To consider charges relating to burial and cremation for children, not exceeding eighteen years of age, in Herefordshire Council cemeteries and crematorium.

That:

(a)        All charges relating to burial and cremation for children, not exceeding eighteen years of age, are removed in Herefordshire Council cemeteries and crematorium.

To approve funding to Herefordshire Sustainable Food and Tourism Partnership (HSFTP) to undertake feasibility study on the possibility of creating a Herefordshire Destination Business Improvement District (BID).

The reasons for the recommendation are that the Herefordshire Sustainable Destination Management Plan (DMP) 2018-2022 identified developing a Destination BID for Herefordshire as a key priority. 

The Herefordshire Destination BID proposal has been identified in the DMP as a route to establish strategic governance and management and achieve financial independence for the sector and support the delivery of the DMP priorities for the county.

That:

(a)        Grant funding of up to £20k is awarded to The Brightspace Foundation on behalf of the Herefordshire Sustainable Food and Tourism Partnership to undertake a feasibility study on the possibility of creating a Herefordshire Destination Business Improvement District.

To agree the next phase of capital interventions to make council owned land at the Hereford Enterprise Zone (Hez) ready for investment from either private sector developers or businesses, or from direct development undertaken by the council.

The capital interventions within this phase broadly relate to the provision of new road and utility infrastructure to service plots, site ground raising to comply with flooding mitigation measures, more specific plot works when end user requirements are understood, and site wide signage and landscape works.

That:

(a)       £2.55m from the enterprise zone capital programme provision be allocated to the following infrastructure interventions at the Hereford enterprise zone:

(b)  the Economic Development Manager be authorised to take all necessary operational decisions to implement the above interventions, including the appointment of contractors following an appropriate procurement process.

The purpose of this report is to approve the expenditure of the planned, reactive and capital maintenance budgets for 2018/19 to spend on the council’s property assets to maintain them so they are fit for purpose, compliant and their value is protected

That:

(a)        the 2018/19 planned maintenance and reactive budgets of  £2.538m respectively split as shown on appendix B,  and is spent to allow for the continuing upkeep and maintenance of the council’s 175 key property assets and also to allow the council to fulfil its obligations to carry out statutory compliance inspections as noted in appendix A and related remedial works

(b)        the 2018/19 capital maintenance budget of £1.765m is spent on a programme of prioritised projects necessary for the upkeep and continued use of council’s property assets

To adopt and endorse the revised statutory Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWP) for 2018-2028.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act), section 60 requires councils to prepare and publish an improvement plan for their public rights of way (ROWIP). This plan should be reassessed and reviewed not more than ten years after publication and at intervals of not less than ten years thereafter.

That:

(a)        the Rights of Way Improvement Plan for Herefordshire 2018-2028 at appendix 1 be approved.

To approve the procurement of a consultant to prepare the development of a Hereford city centre design guide supplementary planning document (“SPD”) in partnership with the NMiTE University

The production of a Hereford city centre design guide SPD (“design SPD”) will provide the basis for a comprehensive and effective approach to achieving good quality design.  The guidance, will help provide a consistent approach across the city centre and ensure the guidance is sensitive to local distinctiveness.

That:

(a)         a consultant be procured to prepare a Hereford city centre design guide supplementary planning guidance document in accordance with an agreed timetable within a total budget of £80k; and

(b)   The programme director housing and growth be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to appoint a consultant.

To approve the first quarter payments in relation to back office services provided by Hoople, pending the finalisation of the Service Level Agreement for 2018/19.

That:

(a)        Payments to Hoople for back office service provision for the period April to end of June 2018 are made in line with the terms agreed in the SLA for 2017/18 until the revised SLA for 2018/19 is approved.

To undertake a preliminary business case assessment of two potential direct council commercial development projects at Hereford enterprise zone (Hez).

In this instance the direct development undertaken by the council will create new employment space for rent by businesses, this will serve to meet unmet demand for business space at Hez.  This will help to accelerate the achievement of business occupancy targets, and meet the objective of creating more and better quality jobs at Hez, thereby helping to implement an important priority project of the Herefordshire Economic Vision.

That:

(a)         a business case be developed regarding investment opportunities for the council to develop medium scale office and industrial space for rental at the Hereford Enterprise Zone; and

(b)        £35,000 be allocated from the Development and Regeneration Partnership budget to undertake the detailed work required to inform the business case preparation and for this detailed work to be undertaken by the council’s development partner.

To make the Kimbolton neighbourhood development plan as part of the statutory development plan for Herefordshire and approve the consequential updates to the countywide policies maps.

To fulfil the legal duty to make /adopt the Kimbolton neighbourhood development plan and update the countywide policies map as part of the statutory development plan for Herefordshire. Council delegated authority for the making of the neighbourhood development plans, and consequential amendments to the countywide policies map, to the cabinet member infrastructure.

That:

(a)        The Kimbolton neighbourhood development plan is made as part of the statutory development plan for Herefordshire; and

(b)        The required consequential changes are made to the countywide policies map

To make the Yarpole Group neighbourhood development plan as part of the statutory development plan for Herefordshire and approve the consequential updates to the countywide policies maps.

To fulfil the legal duty to make /adopt the Yarpole Group neighbourhood development plan and update the countywide policies map as part of the statutory development plan for Herefordshire. Council delegated authority for the making of the neighbourhood development plans, and consequential amendments to the countywide policies map, to the cabinet member infrastructure.

That:

(a)        The Yarpole Group neighbourhood development plan is made as part of the statutory development plan for Herefordshire; and

(b)        The required consequential changes are made to the countywide policies map

To approve the Learning Disability Strategy 2018-2028.

That:

(a)  the executive’s response to the recommendations of the children and young peoples’ scrutiny committee at paragraph 40 be approved; and

(b)  the Learning Disability Strategy 2018-2028 (Appendix 1) be approved.