Agenda and minutes

            The Minutes of the meeting held on 20^th March 2008 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

            The Sub-Committee considered a report on progress and future developments within the Intermediate Care Partnership. A formal Department of Health Section 31 partnership was agreed in 2006 and included lead commissioning, a pooled budget and integrated management for the Rapid Access Rehabilitation Services (RARS).

 

            Since the establishment of an Intermediate Care Executive Commissioning Board (ECB) in July 2008, numerous meetings had been held to develop the performance management process and finance matters and the two budgets were now managed as one overall budget, therefore improving the flexibility of the service.

 

            It was noted that the service was regularly reviewed and monitored by the ECB to ensure the service met its targets and the pooled budget was managed effectively, with quarterly reports to the Partnership Board.

 

            In addition the report also outlined key developments within Intermediate Care Partnership, the number of local intermediate care targets agreed and achieved and service user outcomes. Future developments within Intermediate Care Partnership included:

 

-        to further develop integrated management;

-   extending the Section 31 and pooled budget to include all Intermediate Care Services by 2008/09;

-   proposals for revised funding contributions (potential savings of £157,028 would enable the Council to absorb the reduction in the health SSP contribution to the Vulnerable Adults Task Force (VATF) Programme); and

-        further work to be undertaken with regard to performance data collection across the PCT and the Council.

 

         RESOLVED: That

 

(1)    the contents of the report be noted;

(2)    the achievement of the key targets and further development of the Intermediate Care Services be noted; and

(3)    the Sub-Committee agree to strengthen the current partnership and pooled budget arrangement by including other intermediate care services within the framework as outlined in the report.

            The Sub Committee was advised that on 7^th December 2007 businesses on Astmoor and Halebank Industrial Estates voted in favour of creating a Business Improvement District (BID). The “yes” vote meant that the BID business plans for each estate and all additional services must be delivered from 1^st April 2008 to 31^st March 2013. In accordance with the BID business plans (previously approved by the Executive Board on 20^th September 2007 and Businesses in the BID ballots) the Council would undertake the role of BID Body for the initial 5-year period of the BIDs.

 

            Over the course of the five years, respective BIDs would require the procurement of additional goods and services. At the start of each financial year from 1^st April 2008 until 31^st March 2013 all businesses and property owners in the BID areas would be charged a BID levy, a local increase on the Business Rates bill ring-fenced to fund additional services within the BID area. The contribution from the private sector towards the Astmoor BID would be £746,635 and from the Halebank BID £232,200. This amounted to a total private sector contribution of £978,835. This represented a significant contribution towards the economic regeneration of the borough that would not only benefit resident businesses and the two estates, but would also help to retain jobs and attract investment.

 

            The report set out the governance arrangements for the BIDs Steering Groups and BID Executive Committees.

 

            Over the course of the five years, the respective BIDs would require the procurement of additional goods and services. The Sub-Committee considered a request to waive Procurement Standing Orders for the duration of the respective BIDs with regard to the purchase of goods and services by the Astmoor and Halebank Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). The request for waiver of Procurement Standing Orders was required as individual businesses and property owners would want to influence and decide how the BID money was spent as it was essentially their money. The businesses may, however, want to use the principles of most economically advantageous and value for money, which may not necessarily be the lowest tender or quotation received.

 

            RESOLVED: That for the purposes of Procurement Standing Order (SO) 1.6 and in the light of the devolved decision-making arrangements for the BID areas the Executive Committees for the Astmoor and Halebank BID areas be authorised to award contracts on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender or quotation (not necessarily the lowest) and that SOs 2.2 – 2.6 and SO 2.11 (a)(iii) and SO 2.11 (b)(iv) and SOs 2.12 and 2.13 and SOs 3.6 and 3.7 be waived accordingly.

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 for the acquisition of the property and business of R. C. Withington and Sons trading from premises at 59 High Street, Runcorn, in order to create additional frontage land to the proposed Canal Quarter development.

 

            In addition, it was reported that Mr. Withington had been using the garages to the rear of the property for over 60 years and would pursue a claim for possessory title of these important storage buildings. If successful these properties would transfer to Halton Borough Council at nil cost other than to indemnify Mr. Withington for his legal costs involved in securing title.

 

            The funding would be provided by Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (Town Centre Improvements) (£325,000) for the acquisition of key buildings to deal with difficult/derelict properties in town centres and/or the acquisition of sites that were key to the generation of town centres.

 

            RESOLVED: That

 

(1) approval be given to purchase the property situated at 59 High Street, Runcorn and the furniture business trading as R. C. Withington and Sons; and

 

(2) authority be given to the Strategic Director, Corporate and Policy in consultation with the Corporate Services portfolio holder to conclude the purchase.

MINUTES ISSUED: 23^rd April 2008

CALL IN:  30^th April 2008

Any matter decided by the Executive Board Sub Committee may be called in no later than 30^th April 2008