lane, The Avenue, Bhylls Crescent, Bellencroft Gardens as shown on plan T4/3988 appended to the report.

2.       Approved the recommended action to implement waiting and loading restrictions to parts of Wolverhampton Road East, Dudding Road as shown on plan T4/3992 appended to the report.

3.       Approved the recommended action to implement waiting and loading restrictions to parts of Cherry Street, St Marks Road, Laburnum Street and prohibition of stopping restrictions to parts of Cherry Street, as shown on plan T4/3991 appended to the report.

4.       Approved the recommended action to implement waiting and loading restrictions to parts of Leasowes Drive, Pinfold Grove, Chadwick Close as shown on plan T4/4029 appended to the report.

5.       Approved the recommended action to implement waiting restrictions to parts of Rosemary Crescent West, Jeremy Road as shown on plan T4/4042 appended to the report.

6.       Approved the recommended action to implement waiting restrictions to parts of The Haven, Lower Villiers Street as shown on plan T4/4043 appended to the report.

7.       Approved the recommended action to implement waiting and loading restrictions to parts of Finchfield Hill, Oak Hill, Oak Leys, The Terrace, The Spinney, White Oak Drive as shown on plan T3/972C appended to the report.

8.       Authorised the Solicitor to the Council to implement the relevant traffic regulation orders.

Award of Project Management Contract for the Civic Halls

Approved the award of the contract for Civic Hall Project Management and Design to Faithful+Gould Ltd of Epsom for a duration of two years for a total contract value of £1,282,532.08.

This report seeks approval to proceed with land and property transactions and their terms as detailed herein.

Approved the completion of the transactions listed below:

a.  Lease for a gas governor site at Old Fallings Lane, Wolverhampton.

b.  Deed of Release – Land Adjacent, 118-130 Bushbury Lane/Shaw Road.

c.   Surrender of Wolverhampton Homes lease at Hickman Avenue Depot, Hickman Avenue.

Awarded the contract for Civic Hall Project Management and Design to Faithful+Gould Ltd of Epsom for a duration of five months for a total contract value of £345,718.30.

To agree the terms and the execution of loans from the Council to WV Living in accordance with the Loan Facility Agreement.

1.       Approved the terms of the loans to WV Living, including a return on investment chargeable quarterly.

2.       Approved the issue of the following loans to WV Living:

a.     Loan eight in July 2019

b.     Loan nine in August 2019.

On 5th February 2019, CRP agreed to delegate authority to the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, in consultation with the Strategic Director for People and the Director for Public Health, to award the contract for delivery of the tuberculosis and infection prevention services to Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) of New Cross Hospital for up to four years from 1 April 2019 to 31st March 2023.

Approve the award of the contract for delivery of tuberculosis and infection prevention Services to RWT.

To consider proposals to assist owners of leasehold properties purchased originally under the Right to Buy (RTB) on the Boscobel Estate which are undergoing substantial investment. 

To present a summary of open and exempt individual executive decisions approved by the appropriate Cabinet Members following consultation with the relevant employees.

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 approve the acquisition of a long-term empty property.

1.       That the Director of City Housing be authorised to negotiate terms for the acquisition of the property 91 Prestwood Road West, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, WV11 1HT, and, in default of that acquisition, to 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 the Empty Property Strategy programme be approved.

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

4.       That following any acquisition, the Director of 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 six or 12 months (as appropriate to the scale of the works).

5.       That the Chief Legal Officer 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 approve a Land and Property transaction relating to the Council's asset portfolio.

To approve the Statutory Food Service Plan.

1.       That the draft 2019 Food Service Plan as summarised in Appendix 1 to the report be approved.

2.       That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Environment in consultation with the Head of Business Services to approve the final version of the Food Service Plan.

3.       That the requirement to prepare a Food Service Plan be noted.

4.       That the Service’s key achievements in 2018 be noted.

To approve the Revenue Budget Outturn.

