Venue: The Boardroom, Municipal Building
Contact: Angela Scott on 0151 511 8670 or Email: Angela.scott@halton.gov.uk
No. | Item |
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Minutes: The Minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 2019 were taken as read and signed as a correct record. |
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Children, Education and Social Care Portfolio |
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Scrutiny Topic Group – Care Homes – Future Sustainability PDF 74 KB Additional documents: Minutes: 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. |
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Care Provider Contract Uplift 2019/20 PDF 96 KB Minutes: 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. |
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Health and Wellbeing Portfolio |
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The procurement of a new Integrated Sexual Health Service for Halton and Warrington PDF 85 KB Minutes: 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. |
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Transportation Portfolio |
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Transport Infrastructure Update PDF 129 KB Minutes: 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. |
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Resources Portfolio |
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Victoria Park Greenhouse Project - Waiver of standing Orders PDF 81 KB Minutes: 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. |
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2018/19 Financial Outturn PDF 154 KB Minutes: 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. |
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Capital Programme 2019/20 to 2021/22 PDF 95 KB Minutes: 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. |
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Discretionary Non-Domestic Rate Relief PDF 87 KB Minutes: 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. |
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SCHEDULE 12A OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ACCESS TO INFORMATION) ACT 1985 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. Minutes: 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. |
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Children, Education and Social Care Portfolio |
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Halton Care Homes - To consider options to maintain service delivery for older people in Halton Minutes: 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. |
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call-in 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. |