Agenda and minutes

The Board was advised that a matter had arisen which required immediate attention by the Board (Minute EXB 89 refers), therefore, pursuant to Section 100 B (4) and 100 E and due to the timing of the decision needed to be taken, the Chair ruled that this item would be considered at this meeting.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2018 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

The Board received the annual report of Halton Housing Trust (HHT), which provided an update on progress in the past twelve months.

A verbal update was provided for the Board by Nick Atkin, Chief Executive of HHT, and Ingrid Fife, Chair of HHT Board. They reported on progress to date in delivering some key achievements, partnerships and strategic priorities.

The Board noted some of the key organisational achievements which included continued investment to improve homes and neighbourhoods; completion of the construction of new homes; secured funding to deliver a growth strategy to build an additional 1,200 homes for rent, shared ownership or sale over the next five years; achieved 88% of all customer generated transactions delivered through on-line self-serve routes; and retained the highest possible regulatory rating. It was noted that the roll out of Universal Credit and Welfare Reform in general, continued to be one of the most significant risks for the Trust. The Digital First Programme had freed up resources to focus on debt recovery and provided support to those customers who were most vulnerable.

Members had the opportunity to ask questions and clarify information contained in the presentation before Mr Atkin and Ms Fife were thanked for attending. As this was the final meeting which Mr Atkin would attend, the Board wished him well in his new position at Yorkshire Housing.

RESOLVED: That the progress report be noted.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, which provided a summary of the Capital Programmes for 2019/20 for the People Directorate.

The Board was advised that the Department for Education (DfE) had not yet announced the Capital Grant Allocation for 2019/20 at the time of writing the report. However, given the timescales for some of the capital projects, the report used the 2018/19 allocation as the basis for presenting this report to the Board.

In addition, it was reported that the DfE had announced the Special Provision Capital Funding for local authorities to invest in provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, aged 0-25, to improve the quality and range of provision available. It had been confirmed that the Local Authority would receive an additional amount, which took the total allocation over a three year period to £616,279.

The Board was reminded that at its meeting on 20 September 2018, works to create Foundation/Key Stage 1 Social Emotional and Mental Health Resource bases at Beechwood Primary School and Halton Lodge Primary School, were approved. It was noted that the Local Authority would therefore be allocating an element of its School Condition Allocation Funding towards this scheme.

Reason(s) for Decision

To deliver and implement the Capital Programmes.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Implementation Date

Capital Programmes for 2019/20 would be implemented with effect from 1 April 2019.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the position regarding capital funding from the Department for Education for 2019/20, be noted;

2)    the proposals to be funded from the School Condition Capital Allocation, be approved; and

3)    Council be recommended to approve the Capital Allocations for inclusion in the Budget report.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, on School Admission Arrangements for 2020.

The Board was advised that in October 2018, Halton Local Authority issued a statutorily required consultation on the proposed admission arrangements and co-ordinated admission schemes for the September 2020 intake. It was noted that the consultation ran until 9 November 2018, with no changes proposed to the current oversubscription criteria for admission to Local Authority maintained community and voluntary controlled primary schools. No responses to the consultation were received.

It was further noted that reference to all Halton community secondary schools had been removed, as all were either academies, free schools or voluntary aided and were therefore their own admission authorities, with responsibility for consulting on proposed changes.

Reason(s) for Decision

The decision was statutorily required and any revision to the proposed arrangements may adversely affect school place planning as detailed in the report.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Other options considered and rejected included the allocation of places through random allocation (lottery), as this method could be seen as arbitrary and random.

Implementation Date

The Policy and co-ordinated schemes would apply for the September 2020 academic intake.

RESOLVED: That the Board approves the School Admissions Policy, Admission Arrangements and Co-ordinated Schemes for admission to primary and secondary schools for the 2020/21 academic year.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, on the proposal to develop a special free school for pupils with Social, Education and Mental Health Needs (SEMH) in Halton.

At its meeting on 18 October 2018, Executive Board had approved an application to establish a special free school in Halton, shared with St Helens Borough Council. It was reported that the Department for Education (DfE) had requested the final submission of the specification as a matter of urgency, on 16 December 2018. Due to the urgent nature of the submission and the schedule of meeting dates, the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader and the Portfolio Holder for Children, Education and Social Care, approved the final submission, using his delegated powers. Therefore, the report to the Board set out retrospectively the details of the proposed location of the special free school for Members’ information.

Reason(s) for Decision

To provide a more inclusive offer for pupils with SEMH giving them the opportunity to be educated with support alongside their peers.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not submitting an application for a joint free school. However, lack of provision had an impact on the educational outcomes of pupils that need this support.

Implementation Date

Notification as to whether the bid was successful would be announced by the DfE in Spring 2019.

            RESOLVED: That the decision of the Chief Executive, acting under delegated powers, to develop a free school provision on the Naylor Road, Widnes, site, be noted.

