Decisions

1.     Approved payments totalling £7,321as detailed at section 5.3.

1.     Approved a budget allocation totalling £1,182,515 from the Corporate Contingency to the Maintenance Programme to ensure the legal compliance and safe operation of the corporate estate.

1.     Approved the novation of the contract for a Library Management System from Capita Business Services Limited, of 71 Victoria Street, Westminster London, SW1H 0XA to Capita ESS Limited, of 65 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7NQ.

Approved the proposed Instrument of Government for Colton Hills Community SecondarySchool.

Approved the proposed Instrument of Government for Lawnswood Campus, Pupil Referral Unit, Wolverhampton.

1.    Adopted the Business Plan set out at Appendix 1 to the report as the approved Housing Revenue Account Business Plan including:

a. The revenue budget for 2021-2022 at Appendix 1 to this report.

b. The Capital Programme for 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 at Appendix 2 to the report that included the following among the proposed investment plans;

•   £134.0 million for new build development.

•   £41.3 million provision for Estate Remodelling.

•   £3.6 million for a new programme for low and mid-rise infrastructure replacement.

•   £2.0 million budget provision for conversion of commercial property to residential to provide additional homes.

•   £44.5 million to complete the refurbishment of the Heath Town estate.

•   £86.5 million for programmes to high rise estates to include fire safety improvements, infrastructure replacement, retrofitting of sprinklers and external works.

2.    Approved the implementation of an increase of 1.5% to social housing rents in accordance with the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 and to give 28 days notice to all secure and introductory tenants of the rent increase from 1 April 2021.

3.    Approved the rates for garage rents and service charges set out in Appendix 3 to the report and formally notifies tenants.

4.    Approved Management Allowances for Managing Agents as follows;

•   Wolverhampton Homes - £39,425,000

•   Bushbury Hill Estate Management Board - £1,720,000

•   New Park Village Tenants Management Organisation - £383,000

•   Springfield Horseshoe Tenants Management Organisation - £360,000

•   Dovecotes Tenants Management Organisation - £1,113,000

Approved the proposed Instrument of Government for Springdale Primary School, Wolverhampton.

Approved the sale of the initial sales equity of two shared ownership properties at the sites known as Leasowes Farm and The Glade, Merry Hill, as detailed in the body of the report.

Approved the award of a contract for Leisure Management Software following a direct award against CCS Framework RM3821 to Bramble Hub Limited of 9E Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SP. This will be for an initial term of two years with the option to extend for an additional one year with a contract value of £234,000.

Approved payments totalling £52,600 as detailed at section 5.3.

Approved the proposed Instrument of Government for Loxdale Primary School, Wolverhampton.

Approved the proposed Instrument of Government for Fallings Park Primary School, Wolverhampton.

1.    Approved that the City of Wolverhampton Council should continue to fund the provision of digital autopsies for Wolverhampton residents in line with other Black Country Councils who also support the arrangement. Dudley, Sandwell and Wolverhampton.

2.    Approved maintaining the Council’s commitment to digital autopsy as a mode of pathology and sign up to a contract with iGene

3.    Agreed that to extend the Digital Autopsy (DA) agreement to run co-terminus with the lease iGene have on the facility in Sandwell which ends on the 5 January 2025

4.    Noted that, the Association of Black Country Authorities agreed a proposal for an independent review of pathology and mortuary services across the region and this is now progressing. The purpose of the review is to look at current provision and identify whether there was scope for further collaborative working that might yield efficiencies and improved service delivery. Such an arrangement could provide the opportunity for more cost-effective digital autopsies across the region.

Approved the sale of the initial sales equity of the two shared ownership properties at the site known as Vicarage View, Wednesfield, as detailed in the body of the report.

Approved the proposed Instrument of Government for Westacre Primary School, Wolverhampton.

1.    Approved the Council entering into a Grant Agreement with St Francis and St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Company in respect of St Edmund’s Catholic Academy.

2.    Approved the virement from the Secondary School Expansion Programme budget to the St Edmund’s Catholic Academy Project to fund the expansion of the school so to cater for 200 pupils per year group.

3.    Approved the awarding of a grant to St Edmund’s Catholic Academy to fund the school expansion.

Approved the award of the contract for the provision of Parking, Bus Lane and Highways Enforcement to Marston Holdings Limited of Rutland House, 8th Floor, 148 Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2JR for a duration of five years, with an option to extend for two years, for an annual value of £652,197 and a total contract value of £4,565,379.

Agreed to create the necessary supplementary revenue and capital budgets for the Black Country Blue Network 2 project.

Approved the allocation of £293,000 from the Corporate Contingency to individual projects within Corporate Asset Management to facilitate the programme of works detailed in Table 1 to include fourteen new projects.

1.    Approved the establishment of supplementary revenue budgets fully funded by Government Grants for mandatory business grant schemes and agreed to make payments to eligible business grants, in line with Government Guidance for the period up to 31 March 2021.

2.    Approved the establishment of supplementary revenue budgets fully funded by Government Grant for discretionary business grant schemes and delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Resources and the Cabinet Member for City Economy, in consultation with the Director of Finance and the Director of Regeneration to agree the distribution of discretionary business grants in line with Government guidelines.

3.    Approved the establishment of supplementary revenue budgets fully funded by Government grant for the Community Testing Programme and delegated authority to the Director of Public Health to make grant payments to third party organisations facilitating tests on behalf of the Council.

4.    Approved the establishment of supplementary revenue budgets totalling £282,730.14 fully funded by the Test and Trace Support Payment Grant and make payments to individuals in line with Government guidelines.

5.    Approved the establishment of supplementary revenue budgets totalling £474,923 fully funded by grant to support Covid Community Champions and delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing in consultation to with Director of Public Health to approve any virements to support expenditure including awarding grants to voluntary and community organisations.

6.    Approved the establishment of supplementary revenue budgets totalling £78,000 fully funded by grant to support Black Country Fostering project and delegated authority to the Director of Children’s Services to approve any virements to support activity.

7.    Approved the establishment of supplementary revenue budgets totalling £ 768,415 fully funded by grant to support Rapid Testing for staff in care settings and to support testing visiting professionals and approve that 80% of the grant funding be allocated to care settings in line with the grant conditions.  Delegation authority to the Deputy Director for Adults, in consultation with the Director of Public health, to approve the plan on behalf of the council for the allocation of the 20% of grant funding in line with the funding conditions.

8.    Approved the establishment of supplementary revenue budgets totalling £688,239 fully funded by grant to support work force capacity and delegated authority to the Director of Children’s and Adult Services to allocate the grant in line with the funding conditions.

9.    Approved the establishment of further supplementary budgets where the Council receives fully funded by Government Grant to the council to support the costs of Covid until the 31 March 2021, and delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Resources and the relevant Cabinet Member, in consultation with the Director of Finance and relevant Director, to approve all virements required to support the additional costs and loss of income relating to Covid 19.

10. Approved the Council entering into such grant agreements as are necessary for the Council to receive the funding detailed above in paragraphs 1 – 9.

Approved the completion of the transactions listed below:

•           Land adjoining 1 Lowe Street - Minor disposal

•           Land to the rear of 93 Glaisdale Gardens – Minor disposal

•           Land at Tremont Street – Appropriation to HRA

•           Leasing of Land at Well Lane – Long lease