Agenda and minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 2019 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, People, on the  final Scrutiny Topic Group report on Care Homes – Future Sustainability, from the Health Policy and Performance Board. Councillor Joan Lowe, Chair of the Health Policy and Performance Board (PPB), presented the item.

It was noted that the Halton Care Home model vision was one of outstanding care for all individuals living in the Borough’s care homes. The Scrutiny Topic Group identified seven recommendations as part of the review and these were detailed in the main Topic Group report that was considered by the Health Policy and Performance Board on 26 February 2019.

Councillor Joan Lowe was thanked for her attendance, and the Board placed on record their thanks to the members of the PPB for their input to the review.   

RESOLVED:  That the report be approved.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, on the outcome of consultation for the Care Provider Contract Uplift 2019/20.

It was reported that the Care Act 2014 required local authorities to ensure that the care provider market remained viable and sustainable and that when commissioning services, local authorities must have regard for the cost effectiveness and value for money that the services offered, for public funds.

Since the meeting of Executive Board on 11 April 2019, consultation had taken place in respect of proposed fee increases. with all care homes, supported living and domiciliary providers, working within the Borough in 2019/20.

The report detailed the responses from five providers along with some key issues raised, for Executive Board to consider. Based on the feedback, it was noted that an amendment to the proposed hourly Sleep-in rates be made, but that the proposed fee increases for all other care provision remain as previously reported to the Board.

A minor amendment was noted in tables 3.8 and 5.1 which should read as follows:-

‘Care Providers - Care homes Year 1 £438 - £546’.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the contents of the be noted;

2)    the recommendations and risks be noted; and

3)    approval be given to offer the recommended uplift to care providers for 2019/20 and 2020/21.

The Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health, on the procurement of a new Integrated Sexual Health Service.

In April 2018, the Board had approved a joint commissioning arrangement with Warrington Borough Council. It was reported that the Public Health Team had sought the provision of a high quality service, providing a balance of advice, guidance and promotional/prevention activity. The new service would be delivered in a ‘hub and spoke’ system, to encourage locality based teams to meet the needs of the population of the area they served.

The Board was advised that a further joint procurement exercise was conducted which concluded on 30 April 2019. One provider was identified as being the most economically advantageous, scoring the highest in terms of quality.

RESOLVED: That the Board notes the outcome of the recent procurement exercise and supports the previously agreed awarding of a joint contract for the provision of an Integrated Sexual Health Service for Halton and Warrington.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which provided an update on improvements to the Borough’s Transport Infrastructure and sought approval for the next set of key transport projects in Halton.

It was reported that Halton’s adopted Local Transport Plan 3 (LTP3) set out the statutory context for investment in infrastructure to 2025/26. In association with the 22 ‘Primary Transport Strategies’ contained in LTP3, there were a number of major schemes and improvement projects that covered road, rail, bus, cycling and walking. The report provided Members with details for each of these projects.

It was noted that, since the adoption of LTP3, there had been a number of changes to the way transport strategy and funding were administered. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCR CA) had been created and new priorities such as Transport for the North, Northern Powerhouse Rail and High Speed 2 had emerged. Department for Transport funding was now directed to the LCR CA and redistributed to local councils. It was reported that funding that was previously dedicated to Halton, now formed part of a City Region Investment Strategy.

The Board was advised that at the present time, there were four major projects on site in Halton Borough; these were noted as being:-

·       Silver Jubilee Bridge Maintenance;

·       Runcorn Station Quarter and De-linking;

·       Widnes Loops to West Bank; and

·       Sustainable transport corridor upgrades for walking and cycling.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the list of schemes in Appendix 1, attached to the report be approved, and be developed into deliverable schemes (including feasibility works, business case preparation, funding bids and, where appropriate, entry into the Council’s Capital Programme);

2)    the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio holder for Transportation, to take the necessary actions to ensure value for money through the appropriate procurement processes; and

3)    the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio holder for Transportation, to take any other actions necessary to enable timely delivery of this infrastructure.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which sought approval of a waiver of Procurement Standing Orders, for the provision of a greenhouse structure at Victoria Park, Widnes.

