The current contract for the management of the Maylord Shopping Centre has been in place since the council obtained outright control of the asset in June this year. The management contract is for a period of one year and is due to expire on the 12June 2021. It is necessary to procure a new contract with a service provider in order that the shopping centre can operate and that rent and service charges are collected and administered.

That:

(a)        A new contract is procured for the operational and asset management of the Maylord Shopping Centre from June 2021; and

(b)        The director of economy and place, in consultation with the cabinet member procurement, contracts and assets, has delegated authority to award the new contract

To approve funding to undertake a comprehensive

1.     review of the current technology in Hillside Care Centre and set-out the short, medium and long term technological opportunities.  This will help to integrate focused improvements and appropriate enabling technology solutions into Hillside services.  This, in turn, will facilitate better quality of care, support the health, wellbeing and independence needs of individuals, whilst driving efficiencies, effectiveness and improving outcomes

2.     options appraisal to understand the scope, delivery model, technical solution, cost and benefits for a new proactive and responsive technology enabled living (TEL) service to replace the current alarm receiving service (ARC) which comes to end of contract in March 2022.

(a)       To approve revenue spend of upto £25,000.00 to undertake a comprehensive analysis, technical assessment detailing the current capacity, use, barriers and potential opportunities to transform Hillside into a digitally rich care home.

(b)       To approve revenue spend of upto £30,000.00 to set-out the scope, delivery model, solution platform options and costs for a new proactive and responsive technology enabled living service to replace the current alarm receiving service which comes to the end of contract in March 2022.

(c)       To delegate authority to the Assistant Director All Ages Commissioning for award and delivery of the contract.

This report provides an update on the budget for the Hereford City Centre Transport Package (HCCTP) project and seeks approval of budget adjustments.

That:

(a)       within the overall capital programme allocation of £40.651 million for the Hereford city centre transport package (HCCTP), a £1.377m  increase in budget for City Link Road Land Acquisition to £16.25m, and a £1.318m reduction in budget for the Transport Hub and Public Realm to £5.172m, be approved; and

(b)  the Director for Economy and Place in consultation with the Section 151 officer be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to make the remaining City Link Road land acquisition payments.

In November 2019 Hereford was included by government in their Towns Fund Programme.  This report seeks to accept the grant of £162k to support the process, provide endorsement of the submission, by the Hereford Towns Fund Board to government, of a Town Investment Plan for Hereford and for the council to support the bid by agreeing to be the accountable body for the funding. 

That:

(a)       The council endorses the Hereford Town Investment Plan submission to government which the Hereford Towns Fund Board will prepare, approve and return before 29 January 2021;

(b)       The council acts as the accountable body for the Hereford Towns Fund programme and any Town Deal that is agreed with government;

(c)       The Hereford Towns Fund Board is included on the council partnerships register as a significant partnership; and

(d)       The council accepts, on behalf of the Hereford Towns Fund Board, the grant of £162k capacity funding to support the development of the Town Investment Plan.

To enable the accountable body, Shropshire Council, to delegate responsibility for managing the Get Building Funding grant and the relationship with the successful grant applicant NMITE to the council. The grant amount of £1.6m for the project will be transferred from the accountable body to the council, £800,000 in 2020/21 and £800,000 in 2021/22.  The grant funding will be utilised to accelerate development of NMITE’s Centre for Automated Manufacturing on the Hereford Enterprise Zone.

That:

(a)  The Council accept responsibility for managing the £1.6m Get Building Fund grant and the relationship with NMITE for the development of their Skylon Park campus.

(b)  The Chief Finance Officer be authorised, following consultation with the monitoring officer and cabinet member for finance, to complete such legal documentation including, but not limited to the funding offer letter from Shropshire Council and subsequent funding agreement between the council and NMITE to protect the council’s interests as the project accountable body and take all operational decisions necessary to implement the above recommendations.

At Cabinet on 26 November 2020 the decision was taken on how the council will progress the delivery of affordable housing across the county over the coming years.  In the past few months Engie Regeneration Limited (Engie) have concluded a review of the Station Approach area to consider how development in this part of the city centre should be brought forward. The final report.  The Station Approach Site Study - has been presented to Cabinet for consideration.

This paper seeks approval for the first council owned sites in the Station Approach area to be brought forward as the first scheme of wider affordable housing programme.

That:

Cabinet approve to spend up to £68k to work up outline proposals for a net zero carbon affordable housing scheme on Sites 1b, 1c, 2a and 2b Station Approach for further review and approval by Cabinet.

