Agenda and minutes

            Under the provisions of Section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1988, the Authority is allowed to grant Discretionary Rate Relief to organisations who were either a charity or a non-profit making organisation. The Sub-Committee considered a report which set out details of an application for Discretionary Non-Domestic Rate Relief from the Kingsway Bike Project, adjacent to 105 Kingsway, Widnes.

 

            RESOLVED: That under the provisions of Section 47, Local Government Finance Act 1988 Discretionary Rate Relief be granted to the following organisation at the percentage indicated, for the period from 1^st April 2007 or the commencement of liability, whichever is the later, to 31^st March 2009:

 

Kingsway Bike Project            100%.

            The Sub-Committee was advised that the rapid development of the eastern Runcorn area was continuing to generate significant traffic growth, resulting in congestion at the junction of the A558 Daresbury Expressway and A56 Chester Road. Halton’s Local Transport Plan described a highway improvement scheme that was designed to increase junction capacity through the introduction of traffic signal control and widening the Expressway, to dual carriageway standard, between this junction and the Daresbury Science Park roundabout. These measures were designed to accommodate the increase in traffic growth due to committed developments identified in the Unitary Development Plan and in particular, to improve access to the Daresbury Science and Innovation Centre in support of continuing business interest. The estimated cost of the scheme was £3.478m which included contract supervision and administration.

 

            It was noted that when permission for the Daresbury Science and Innovation Centre was granted, it was subject to a Section 106 agreement. In order to satisfy the terms of the 106 agreement, the following scheme had to be implemented:

 

replacement of the roundabout at A56/Daresbury Expressway junction with traffic signals; the dualling of the carriageway between the A56 and the new roundabout on the Daresbury Expressway; and traffic movement restrictions on Keckwick Lane at the junction with A56.

 

            It was reported that funding for the scheme had been secured from the following sources:

 

Local Transport Plan       £650,000

ERDF Objective 2       £658,500

NWDA Section 106 Contributions

(Daresbury Innovation Centre)       £185,000

English Partnerships (EP) contributions       £250,000

 

                        Total                        £1,743,500

 

            Therefore balance of funding needed to deliver the full scheme was £1,734,500. The ERDF contribution was dependent upon works being completed by June 2008 in order that final payment claims could be processed under ERDF regulations. This would allow a first phase of the scheme, the conversion of the junction to traffic signal control, to proceed.

 

            Further funding from English Partnerships had been secured under a Section 106 planning agreement, tied into the future development of housing within the Sandymoor developments. The agreement contained a schedule of infrastructure and transport related works in the Sandymoor area together with estimated costs including the proposed highway improvements totalling £4.5m at 2005 prices. However, the payment of contributions was dependant upon housing plot completion being in line with an anticipated four to five year programme and it was noted that the initial contribution may not be available until 2008/09.

 

            In order to meet the timetable for the construction of Phase 1 works, tenders had been invited on the basis of a phased approach, delaying the award of Phase 2 dualling scheme, until funding was confirmed in place. However, there were significant contractual, financial and operational advantages of awarding a contract for the full scheme.

 

            It was therefore suggested that £1.735m be made available from the Council’s Capital Programme in 2008/09 to enable implementation of the full scheme, until funding from the Section 106 agreement with English partnerships was available. The Council would be reimbursed from contributions paid under the Agreement.

 

            RESOLVED: That

 

(1) the Council be recommended  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

The Committee considered:

 

(1)            whether Members of the press and public should be excluded from the meeting of the Committee 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 outweighs 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 is likely that, in view of the nature of the business, exempt information will be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

            The Sub-Committee considered a report which sought approval to award contracts to successful tenderers for the following contracts:

 

(i)     Landfill Services; and

(ii)   Management and Operation of Recycling and Household Waste Centres (Civic Amenity Sites).

 

            The report also sought approval for Halton’s involvement in an exercise being carried out by the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA) to procure interim municipal waste treatment contractual arrangements to provide services to meet landfill division targets.

 

            RESOLVED: That

 

(1) subject to completion of contract documents, the contract for Landfill Services, in the value estimated to be £13,264,949 over the contract period, up to an estimated £2.3m per annum, for the period of 1^st February 2008 to 30^th September 2013, be awarded to Waste Recycling Group Limited;

 

(2) subject to completion of contract documents, the contract for the Management and Operation of Recycling and Household Waste Centres in the value of up to £700,000 for the period of 1^st February 2008 to 30^th September 2008 be awarded to Mersey Waste Limited; and

 

(3) the Sub-Committee approve Halton Borough Council’s involvement in the procurement of the Interim Municipal Waste Treatment Contract with the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority, and a further report be presented to the Executive Board Sub-Committee at which the availability and cost of any Interim Municipal Waste Treatment Contract can be considered and compared with the cost and availability of Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) allowances.

            The Executive Board meeting on 1^st November 2007 approved the proposal to build a transit site for travellers at Warrington Road, Runcorn. A full planning application was currently being prepared and would be submitted shortly.

 

            The Sub-Committee considered a report which sought approval to waive standing orders to appoint a preferred contractor for the construction of the travellers transit site on Warrington Road, Runcorn. Quotes from two contractors currently working for the Council on similar projects had been received to give a guide price for the project. Transparency would be achieved by adopting an open-book approach to the project with the contractor, which would be subject to audit and the Freedom of Information Act. Property and security clauses would be built into the contract document.

 

            RESOLVED: That

 

            (1) the Strategic Director Health and Community be authorised to award the contract for the Travellers Transit Site, Warrington Road, Runcorn to the contractor D. Morgan PLC. This is in light of the exceptional circumstances, namely the short period of time to construct the facility. In accordance with Procurement Standing Order 1.6, Standing Orders 3.1 to 3.7 and 3.10 be waived on this occasion in view of Procurement Standing Order 1.6 reasons (b) (c) and (d). The current value of the Contract is approximately £300,000, based on the concept design, however, this figure is likely to change as the detailed design is refined and finalised; and

 

            (2) approval be given to enter into an ECC Options C form of contract with D. Morgan PLC on receipt of formal planning consent.

MINUTES ISSUED: 4^th December 2007

CALL IN:  11^th December 2007

Any matter decided by the Executive Board Sub Committee may be called in no later than 11^th December 2007