That:

(a) the Strategy for the Prevention of Homelessness and Rough Sleeping at appendix 1 be approved, with the additional inclusion of reference to migrants and pets.

To seek approval to begin works to develop three additional traveller pitches following the awarded capital bid funding.

The pitches consist of two at the Bromyard Site and one at the Grafton Site.  Both sites are owned and managed by Herefordshire Council.

The development of the new pitches will attract an annual income of £11,700 and there is a waiting list of potential residents to take up tenancies for all these pitches.

That:

(a)         the development of two traveller site pitches at Bromyard and one at Grafton traveller sites be approved at a cost of £420,000.

To approve the receipt of One Public Estate (OPE) funds of £335k which have been awarded to Herefordshire Council as the accountable body following a bid to the Cabinet Office for OPE Phase 7 central government monies in respect of funding to bring forward the following projects: Urban Village Development, to undertake masterplanning and feasibility work to release land for key worker housing, etc; Refurbishment of the Lionel Green Building, Hereford Hospital, to enable the relocation of services and release other premises for redevelopment and to provide funding for a One Public Estate Programme Manager.

Herefordshire Council will receive the funds as the lead authority in respect of One Herefordshire   group of public sector organisations further to the original award under OPE Wave 5, which was subject to an earlier decision dated 27 July 2017. The funding award is split between direct grant (non-repayable - £135k) and sustainable grant (repayable - £200k). Approval to receive the funds will enable the S.151 Officer to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to enable the transfer of funds to the council.

That:

(a)        further to a successful bid  to the cabinet office the council accepts receipt of OPE Phase 7 funding of £335k as the accountable body on behalf of the One Herefordshire group of public sector organisations.

To agree the activities within the corporate delivery plan 2019/20.

The delivery plan has been reviewed and updated to include new initiatives and projects for 2019/20 which will support achievement of the council’s corporate plan priorities.

That:

a) the draft corporate delivery plan 2019/20 at Appendix 1 be approved.

To approve Herefordshire Council’s proposed admissions arrangements for 2020/21.

The proposed arrangements comply with the current School Admissions Code which came into force on 19 December 2014. The recommendation applies to admission arrangements determined in 2019 for admission in school year 2020/21 for those schools in Herefordshire for whom the council is the admissions authority.

Following a consultation process held in the autumn of 2018 the following changes were made in accordance with Minister of State guidance, priority is now given to Looked after children and children who were looked after outside England as well as those in England:

Priority 1 - Looked after children and children who were looked after in England, but ceased to be due to being adopted or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order

Priority 2 - Looked after children and children who were looked after outside of England, but ceased to be due to being adopted or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order  

That:

(a)          The proposed admission arrangements for 2020/21, as at appendix A, are approved.

To report the outcomes and recommendations of the Court judgements relating to children and families task and finish group to the children and young people scrutiny committee. The committee will consider and approve the outcomes from the task and finish group and decide if the recommendations should be reported to cabinet.

This report seeks approval to accept a successful funding application made to the Department of Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and to commission a detailed project development (DPD) study for a heat network in Hereford City.

The funding offer from BEIS is for £151,500 which will be matched with £49,500 from existing budgets.

An additional funding bid has been submitted to the Marches LEP’s project development fund for match funding of £20,000. If successful, this report also seeks approval to accept this funding to reduce the required match from the council.

That:

(a)  Herefordshire council accept the grant funding from BEIS;

(b)  The study be commissioned as per the application form at appendix 1;

(c)  Existing budgets be used as match funding at a cost of no more than £49,500, and

(d)  That if successful, Herefordshire Council accept the grant funding from the Marches LEP’s development fund;

(e)  The Energy & Active Travel Manager be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to implement the scheme including determination of grant applications in accordance with scheme criteria

To approve the strategic purchase of the southern campus of the Royal National College for the Blind (RNCB), Venn’s Lane, Hereford within a defined budget of £6.25 million and to authorise officers, following appropriate consultation and due diligence, to proceed with the purchase of the property.

The proposed purchase will be a strategic acquisition which would support the council’s policies in respect of economic growth and ensure that a key education site within Hereford is retained and enhanced.

That:-

(a)  the purchase of the southern campus of the Royal National College for the Blind, Venns Lane, Hereford as set out in the redline plan at Appendix 1 (“the Site”) be approved within a maximum budget of £6.25 million;

(b)  subject to the Chief Finance Officer being satisfied that appropriate heads of terms have been agreed, due diligence has been completed and the purchase provides value for money, the acting director economy and place, in consultation with the cabinet member contracts and assets, be authorised to complete the acquisition of the Site;

(c)  on acquisition, the Site be added into the council’s property portfolio for all asset management and maintenance purposes;

(d)  the acting director economy and place be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to implement the above recommendations; and

(e)  a further report be brought to the executive following any acquisition, in order to determine whether the Site should be entered into the council’s development and regeneration programme.