(N.B. Councillor Ron Hignett declared a Disclosable Other Interest in the following item of business as he was a member of the Sci-Tech Public Sector Joint Venture Board)

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

The Board was advised that, under the amended provision of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, the Council was able to grant discretionary rate relief to any business rate payer. Since 1 April 2017, the Council  had been responsible for meeting the full cost of all mandatory and discretionary rate relief granted, as part of the Liverpool City Region 100% Business Rates Retention Pilot Scheme.

The report set out details of an application for 80% discretionary rate relief in respect of two business premises at the Sci-Tech, Daresbury campus.

RESOLVED: That the request for 80% discretionary rate relief from United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) for their premises at Daresbury Laboratory and Building Two, Daresbury Innovation Centre, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, be refused.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which sought a waiver of Procurement Standing Orders in respect of the award of a new contract for the Council’s Integrated HR and Payroll system.

The Board was advised that the Council used an integrated HR and payroll system known as iTrent. The system was used for a number of payroll processes including those traded under service level agreements to external clients. It was reported that those external customers had tailored and established processes which were compatible with the iTrent systems.

The current contract ended on 17 November 2018. Consideration had been given to market testing for a change of systems, although the iTrent system was so firmly established within the Council and with its external customers, there would need to be either a replacement or re-engineering of systems, which could be time and resource intensive.

The Board noted that by making a direct award under the Light Touch Regime, the financial benefit to the Council, as a result of the waiver of Procurement Standing Orders, would be £38,587.

          RESOLVED: That

1)    the report be noted; and

2)    the Board approves the waiving of Part 3 of Procurement Standing Orders relying on numbers 1.14.4 (iii), 1.14.4 (iv) and 1.14.4 (v).

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which sought a waiver of Procurement Standing Orders to award a contract for the provision of a MBA/MSc Senior Leader Masters Apprenticeship.

 The Board was advised that since 2010/11, the Council had rationalised its management structures and now operated within a more commercial environment and in new collaborations across the public sector. A need had been identified for succession planning to enable strategic leadership capability in the future.

It was reported that Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) had created a range of leadership and management qualifications at Masters Level 7, available through the national Apprenticeship Framework and funded by the Apprenticeship Levy. It was noted that LJMU had demonstrated that they could deliver and provide the content of the qualifications which met the Council’s needs.

Members were asked to waive the Council’s Procurement Standing Orders to allow the awarding of the contract for the provision of a MBA/MSc Senior Leader Masters Apprenticeship, to be fully funded through the existing Apprenticeship Levy, which the Council was required by statute to contribute to.

RESOLVED: That the Board, in compliance with Procurement Standing Orders 1.14.4 and 1.14.5, approve a waiver to award a contract to Liverpool John Moores University, for the following reasons:-

(i)              Standing Order 1.14.4 (iii), where compliance would result in a clear financial or commercial detriment to the Council;

(ii)             Standing Order 1.14.4 (iv) where compliance would result in the Council having to forego a clear financial or commercial benefit.

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(s) 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 Section 100A (4) 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 paragraphs 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 that 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 Section 100A (4) 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 proposals for the future development of The Hive Leisure Complex, Widnes.

The report set out details of a proposal to develop and invest in the site for Members’ consideration.

Reason(s) for Decision

To consider the proposal set out in the report.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

There were effectively four options available to the Council in relation to The Hive development, as detailed in the report.

Implementation Date

January 2019.

RESOLVED: That, having considered all of the options set out in the report, the Board decline the proposal.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Development on the appointment of the preferred Development Partner for the Runcorn Station Quarter Masterplan.

In November 2018, the Board approved a Runcorn Station Quarter Masterplan with an accompanying Delivery Strategy. It was proposed that a private sector developer be appointed to increase capacity and support to the Council, so as to take forward the development as quickly as possible.

The report set out details of the process undertaken to identify a suitable Development Partner, following advice and guidance from the Council’s Procurement Team.

RESOLVED: That

1)    Members approve the appointment of the preferred Development Partner, as outlined in section 3.8 of the report; and

2)    the completion of the final terms of a contract to appoint a developer, is delegated to the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services and the Operational Director, Economy, Enterprise and Property, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Physical Environment.

          The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive which provided an update on the arrangements between the Council and Widnes Vikings.

          RESOLVED: That

1)    the Chief Executive exercise delegated powers, in consultation with the Leader and such Portfolio holders as the Leader considers appropriate, to revise the agreement and financial arrangements with the Widnes Vikings for the use of the Stadium and other Council facilities, on the terms set out in the report; and to take such reasonable steps as may be necessary to achieve this; and

2)    the Council continue to support Widnes Vikings, help them to continue to develop their on-field and off-field community-based activities and to retain a strong professional rugby league presence in the Borough.

MINUTES ISSUED: 22 January 2019

CALL-IN: 29 January 2019

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 5.00pm on 29 January 2019.