Agenda and minutes

The Board was advised that a matter had arisen which required immediate attention by the Board (Minute EXB 151 refers), therefore, pursuant to Section 100 B (4) and 100 E and in view of the representations by the Ward Councillors and Local Residents, the Leader asked for urgent action and an update on the issues at the Parklands Club, Cronton, and ruled that this item would be considered at this meeting.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2016 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People and Economy, with an update on the development of Halton’s Urgent Care Centres (UCC) and the impact they had on residents and the local health economy.

The Board was advised that UCCs were a community-based primary care facility providing access to urgent care to a local population. In 2012/13, a review of UCCs within Halton helped inform an options appraisal as to how urgent care services within the Borough could be reconfigured to ensure local pressures and demand were met. It was reported that a number of options were considered for the delivery of an urgent care model in Halton. Following extensive consultation with professionals / clinicians and members of the public, the model chosen was to create two UCCs on the site of the former Minor Injuries Unit at Halton Hospital and the Walk in Centre in Widnes.

The report provided detail on the outcome for patients attending UCCs, the impact on the local health economy and the positive impact on the people of Halton.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the report and appendices be noted; and

2)    the Board continue to support Halton’s investment into the provision of the UCCs, as outlined in Halton’s current and new Better Care Fund (BCF) Plan, to be presented to a future meeting of Executive Board.

The Board considered a report of the Director of Adult Social Services which presented the recommendations of the Discharge from Hospital Scrutiny Review 2015/16.

The report, attached at Appendix 1, advised that the Review Group sought national and local evidence and undertook a range of site visits to understand best practice and the systems and issues with ensuring timely, safe and effective discharge of people from hospital. Councillor Joan Lowe, Health Policy and Performance Board Chair, attended the meeting to present the report.  It was noted that the contributors to the review included: Hospital Discharge Teams; the voluntary sector; Warrington and Halton Hospitals

NHS FT; St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHST; care home support teams; NHS Halton CCG; two local GP’s and their surgeries and North West Ambulance Service.

The report contained details of the five recommendations of the Review Group for Members’ information.

Councillor Lowe then dealt with Members questions before being thanked for her attendance.

RESOLVED: That the report and contents of Appendix 1 attached to the report, be noted.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People and Economy, which sought approval to award the three year term maintenance and minor works contracts once the evaluation process was complete.

The Board was reminded that at its meeting on 1 October 2015, it had given approval for the commencement of a procurement process via The Chest, for term maintenance and minor works contracts for mechanical, electrical and building elements across the Borough.

It was reported that the procurement process had taken longer than originally intended, and the results of the evaluation would not be known until week commencing 11 April 2016.  Therefore, due to the timings of Executive Board meetings, it would not be possible to report the outcome of the evaluation in time to award the contracts with a commencement date of 1 June 2016.  Approval was therefore sought for the delegation of such award, in consultation with the Portfolio holder for Resources.

RESOLVED: That delegated authority be approved for the Operational Director, Economy, Enterprise and Property, in conjunction with the Portfolio holder for Resources, to award the three year term maintenance and minor works contracts for mechanical, electrical and building elements for use across the Borough, once the evaluation process has been completed.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Community and Resources, on the adoption of a policy statement for Council Tax Section 13A Discount.

The Board was advised that Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended) provided the Council with discretionary powers to reduce the amount of council tax liability in exceptional circumstances, where national discounts or exemptions could not be applied. It was noted that the Council was required to have a Section 13A Discount Policy Statement in place.

The Policy Statement, attached as an appendix to the report, outlined the process for making applications and set out the decision making process and appeals arrangements.

RESOLVED: That the Council Tax Section 13A Discount Policy Statement, attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Community and Resources, which sought approval of Chapters 1-4 of the Draft Highways Asset Management Plan (HAMP).

The Board was advised that a HAMP was a guidance document used by the Council’s Highways Service which identified current assets, developed a framework for Asset Management to enhance existing good practices and improve the management of the highway network. In addition, it addressed maintenance challenges moving forward. Some of the potential benefits of adopting Asset Management practices were as follows:

• Formalised and documented standards and processes;
• Provided an informed response to budget pressures;
• Recorded assets and what condition they were in;
• Allowed an understanding of how infrastructure had aged and the risks associated with it;
• Led to consistency of practices;
• Provided an audit trail;
• Assisted with managing public expectations; and
• Acknowledged that future spending requirements were not always the same as historical ones.