1.       That the net surplus after taxation of £40,000 for Yoo Recruit Limited be retained by the company to enable further business development.

2.       That the write off of eight non-domestic rates totalling £74,802.16 as detailed in Appendix 7 to the report be approved.

3.       That the write off of four sundry debts totalling £40,878.73 as detailed in Appendix 8 to the report be approved..   

4.       That the write off of one council tax account totalling £5,634.54 as detailed in Appendix 9 to the report be approved.

5.       That the 24 virements totalling £39.8 million, for transfer within directorates, as detailed in Appendix 10 to the report be approved.

6.       That it be noted that the revenue outturn position for 2018-2019 for the General Fund; a net underspend of £265,000 (-0.12%) was achieved against the net budget requirement of £229.1 million, after meeting the net cost of redundancy and pension strain, after the use of capital receipt flexibility, and contributions to essential earmarked reserves.

7.       That it be noted that whilst the positive General Fund outturn position during 2018-2019, and the resulting adjustments to reserves, will help to support the Council’s short term financial position, it does not address the challenging financial position that the Council finds itself in over the medium term; namely identifying further projected budget reductions estimated at £27.3 million in 2020-2021, rising to £40-50 million over the medium term to 2023-2024. Cabinet will be presented with a report in July 2019 detailing the progress towards identifying budget reduction and income generation proposals to address the financial challenge.

8.       That it be noted that the General Fund outturn position takes into account a number of proposed transfers to and from reserves and provisions for which approval is sought in the Reserves and Provisions 2018-2019 report to be presented at this meeting.

9.       That it be noted that schools which remain under the control of the City of Wolverhampton Council have drawn down a net £1.8 million of their reserves during 2018-2019 after adjusting for the balance attributable to academies, which takes the total accumulated reserves to £5.1 million at 31 March 2019.

10.   That it be noted that the Housing Revenue Account revenue outturn position for the year was a surplus before allocations of £20.7 million, compared to a budgeted surplus of £15.2 million.

11.   That it be noted that the draft financial statements of Yoo Recruit Limited will be subject to external audit.

12.   That it be noted that as a result of recruitment through Yoo Recruit Limited, the Council has been able to avoid fees which would have otherwise been incurred, including approximately £92,000 in relation to the permanent recruitment of individuals who had been previously employed on a temporary basis through the agency.

13.   That it be noted that the Collection Fund outturned with a £983,000 surplus during 2018-2019; this resulted in an overall surplus of £841,000 to be carried forward.

14.   That it be noted that 67 non-domestic rates accounts totalling £319,386.34 have been approved for write off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

15.   That it be noted that 1,354 council tax accounts totalling £445,443.79 have been approved for write off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

16.   That it be noted that 48 sundry debt accounts totalling £594,244.46 have been approved for write off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

17.   That it be noted that 20 housing benefit debt accounts totalling £16,822.18 have been approved for write off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

18.   That it be noted that 5 debts relating to Business Improvement District (BID) totalling £580.79, have been approved for write off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

To approve the Reserves, Provisions and Balances 2018-2019.

1.       That the transfers (to)/from earmarked reserves, provisions and general balances as detailed in tables 2, 3 and 4 to the report be approved.

2.       That expenditure from provisions for their purposes as set out in Appendix 3 and 4 to the report be approved, up to the value held in each provision as at 31 March 2019.

3.       That the continuation of delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Resources, in consultation with the Director of Finance, to allocate funds from the Budget Contingency Reserve, the Regeneration Reserve, the Efficiency Reserve, the Transformation Reserve, the Development Reserve, the Regional Work Reserve, the Enterprise Zone Business Rates Reserve, the Business Rates Equalisation Reserve, the Treasury Management Equalisation Reserve, the Pension Deficit Recovery Reserve, the Budget Strategy Reserve and the Highways Management Reserve be approved.

4.       That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources, in consultation with the Director of Finance, to allocate funds from the Community Initiatives and Crowdfund Wolves Reserve.

