To agree the property services planned and reactive maintenance programme 2020/21 to ensure the continuing upkeep, improvements and maintenance of the council’s property assets and also to allow the council to fulfil its obligations to carry out statutory compliance inspections and related remedial works.

The maintenance budget of £2,397,790 is to be spent on the continuing upkeep, cleaning and maintenance of the council’s 295 key property assets and also to allow the council to fulfil its obligations to carry out compliance checks and best practice inspections so as to maintain a safe environment for the users of the buildings and for the upkeep of the property.

That:

(a)       the 2020/21 cleaning, planned and reactive maintenance budget of  £2,397,790 be allocated between maintenance undertakings as follows and as set out in appendix B:

·           £1,551,907 on cyclical, planned and reactive maintenance;

·           £243,803 on statutory compliance inspections; 

·           £602,080 on cleaning;

(b)       the assistant director for technical services be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to implement the above recommendation and spend within the approved budgets including realigning budget between maintenance undertakings provided that individual budget allocations do not vary by more than 35%; and

(c)       the maintenance work is delivered through the authorised building maintenance and cleaning services provider at that time.

To agree the property services 2020/21 estates capital works programme

The proposed programme of works as set out in appendix A, incorporates a series of planned project works that enables the council to deliver on its obligations to maintain buildings fit for purpose utilising the agreed £2.095m capital budget which was approved at council budget meeting of 15 February 2019.

That:

(a)       the 2020/21 estate capital programme as set out in appendix A be approved at a total cost of not more than £2.095m;

(b)       the assistant director for technical services be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to implement the above recommendation and spend within the approved budget including final allocation of budget to the projects as listed in appendix A provided that individual project costs do not vary from the estimate included by more than 25%; and

(c)       the assistant director for technical services be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to implement the above recommendation and award of contracts  up to a maximum individual value of £500k.

To approve the award of the debtor enforcement contracts following a procurement exercise. The contract award is to replace the existing contracts on their expiry. 

Herefordshire council bills approximately 85,000 dwellings for council tax and approximately 8,000 businesses for business rates.

When payment is overdue the council is committed to using the most effective debt recovery methods available whilst ensuring that all debtors, taxpayers and ratepayers are treated fairly, appropriate support is identified, debtor circumstances are taken into consideration and any action that is taken is fair and open.

The continued use of debt enforcement agency services, following the exhaustion of all other debt collection opportunities and where considered appropriate, is recommended to ensure the council continues to effectively collect monies owed. This is because the council has both a legal duty and a responsibility to its citizens to ensure that income due is paid

The total amount of overdue debt sent to the council's current enforcement agent in the last twelve months was 2,983 council tax cases with an overdue balance of £2.0m and 91 business rates cases with an overdue balance of £0.4m. In addition 1,242 traffic management enforcement warrants with unpaid debt from Penalty Charge Notices totalling approximately £0.1m.

The council uses debt enforcement agencies to collect overdue debtor balances in line with the council's debt recovery policy (http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents/s50035301/Appx%20A%20Debt%20Recovery%20Policy.pdf ).

A competitive re-procurement exercise has been completed via a YPO framework agreement (Agency Enforcement) to determine the award of a contract to provide the debt recovery enforcement service at a nil cost to the council. Enforcement Agent fees or charges are to be paid by the debtor and are to be levied in accordance with the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014.

That:

 Contracts for the supply of Enforcement Agency Services (Traffic Management Warrant & Revenues and Benefits) for a period of up to five years from 1^st February 2020be awarded to Bristow and Sutor (revenues and benefits) and Jacobs (traffic management warrants).

To approve allocation of existing capital maintenance funding to support the delivery of energy efficiency measures at Elgar House, Blueschool House and No 8 St Owen Street.

The capital programme includes provision of some £2.5m in 2018/19 for capital maintenance works on council owned property; of this £111k remains uncommitted. The proposed investment of £83k will support installation of lighting controls and low energy lighting at three council buildings to improve energy efficiency, and enable the council to use European grant funding to support some of the works.

That:

(a)  £83k of the approved, but un-committed 2018/19 capital maintenance funding is re-allocated to:

1.    to fund the  installation of enhanced lighting controls at Elgar House,

2.    Match fund the installation of enhanced lighting controls at Blueschool House,

3.    Match fund the installation of LED lighting and controls to No 8 St Owen Street,

(b)       the Strategic Property Services Manager be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to implement the above recommendations within the approved budget.

To agree to enter into a grant funding agreement with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to deliver the £3.0m Marches Business Investment Programme (MBIP).

An application for £3.43m has been submitted to MHCLG to deliver a capital grants programme across the Marches to support SMEs with growth and job creation.  £2.2m of this will be made available as grants to SMEs to facilitate growth and expansion.  Grants will part fund new commercial builds, extensions, reconfigurations and refurbishments of existing premises along with equipment purchases within the newly created space.  In addition, £800k will be made available to SMEs to help with small equipment purchases.  MBIP will also support SMEs to bring redundant buildings back into economic use, with the added benefit of improving the commercial stock within the Marches area.

If approval is given, Herefordshire Council will act as accountable body for the scheme, providing grants to SMEs of no more than 50% of total project costs.  Herefordshire Council will forward fund payments to SMEs of no more than £500,000 in total (per quarter) until European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) payments are received.

That:

(a)       the council enters into a funding agreement with MHCLG to deliver the £3.43m Marches Business  Investment Programme across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Council areas, acting as accountable body for the programme; and

(b)       the council provide forward funding grant payments to SMEs of up to £150k per grant claimant with a maximum of £500k advance payments at any one time, pending receipt of funds from MHCLG; and

(c)        the Acting Director of Economy and Place be authorised to sign the MHCLG funding agreement to Herefordshire Council and approve any variations to the programme requested by the Programme Team; and

(d)       the Head of Economic Development be authorised to sign all sub grant agreements to businesses and take day to day operational decisions, including variations to any sub grant agreements.