The Board was advised that the current Victorian style greenhouse was a central part of the visitor offer in the Park, although it was in need of repair. Following a feasibility study, a soft market testing exercise was undertaken to establish a manufacturer of a new greenhouse. The report set out details of the breakdown of the various elements of the project together with costs for Members’ consideration. It was reported that the waiver of the relevant Procurement Standing Orders would allow the Council to make a further saving against the quoted costs of the original scheme.

RESOLVED: That the waiver of Procurement Standing Order 1.5.2 Open Tendering Procedure under Procurement Standing Orders 1.14.4 (iv and v) be approved, to allow a direct award to Hartley Botanical in the amount of £159,348, for the provision of the greenhouse structure on the Victoria Park Greenhouse project.

The Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, on the final revenue and capital spending position for 2018/19.

The Board was advised that the final accounts for 2018/19 were near completion; the revenue spending for each department, which would be subject to external audit, was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

The report provided details on the key budget variances within the following services:-

·       Children and Families;

·       Adult Social Care;

·       Community and Environment;

·       Education, Inclusion and Provision;

·       Planning and Transportation; and

·       Corporate and Democracy.

Members were advised that the Council’s Reserves and Balances had been reviewed in accordance with the Reserves and Balances Strategy. Total revenue spending for the year was £2.4m above budget, and as a result, this would have had the impact of reducing the Council’s General Reserve to £2.6m. At this level, it was considered the General Reserve would be insufficient given the level of increased service pressures and uncertainty regarding future funding cuts and fluctuations in the business rates retained on an annual basis. However, it was reported that a number of earmarked reserves had been reviewed and reductions made where possible, to enable funds to be moved into the General Reserve to increase the balance to a more prudent level.

A breakdown of School’s Balances and spending for 2018/19 was provided, indicating a total of £4.6m at 31 March 2019. Capital spending at 31 March 2019 totalled £21.890m, being 64.6% of the total Capital Programme.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the report be noted; and

2)    the information within the report be taken into account when reviewing the 2019/20 budget monitoring position, medium term forecast and saving proposals for future years.

The Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, which presented the Council’s total forecast Capital Programme expenditure and associated funding for 2019/20 to 2021/22.

The report updated Members on the latest position on the Council’s Capital Programme, including planned Capital Programme expenditure 2019/20 to 2021/22, a summary of how this would be financed and details of Capital Receipts. The report also outlined the proposed use of the ICT rolling Capital Programme, as set out in Appendix A attached to the report.

RESOLVED: That

1)    Council be recommended to approve the updated Capital Programme for 2019/22, including forecast spend and funding, as set out in Table 1 and Table 2, attached to the report;

2)    the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, in consultation with the Portfolio holder for Transportation, be authorised to finalise the detailed implementation programme of Highways and Transportation Schemes to be delivered in 2019/20; and

3)    the proposed use of the ICT rolling Capital Programme for 2019/20, as set out in Appendix A attached to the report, be approved.

The Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance on an application for discretionary 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 rate payer. The Council currently met the full cost of all mandatory and discretionary relief granted, as part of the Liverpool City Region 100% Business Rates Retention Pilot Scheme.

An application had been received for discretionary rate relief, as outlined in the report. It was noted that the organisation was not a registered charity or considered to be a charity by HMRC for tax purposes, so the 80% mandatory relief was not applicable.

RESOLVED: That the application for 90% discretionary rate relief from Power in Partnership Ltd in relation to its premises at 5 Alcock Street, Runcorn, and Unit 1a Halton Lodge Local Centre, Whitchurch Way, Halton Lodge, Runcorn, be approved from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2022.

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 item 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 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 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, People, which provided an update on the options to maintain service delivery for older people in Halton.

RESOLVED: That the Board agree the recommendation as set out in the report.

MINUTES ISSUED:  18 June 2019

CALL-IN: 25 June 2019

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 5.00pm on 25 June 2019.