Agenda and minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 June 2016 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, which sought approval to commence a consultation on sustainable travel and transport for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

The Board was advised that under the Education Act 1986 (the Act), the Local Authority had a duty to ensure suitable travel arrangements were in place for eligible children and young people. The Act applied to all children and young people permanently resident in Halton and who attended a qualifying school named in their Statement of Educational Needs (SEND) or Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

          It was reported that currently there were 385 pupils with SEND receiving support from the local authority to access educational provision, either within the Borough or outside of Halton. The cost of this service for 2015/16 academic year was £1,273,776, and it was proposed to consult parents, carers, educational establishments and other interested parties on revised travel solutions. The consultation exercise would run for 8 academic weeks commencing September 2016, with the results and a recommendation on future arrangements reported to Executive Board.

Reason(s) for Decision

The decision was required to fulfil the Council’s statutory duty to promote the use of sustainable travel and transport.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Implementation Date

Any revised policy would be implemented for the September 2017 intake.

          RESOLVED: That the commencement of a consultation with stakeholders and partners with regard to implementing a new Home to School and College Travel Transport Policy for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities from September 2017, be approved.

          This item was withdrawn from the agenda.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, which provided a summary of the work to date on the Transforming Domiciliary Care Project (the Project).

The Board was advised on the current position with the Project, and that a review of the domiciliary care sector in the Borough was underway. As part of the Project, a significant amount of consultation had been undertaken, with engagement with service users and carers, as well as GP’s, the voluntary sector, social workers and CCG colleagues. Details of the views expressed were set out in the report for information.

It was reported that in 2015, the National Lottery opened up a new funding initiative aimed at local authorities offered through a Social Impact Bond (SIB). Applications were in three stages, with Halton having succeeded to Stage 3, with a 31 July 2016 deadline for completion of the full application. It was noted that this method of funding was a new concept in public service delivery, and was essentially a payment by results contract.

RESOLVED: That the submission of a bid for a Social Impact Bond of up to £1 million to support the Transforming Domiciliary Care project, be approved. 

(N.B. Councillor Jones declared a Disclosable Other Interest in the following item of business, as he was a Governor at Fairfield Primary School)

The Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, on the Council’s total forecast Capital Programme expenditure and associated funding over the next three years.

The report updated Members on the latest position on the Council’s Capital Programme, including confirmed and indicative capital grant allocations for 2016/17 and future years. Table 1 provided details of the planned Capital Programme for 2016/17 onwards, based on current information for approved schemes. Table 2 summarised how the Capital Programme would be funded.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the updated Capital Programme for 2016/19, including forecast spend and funding, as set out in Table 1 and 2, be approved; and

2)      the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, in consultation with the Transportation Portfolio holder, be authorised to agree a detailed implementation programme of Highways and Transportation schemes to be delivered in 2016/17.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on an application for non-domestic rate relief.

          The Board was advised that under the amended provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, the Council was able to grant discretionary rate relief to any business ratepayer. Significant changes came into effect from 1 April 2013 in the funding of non-domestic rate reliefs and exemptions, with the Business Rates Retention Scheme. It was noted that the Council was now responsible for funding 49% of any award or relief granted, whereas before, the Government fully funded such arrangements.

          A new application from The Cyrenians Limited had been received for top-up discretionary rate relief from 1 April 2016. However, the Board noted that historically, the Council had chosen not to provide top-up discretionary rate relief for national charities, and a previous application from The Cyrenians Limited in 2015 for similar relief had been rejected on this basis.

RESOLVED: That, under the provisions of Section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, the application for 15% discretionary rate relief from The Cyrenians Limited, be refused on the grounds of it being a national organisation.

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.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on the Parklands Club, Chapel Lane, Widnes.

The report sought Members’ approval to take forefeiture action by the Council to recover the possession of the premises known as Parklands.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the taking of forfeiture action by the Council as a result of breaches of the Lease covenants be approved; and

2)    the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services, be authorised to take the necessary action to require the Tenants to comply with the terms of the Lease, and failing this, to seek forfeiture of the Lease.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which provided options for the future development of the Venture Fields site, Widnes.

The report provided supporting background information as well as an outline of the current position regarding development potential for the site. An addendum to the report, setting out a third option, was tabled at the meeting for Members’ consideration.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the Board approve the developer to build the new 65,000 sq ft facility and the Council to purchase the completed building for £6M and to take out prudential borrowing to repay the loan over 20 years; 

2)  Members give approval for the Council to grant the lease to LPW Technology Ltd as per the terms set out in Appendix C attached to the report;

3)    the Operational Director for 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

4)    that the Chief Executive be asked to use his emergency powers in consultation with the Leader, to approve the addition of the Venture Fields scheme into the Council’s Capital Programme to be funded from borrowing, and to report the action to the next available meeting of the Council.

MINUTES ISSUED: 20 July 2016

CALL-IN: 27 July 2016

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 5.00pm on 27 July 2016