Agenda and minutes

The Leader and Deputy Leader submitted apologies, so it was moved, seconded and resolved that Councillor Harris takes the Chair for the meeting. 

The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 June 2022 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

The Board received a report from the Operational Director – Finance, which presented an application for discretionary non-domestic rate relief, under Section 47 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, for consideration.

It was noted 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.   

The report outlined details of the application for 15% Discretionary Rate Relief from Widnes Gymnastics Academy, which was a registered Charity.  Members were provided with information on the work carried out by them within the community.  Appended to the report was the potential annual cost to the Council of granting the discretionary rate relief for 2022-23.

RESOLVED:  That the application for 15% Discretionary Rate Relief for Widnes Gymnastics Academy from 21 June 2021, be approved.

The Board considered a report from the Operational Director – Finance, which presented the Treasury Management Annual Report 2021/22.

The report updated Members on the activities undertaken on the money market, as required by the Treasury Management Policy.

Information was provided on the economic outlook, interest rate forecast, borrowing and investments, budget monitoring, policy guidelines and treasury management indicators.  The Council’s approved Treasury and Prudential Indicators for 2021-22 were set out in the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and was attached as Appendix one.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

The Board considered a report from the Operational Director – Finance, which advised of new capital grant allocations and slippage to capital projects for 2021/22, that had been rolled forward to 2022/23.  All the separate elements were presented together and details of the Council’s total planned capital programme expenditure and associated funding over the next three years was given.

Table 1 presented the planned Capital Programme for 2022-23 onwards for both Directorates, based on current information for approved schemes, funding available and slippage of scheme expenditure from 2021-22.  Table 2 summarised how the capital programme would be funded and Table 3 showed the expected balance of capital receipts over the next 3 years.

It was noted that the capital programme was subject to continuous change as new resources and projects were identified and would be updated throughout the year as revisions were approved by Council.

RESOLVED: That

1)    Council be recommended to approve the updated Capital Programme for 2022-25, including forecast spend and funding, as set out in Table 1 and Table 2; and

2)    the Operational Director – Finance, in liaison with the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Urban Renewal, finalise the detailed implementation programme of Highways and Transportation schemes to be delivered in 2022-23.

The Board considered a report from the Operational Director – Economy, Enterprise and Property, which provided an update on negotiations regarding the Moor Lane Bus Depot and sought approval to negotiate a long-term lease.

Two proposals from local businesses were presented to Executive Board in March 2022, where it was agreed that negotiations should progress with Company Y.  Further discussions had since taken place with Company Y who have stated they would favour a long-term lease (minimum 30 years) to enable them to secure funds to undertake improvements and invest in the building and to provide certainty for them in the future.

It was noted that granting a long-term lease to Company Y would prevent the Council from exploring alternative uses and options, as outlined in the report to Executive Board in March 2022.  However, it was recognised that there were advantages to this arrangement; the building would be utilised for the purpose for which it was intended and it was unlikely to impact on its Listed Building status or planning requirements.

RESOLVED:  That the Board authorises officers to progress a long-term lease agreement with Company Y.

The Board received a report of the Strategic Director – People, which requested approval of an amendment to contractual arrangements with the dissolution of Halton Clinical Commissioning Group and the transfer of arrangements to the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board.

The Health and Care Act 2022 required the dissolution of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and the implementation of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), as of 1 July 2022.  An ICS consisted of an Integrated Care Board (ICB) and an Integrated Care Partnership (ICP).  An ICB was a statutory organisation that brought the NHS together locally to improve population health and establish shared strategic priorities.

Each local authority area within the Cheshire and Merseyside ICS was required to establish its own Place Based Partnership (PBP), locally this was One Halton.  The report provided an update on the development of the One Halton PBP in its context with the Cheshire and Merseyside ICS.

RESOLVED:  That the Board

1)    note the update on One Halton; and

2)    approves the amendment to contractual arrangements as set out in the report.

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 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 item 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 from the Operational Director – Economy, Enterprise and Property which sought approval to the disposal of land rear of Feralco, Ditton Road, Widnes.

The report outlined details of the proposal and terms of sale.

RESOLVED:  That Executive Board

1)    approves the disposal and of the freehold interest in land rear of Feralco, Ditton Road, Widnes, on the terms reported in paragraph 3.5; and

2)    authorises the Operational Director – Economy, Enterprise and Property, to arrange for all required documentation for the transactions to be completed to the satisfaction of the Operational Director – Legal and Democratic Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Resources.

MINUTES ISSUED:   19 July 2022

CALL- IN:   26 July 2022 at 5.00 pm

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 5.00pm on 26 July 2022.