Decisions

Authorised the award of a call off contract consisting of seven individual packages of care and support to deliver supported living services at premises located at Burton Crescent to Midway Care Group.

Supply of LED Luminaires

Approved the award of the contract for the Provision of LED Lighting for:

a.     LOT 1- Luminaires – to D W Windsor Limited for a duration of three years, with the option for two 1 year extensions from 1 February 2020 to 31 January 2023 with a total contract value of £4.6 million.

b.     LOT 2 – Photo Electric Cell Unit – to Lucy Zodion Limited for a duration of three years, with the option for two 1 year extensions from 1 February 2020 to 31 January 2023 with a total contract value of £0.2 million.

This report seeks approval for the payment of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grants to businesses who are Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) under the Black Country “Advice Invest Market Development” (AIM) for “Growth Opportunities Local Delivery” GOLD Project.

City of Wolverhampton Council is the Lead Authority in relation to the European Regional Development Fund EDRF grant funding. In that capacity it has:

1.     Approved the payment of ERDF grants totalling £50,000 to one small and medium sized enterprise (SME) through the Black Country “Advice Invest Market Development” (AIM) for “Growth Opportunities Local Delivery” GOLD project.

Approved that the Council enters into a conditional sale contract for the freehold titles of the property together with any ancillary legal agreements as detailed in the report.

To receive a projection of the likely revenue outturn position for the General Fund and Housing Revenue Accounts, compared with the Council’s approved revenue budgets for 2019-2020.

1.       That the use of £40,000 from the Regeneration Reserveto fund feasibility works for regeneration schemes as detailed at paragraph 4.4. of the report be approved.

2.       That the use of £462,000 from the Transformation Reserve to fund various transformational work as detailed at paragraph 4.5. of the report be approved.

3.       That the use of £303,000 from the Budget Contingency Reserve to fund an endowment with Land Trust to facilitate long term land management at Bilston as detailed at paragraph 4.6. of the report be approved.

4.       That the use of £178,000 from the Budget Contingency Reserve to fund increased academy conversion deficit as detailed in paragraph 4.7. of the report be approved.

5.       That 31 virements totalling £19.5 million, for transfers within directorates, as detailed in Appendix 4 to the report be approved.

6.       That the write off of three Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) debts totalling £26,431.85 as detailed in Appendix 5 to the report be approved.

7.       That the write off of three Council Tax debts totalling £19,746.63 as detailed in Appendix 6 to the report be approved.

8.       That it be noted that the overall projected outturn for the General Fund for 2019-2020 is forecast to be an overspend in the region of £1.6 million. 

9.       That it be noted that at this stage in the financial year it is difficult to forecast redundancy costs.  However, based on recent years it is anticipated that the cost of redundancies can be met from reserves.

10.   That it be noted that a £20.7 million surplus on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) is projected compared with a budgeted surplus of £20.9 million as shown at Table 18 and in detail at Appendix 3 to the report. The projected reduction to the surplus of £215,000 would reduce redemption of debt by £215,000.

11.   That it be noted that 24 sundry debt accounts totalling £47,614.60, as detailed in paragraph 7.3 of the report, have been approved by for write off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

12.   That it be noted that 564 council tax accounts totalling £276,449.18, as detailed in paragraph 7.5 of the report, have been approved for write off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

13.   That it be noted that 52 Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) debts totalling £203,067.62, as detailed in paragraph 7.6 of the report, have been approved for write off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

14.   That it be noted that 69 housing benefit overpayments totalling £25,566.57, as detailed in paragraph 7.10 of the report, 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 six debts relating to Business Improvement District (BID) totalling £1,703.94, as detailed in paragraph 7.7 of the report, have been approved for write off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules. 

To approve the award of contracts.

To provide an update on external funding bids and seek necessary approvals for externally funded bids.

1.      That the project change request for the AIM for GOLD project extension and contract variation for the Black Country Impact project extension be approved.

2.      That the creation of a fully funded revenue budget to support and add value to the Bilston Business Improvement District’s (BID) Christmas activities be approved. The funding to be principally sourced through the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Town Centres Programme.

3.      That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Economy and the Cabinet Member for Resources, in consultation with the Director of Regeneration and Director of Finance to:

a.      Approve acceptance of the grant funding agreements/variation and the Council entering into such agreements if the projects referred to in recommendation 1 above are successful at project change request stage.

b.      Approve necessary budgets in line with the funding agreement/variation if the projects referred to in recommendation 1 above are successful at project change request stage.

c.       Approve the use of the indirect costs element of any ERDF grant to cover any additional administrative costs associated with the above EU funded programmes

d.      Approve the signing of any necessary funding and other legal agreements with the WMCA and the Bilston BID to support the BID’s events programme

4.      That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Economy and the Cabinet Member for Resources, in consultation with the Director of Regeneration and Director of Finance to:

a.      Approve reimbursement of ERDF grant to delivery partners who are awarded ERDF grant for the AIM for GOLD extension.

b.      Approve the payment of grants to businesses who are awarded ERDF grant for AIM for GOLD extension

5.      That the acceptance of the Arts Council grant funding and the creation of a fully funded revenue budget of £20,000 for the Cultural Compact project, in line with the funding agreement be approved.

6.      That the increase in the post of Enterprise Team Co-ordinator within the AIM for GOLD project from part-time to full-time in light of additional administrative burden from 1 January 2020 until March 2023 and the funding of the additional costs from the AIM for GOLD grant be approved.

7.       That the Black Country Executive Joint Committee’s Collaboration Agreement be amended to reflect Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council’s role as single accountable body for all Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership funding.

8.       That it be noted that the match funding requirement for the Black Country Impact Extension and AIM for GOLD projects (extension of existing projects) are met via the Wolves at Work budget over the lives of the projects. If these commitments are not met, appropriate match funding from another source will be required or the grant funding will be at risk.

To prevent the disclosure of exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

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)

Approval to purchase a leasehold property on Boscobel estate.

1.     Approved the completion of the purchase of former council properties at the agreed price of £194,000.

2.     Authorised the Chief Legal Officer or other authorised officers to execute legal documentation to put the purchases into effect.

Delegated authority to award the Provision of Electrical Repairs and Maintenance was granted to the Cabinet Member for City Environment in consultation with the Strategic Director. Place at Cabinet (Resources) Panel on 18 June 2019.

Approved the award of the contract for the Provision of Electrical Maintenance and Repairs to Midwest Electrical Services Ltd Services for a duration of one year with the option to extend for additional two periods of 12 months each term from 1 November 2019 to 31 October 2020 for a total contract value of up to £6,684,000.