5.       That the level of the Council’s earmarked reserves, provisions and general balances as at 31 March 2019 and the purposes for which they are being held, as detailed in Appendix 1, 2, 3 and 4 to the report be noted.

6.       That it be noted that the relevance and adequacy of earmarked reserves and general balances will be reviewed as required by the Constitution during the 2020-2021 budget setting process.

7.       That it be noted that allocation of funding from all earmarked reserves will be reported to Cabinet (Resources) Panel in the scheduled quarterly budget monitoring reports.

8.       That it be noted that Our Council Scrutiny Panel will scrutinise the use of reserves as part of the budget setting process as in previous years.

9.       That it be noted that the Director of Finance considers that the overall level of all reserves, provisions and balances is sufficient to meet the likely level of obligations to be met from reserves, provisions and general balances in the short term.

10.   That it be noted that the positive General Fund outturn position during 2018-2019, and the resulting adjustments to reserves, will help to support the Council’s short-term financial position, enabling investment in community initiatives.  However, it does not address the challenging financial position that the Council finds itself in over the medium term; namely identifying further projected budget reductions estimated at £27.3 million in 2020-2021, rising to £40-50 million over the medium term to 2023-2024. Cabinet will be presented with a report in July 2019 detailing the progress towards identifying budget reduction and income generation proposals to address the financial challenge.

11.   That it be noted that the figures quoted in the report are still subject to statutory audit by Grant Thornton UK LLP as part of the 2018-2019 accounts closedown process.

To approve the award of contracts.

To approve the Transport Capital Programme 2019 - 2020 and future years.

1.       That the list of projects for development and implementation as part of the Transportation Capital Programme 2019-2020 and future years, as set out in appendices 3, 4, 5 and 6 to the report be approved.

2.       That the Head of City Transport be authorised to proceed with development work for each project on the list including surveying, site investigation, options appraisal, feasibility analysis, traffic modelling, detailed design, statutory advertising and public consultation, as appropriate.

3.       That the projects marked ‘Approve’ in the ‘Approval’ column of appendix 3 and 4 to the report be approved for implementation, subject to the availability of funding.

4.       That the Cabinet Member for City Environment, in consultation with the Director for City Environment be authorised to approve, through an Individual Executive Decision Notice, implementation of the projects on the list marked ‘IEDN’ in the ‘Approval’ column of appendix 3 and 4, to the report subject to the satisfactory outcome of public consultation, availability of funding and any other relevant considerations.

5.       That the Cabinet Member for City Environment, in consultation with the Director for City Environment be authorised to approve, through an Individual Executive Decision Notice, the bringing forward of projects from appendix 5 to appendix 3 or 4 to the report and thereafter to approve them for implementation during 2019-2020 subject to the satisfactory outcome of public consultation, availability of funding and any other relevant considerations.

6.       That further reports be presented at the appropriate time in order to obtain the necessary authority to implement the projects marked ‘Cabinet’ in the ‘Approval’ column of appendix 3 and 4 to the report.

7.       That the Chief Legal Officer be authorised to serve all necessary notices in respect of the projects listed in appendix 3 and 4 to the report and, subject to there being no unresolved objections, make traffic regulation orders as required.

8.   That the Head of City Transport be authorised to make applications and bids for additional external funding noting that final agreement to receive funding is dependent on Director of Finance approval.

9.   That the Director of Finance be authorised to enter into funding agreements with the various funding bodies to receive grant funding in respect of the projects included in the report.

10.That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Environment and the Cabinet Member for Resources, in consultation with the Director of City Environment / Deputy Managing Director and Director of Finance to approve capital budgets for transport projects upon receipt of a grant offer letter.

11.   That the expenditure and progress made in delivering £33 million worth of projects in the Transportation Capital Programme during 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 as set out in Appendix 2 to the report be noted.

12.   That the Council’s continuing success in bidding for additional funding and delivering new projects through the Local Growth Fund, Access to Growth, and the West Midlands Combined Authority be noted.