It was noted that, unless each local Highway Authority was actively committed to Asset Management and other Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme principles, then they could expect a cut in future funding of up to 15.5% by 2020/21, through the Incentive Element Funding Formula. This demonstrated the importance for the Council to develop and sustain its highway asset management capability.

The report had been considered by the Environment and Urban Renewal Policy and Performance Board at its meeting on 13 January 2016, which had supported the recommendation.

RESOLVED: That

1)    Chapters 1-4 inclusive of the Draft Highway Asset Management Plan, attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved; and

2)    the remaining Chapters of the HAMP be brought to the Board for consideration at the appropriate time.

(N.B. the following Councillors declared a Disclosable Other Interest in the following item of business for the reasons stated: Councillor Polhill as he was Chair of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board and vacated the Chair during consideration of the item; Councillor Wharton as a Non- Executive Director of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board)

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Community and Resources, which presented the revised Department for Transport (DfT) Funding Letter in respect of the Mersey Gateway Bridge Project, which incorporated the improved Local User Discount Scheme, for approval.

It was reported that on 23 January 2014 the Mersey Gateway Executive Board approved a number of documents and the process which took the Mersey Gateway Bridge Project through to financial close.  This included providing a delegation to the Operational Director, Finance, as the Council’s Section 151 Officer, to authorise such written confirmations as required by the Department for Transport’s Funding Letter.  It was announced on 25 July 2014 that the Government would provide additional funding to improve the Local User Discount Scheme; this would enable Halton residents to undertake unlimited journeys at no cost, other than an annual registration fee, across the Mersey Gateway Bridge. 

Following this announcement the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board had undertaken negotiations with the Department for Transport regarding the revised terms and conditions of the Government’s additional funding offer; the result of the negotiations were presented in a revised Funding Letter, which was appended to the report.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the Department for Transport’s revised Funding Letter in respect of the Mersey Gateway Bridge Project be approved; and

2)    the Operational Director, Finance, be authorised to certify the Department for Transport’s revised Funding Letter, on behalf of the Council, as the Section 151 Officer.

PART II

In this case the Board has a discretion to exclude the press and public and, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, it is RECOMMENDED that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, having been satisfied that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

The Board considered:

1)    Whether members of the press and public should be excluded from the meeting of the Board during consideration of the following items of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be considered, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972; and

2)    Whether the disclosure of information was in the public interest, whether any relevant exemptions were applicable and whether, when applying the public interest test and exemptions, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed that in disclosing the information.

RESOLVED:  That as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business, in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

(N.B. Councillor Polhill declared a Disclosable Other Interest in the following item of business, as he was Director of Widnes Regeneration)

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People and Economy, which sought approval for the acquisition of a number of sites, as set out in the report.

The Board was advised that in 1999, the Council had entered into a Joint Venture Agreement with the development company St Modwens. Widnes Regeneration Limited (WRL) was formed and over the next twelve years WRL made a significant impact in supporting the regeneration of Widnes. However, it was reported that the partnership had become dormant and St Modwens had worked with the Council to wind up the Company.

It was reported that an agreement had been reached to acquire a package of sites, as detailed in the report, subject to contract and Executive Board approval. The report provided a brief rationale for the purchase of each site.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the purchase of the three sites as set out in the report, be agreed;

2)    the Operational Director, Economy, Enterprise and Property, be authorised to arrange for all required documentation to be completed to the satisfaction of the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services; and

3)    Council be recommended to approve the allocation of Capital Funding, not exceeding £235k, to acquire the sites outlined in the report.

          The Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services, provided an update and drew Members’ attention to concerns raised by Local Residents and Ward Councillors.

          RESOLVED: That the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services, be instructed to seek Counsel’s advice on this matter, and to bring a further report to Executive Board in due course.

MINUTES ISSUED: 11 April 2016

CALL-IN: 18 April 2016

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 5.00pm on 18 April 2016