The roofing works at Ashfield Park Primary School, Ross-on-Wye are
planned works included in the 2021-2023 Schools Capital Maintenance
Programme.

To ensure all Council buildings are fit for purpose and maintained to the
standards set out in the condition survey to address suitability,
sustainability and affordability.

To vary the contract with MESH Consultancy Limited (MESH) by £33,750 so that feasibility studies can be carried out at Brookfield School, Blackmarston School and the Hereford Pupil Referral Service.

The feasibility studies will be commissioned in order to inform the short, medium and long term options in order to increase or improve the capacity at specialist schools.

To ensure that the council manages its transport services effectively whilst also meeting its statutory duties and ensures children are transported to school in line with eligibility.

• Option Agreement was completed 15/03/2018 and extended to expire 30/06/2022.

• Progression of the affordable housing scheme on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall (which is dependent upon a footpath provision linking the new houses to the school and village) has had further delays impacted by Covid-19.

• It is sought to extend the Option Agreement for a further 24 months to expire 30/06/2022.

• The licensee is a tenant of the adjoining building

• A private outdoor space is required for a one-day staff networking event in July

To accept the grant offer from Historic England in respect of underwriting the cost of serving an Urgent Works Notice at Knoll Cottage. The grant award is for £16,480 which is 80% of the cost of the works at £21,050 (excl VAT). The remaining 20% is £4210 (excl VAT) to be paid by Herefordshire Council.

To act as planning agent for our two wetland sites on the council’s behalf.

In order to operate, manage and purchase Microsoft products and services Herefordshire Council must identify and nominate a Large Account Reseller [LAR], for an initial period of 3 years from the anticipated contract start date of 1st June 2022. The reseller will act as the Microsoft subject matter expert providing advice and guidance on Microsoft products.

The nominated reseller will arrange the renewal of the three year Enterprise Agreement, which is the contractual arrangement to provide Licences and Software Assurance for many Microsoft Products in use at Herefordshire Council. The Enterprise Agreement covers the licencing required for:
• Computer operating systems (Windows 10) for all desktops and laptops
• Server operating systems (Windows Server) and management tools (System Center).
Appropriate licencing is a compliance requirement and is not optional.

A procurement process was undertaken through KCS Framework Software Products & Associated Services 2 (Y20011) Lot 1 via Herefordshire Councils e-tendering portal, Supplying the Southwest (also known as ProContract). Four compliant bids were received by the tender close date and were evaluated in accordance with the rules as stipulated within the tender document. This evaluation consisted of an assessment of Quality and Price.

Phoenix Software Ltd provided the most economically advantageous tender and are therefore recommended for award.

Annual request for charity event run by a Community Interest Company for the purposes of a non-animal circus from 21 to 23 June 2022. The circus will be attended without charge by locally disadvantaged children and profits will be donated to charity

To enable the event organisers to hold their event on the King George V Playing Field, Bishops Meadow and Castle Green

To improve the access roads and paths that at present do not form part of the Public Realm Highways responsibility, to reduce the number of insurance claims against the council and to bring them up to an acceptable standard.

Tarmac Ltd have been identified as the bidder representing best value for money following a competitive tender and assessment process in accordance with Council procurement procedures. Tenders were invited from four prospective companies and only one returned a valid tenders for consideration.

The improvement to the existing footpaths around gardens and the Preaching Cross to be Awarded to Tarmac Ltd at a cost of £25,227.85.

This is the final spend of the overall budget of £109k (residual from the three year budget) that has been utilised to improve various sites on the Rotherwas Industrial Estate and Bromyard Station Road.

To settle by way of agreement a matter referred to an Employment Tribunal for Riverside School and an Employee on terms which are exempt from disclosure because it relates to: (i) information relating to any individual and (ii) Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person and the public interest in maintaining the exemptions outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information (Paragraphs 1, 3 and 10 Schedule 12A Local Government Act 1972 (as amended))

The land at Ashley Farm and Newton Farm is owned by the Council and comprises a block of agricultural land currently let under grazing licences and a sports ground leased to Belmont Wanderers Football Club who are part of the Southside Project group and have agreed to surrender their existing lease.

The Southside Project Group (comprising NMITE the new Hereford University, Belmont Wanderers FC and Grow Local CIC who encourage and educate communities to grow and eat local food) have been identified as a recipient of Stronger Towns funding which forms part of the Governments’ levelling up agenda to deliver community facilities to enhance the well-being of local residents.

In line with the council’s CAT policy the Southside Project members have submitted reasoned and detailed business cases demonstrating the community/sporting/educational value they can deliver as a result of the grant of the lease and that they have financial resource at their disposal to take on responsibility for the property and deliver the identified outputs.

The business cases have been evaluated by a panel of officers from across the council and has recommended that the grant of the lease is progressed

The following terms have been agreed-

The rent to be discounted in line with the independent valuation advice received to reflect the social and community value the project will deliver

The lease to be for a term of 35 years with provision for rent review
The tenant will be responsible for all repairs, maintenance, compliance
with statute and all outgoings in respect of the property

The use will be restricted to community, sporting and educational purposes

The lease will be subject to confirmation that Stronger Towns funding has been approved and that all necessary planning and other statutory consents have been sought and obtained

The Department of Health and Social Care issued a Policy Paper on 16th December 2021 that set out additional funding available to councils to support reform and ‘move towards paying providers a fair cost of care’.
As a condition of receiving future funding, local authorities will need to evidence the work they are doing to prepare their markets and submit the following to DHSC by 14 October 2022:
•cost of care exercises for 65+ care homes and 18+ domiciliary care
•a provisional market sustainability plan, using the cost of care exercise as a key input to identify risks in the local market, with particular consideration given to the further commencement of Section 18(3) of the Care Act 2014 (which is currently in force only for domiciliary care)
•a spend report detailing how funding allocated for 2022 to 2023 is being spent in line with the fund’s purpose
Local authorities are required to survey a range of providers (representative of the local market) as part of the cost of care exercise, to improve their understanding of the actual costs of delivering care in their area. It is important that as many local providers take part as possible and submit returns, in order to ensure that the cost exercise and market sustainability plan provide an accurate reflection.
In recognition of the time that it takes for Providers to complete, some local authorities across the country are offering small one-off payments, and other incentives, to encourage completion.

To review and agree the external auditor’s draft audit plan for 2021/22.

The external audit of Herefordshire Council’s statement of accounts for 2020/21 is due to commence in July 2022 and their approach and plan is attached at Appendix A.

Garway Primary School has grown significantly in recent years due to increased parental applications and having a thriving governor led pre-school on site.
The school is currently operating at the maximum capacity of the buildings available. Lack of sufficient classroom space has meant that the main school hall has been used as additional classroom space for the last two years.
Planning was obtained for a new Early Years classroom to provide much needed accommodation and to improve provision for the youngest pupils. The new building is designed specifically to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and incorporates much needed free access to covered outdoor play space. The new building is designed to a high level of sustainability, to reduce energy consumption, thereby reducing carbon emissions.
There is no local authority capital funding available for the provision of permanent classrooms to accommodate the pupils currently taught in the school’s hall or mobile classrooms, so governors have been compelled to explore options for new accommodation which are affordable from the school’s delegated budget.
The school governors have been extremely diligent over several years and, with the help of some generous donations from local businesses, have accrued sufficient school balances to cover 70% of the project costs. A Local Authority interest free loan is required to meet the final 30% of costs and will be repaid over 6 annual instalments from April 2023.