To approve the budget and development arrangements of the first phase of employment land at Ross Enterprise Park including the main contractual arrangements to enable a timely commencement of development of the site.

Ross Enterprise Park – Phase 1 will release 8.5 acres of net developable serviced employment land that will be utilised by businesses and developers to undertake their own design and build. Works to create the infrastructure will include the construction of site access, internal roads, groundworks, utilities and drainage.

The Phase 1 of the park will enable the creation  of up to 250 jobs, provide space for around 20 local businesses (including some that may relocate their operations out of the county), generate a land receipt of up to £1,700,000 and a retained business rates income up to £200,000 per annum.

That:

(a)  the Acting Director of Economy and Place, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, is authorised to enter into construction contracts with Engie Regeneration Limited for the development of Ross Enterprise Park, Phase 1, as defined by the appended redline plan, and subject to costs being within the maximum project cost of £7.07million, and in accordance with the council’s following requirements:

                                          i.    Delivery of an enterprise park infrastructure (to exclude construction of buildings) to provide circa 8.5 net developable acres of land that will be disposed to private sector users for employment development (offices and industrial units)

                                        ii.    A design and specification in line with normal market practice and demand, subject to the other requirements set out here;

                                       iii.    Delivery of the site access, required section 278 highways works, internal estate roads, soft and hard landscaping, drainage, utilities, remediation and other reasonable infrastructure requirements of a business park;

                                       iv.    To achieve the earliest possible completion date to allow disposal to end users;

                                         v.    Ensure compliance with all planning conditions and other regulations relating to development (including health and safety and ecological requirements) during the design and construction.

(b)  The Acting Director of Economy and Place is authorised to take all operational steps necessary to give effect to the above recommendation.

To approve the scope and cost of the first stage of appraisal services to be provided by the council’s developer partner, Keepmoat Homes, in respect of a potential project to deliver new housing on the former education campus at Holme Lacy.

The Herefordshire Economic Vision was adopted by Council in December 2016 as the Economic Development Strategy for the county. This identifies new housing in ‘Aim 3 - A great place to live’. The council has undertaken an initial assessment of redevelopment options presented by the former education campus and considers that the site offers a sustainable location for a diverse range of new well located housing.

The council has entered into an overarching agreement with Keepmoat Homes, a developer, for a programme of development and regeneration over the next 10 years and potentially beyond. In accordance with that agreement, the developer partner will be commissioned to develop a project through the mechanism of a “New Project Request” and will progress the project in “Stages”.

The New Project Request specifies the council’s initial requirements and its criteria for the development, which can be refined as the project moves forward.

The developer partner has estimated the cost of the Stage 1 appraisal services which include the development of the outline business case and a proposed programme for delivery. These costs are required to be underwritten by the council as specified in the overarching agreement.

That:

(a)       the redevelopment of the former education campus at Holme Lacy be placed into the Development and Regeneration Programme (DRP); 

(b)       a new project request to carry out a preliminary (“Stage 1”) appraisal of development options for the Holme Lacy site be issued the council’s development partner  Keepmoat Homes

(c)       , the following Council Criteria for Stage 1 of the Holme Lacy project be approved :

1.    The stage 1 submission will provide an estimate of the cost, a proposed layout and design for a scheme, together with an outline business case and programme for residential redevelopment of the Site, the proposed development will be based on a set of standard assumptions for Keepmoat Homes as to product range, tenure mix and general amenity (“the Standard Offer”). 

2.    The Standard Offer will be fully policy compliant

3.    In cooperation with the council, as a basis for comparison with Criterion 1, an outline cost, design, business case and programme for residential development of the Site which makes an enhanced contribution to the council’s social, environmental and economic objectives over and above that which would be required by relevant law or existing planning policy (“the Enhanced Offer”) in respect of:

(a)  Enhanced environmental sustainability including   energy efficiency, transport, protection/enhancement of natural habitats, and/or

(b)  Increased affordable housing, and/or

(c)  Health and wellbeing of communities and residents, and/or

(d)  Use of modular construction..

4.    In cooperation with the council  the stage 1 submission will define the evidential framework for Stage 2 to assess the project against the council’s requirement to demonstrate best value and meet all other relevant legal obligations.

(d)       a Stage 1 Development Fee of up to £30k be approved to be underwritten by the Council under the terms of its overarching agreement with Keepmoat Homes

(e)       a capital sum of £20k is approved for drawing down from the Development Partnership capital budget in order to support the council in delivering Stage 1 of the project, including the covering of staff costs and external advisers to the council.