To agree the Council’s response to proposed changes in the governance of West Midlands Rail Limited (WMRL) and make a decision as to whether to support those changes.

That the Cabinet member:

(a)   Supports the changes to the governance of WMRL set out in this report and:

(b)  Instructs the Council’s representative to vote in favour of the amendments to the company’s Articles of Association as set out in Appendix B at the Extraordinary Meeting of the company on 19 January 2021 (or such other alternative date fixed for that purpose)

To seek approval to accept and spend the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funding (£3,856,020) allocation from government, to support businesses affected by the second national Covid 19 lockdown period, and any future periods of restriction up to the end of March 2022.

This decision is specific to the Additional Restrictions Grant.  The national guidance indicates that the council can use this funding for business support activities but it is expected to primarily take the form of discretionary grants to businesses to support them through period of trade restrictions due to Covid 19. The offer letter implies that this allocation is for the current national and any future national or local restrictions (the funding will not be refreshed) through to the end of March 2022.

That:

(a)       The cabinet member for Environment, Economy and Skills approves the expenditure (£3,856,020) of government funding provided for the Covid 19 Herefordshire Additional Restrictions Grant Fund.

(b)       The cabinet member for Environment, Economy and Skills approves the approach to delivering the Additional Restrictions Grant scheme.

(c)       To delegate to the Director for Economy and Place following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment, Economy and Skills and the Section 151 Officer the authority to vary the grant support for businesses in accordance with the national government guidance to be able to urgently respond to fast changing Covid 19 circumstances.

(d)       The Head of Economic Development and the Economic Development Manager be authorised to approve grant awards to businesses following satisfactory appraisal of the applications received (up to a value of £5,000 per business).

That the council formally applies to Homes England for Investment Partner status, as a means of affording the council the ability to apply for Homes England Funding if deemed appropriate in the future.

To approve additional in-year expenditure within the Dedicated Schools Grant for 2020/21 for

(a)        revenue pupil growth funding for 33 pupils from September 2020 for Fairfield High School; and

(b)        to commission 15 additional places for the Pupil Referral Unit from September 2020 to provide secondary intervention places.

That:

(a)       Revenue growth funding of £77,731.50 funded from Dedicated Schools Grant reserves for Fairfield High School be approved for 33 pupils over the school’s Planned Admission Number (PAN) for the autumn and spring terms at the per pupil funding amount of £4,038 pa pro-rata for the seven month period; and

(b)  An additional 15 places be commissioned at the Pupil Referral Unit from September 2020 for the autumn and spring terms at a cost of £87,500 funded from Dedicated Schools Grant reserves at the mandatory Department for Education place funding amount of £10,000 pa pro-rata for the seven month period.

The Committee deferred consideration of the application.

The application was approved in accordance with the Case Officer’s recommendation with additional conditions.

The application was refused contrary to the Case Officer’s recommendation.

The application was refused contrary to the Case Officer’s recommendation.

To agree to update the Herefordshire Local Plan Core Strategy, following a review of the adopted plan, in accordance with The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended) and paragraph 33 of the National Planning Policy Framework in the light of of the proposals set out in the White Paper: Planning for the Future.

That:

(a)       the review of the Herefordshire Local Plan Core Strategy demonstrates that the Herefordshire Local Plan Core Strategy is required to be updated;

(b)       a detailed project plan for thedevelopment of a new local plan, including resource requirements, taking into account the emerging proposals of the White Paper and other Government advice regarding local plan preparation, be prepared for the approval of the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Transport before the end of December 2020;

(c)      the work on the Hereford Area Plan, Rural Areas Site Allocations Development Plan Document and Bromyard Development Plan Document should be stopped with effect from the date of this report and any relevant elements of evidence to be used as part of the new Local plan;

(d)      progress be continued upon the emerging Minerals and Waste Local Plan;

(e)      work on progressing a Herefordshire Community Infrastructure Levy should be put on hold pending the outcome of the significant proposals for reform of planning obligations in the White Paper; and

(f)        supplementary planning documents in respect of a) delivering higher environmental building standards in Herefordshire consistent with the Council’s goal to be a zero carbon county by 2030 and b) improving ecological protection and pollution reduction, especially with regard to returning our rivers to good ecological status be prepared as soon as practicable and resourced through the local plan reserve in order to enhance the County’s existing planning policy framework.