On completion of the purchase of the Maylord Shopping Centre the Property Services team have confirmed there will be a knowledge gap which means they are unable to provide property, facilities and asset management services to manage the Maylord shopping centre. The complexities associated in respect of managing a multi-tenanted retail asset requires the management to be outsourced to a third party property/asset management provider

There is a general understanding that car parking charges provide for effective demand management of private car use in city and town centres, and that free car parking may create congestion of the spaces closest to the centre of town. However, the delicate economic emergency period as a result of Covid 19 is being balanced with the need to temporarily relax the need to manage demand of car journeys

The extended period of free car parking will enable the council to monitor and review the use of the car parks, and prepare a key decision for consideration by the Cabinet Member regarding the need to continue to manage demand, consider any further temporary concession and the financial and service implications. This will include a plan to recover income lost as part of this decision through implementation of revised car parking charges structure

It should be noted that income from parking is ring fenced to services, as outlined below under legal implications, and any continued budgetary shortfall would impact on the funding available to deliver such services unless alternative sources of funding are identified

All other parking restrictions, including resident permits areas, will remain in place throughout this period

If through monitoring it is identified that the free parking arrangements outlined in this decision adversely affect space turnover in desired locations, dwell time or any other associated parking/traffic management issue a further decision may be taken to re-implement charges earlier than 25 July 2020

Provision of meadow creation and restoration training for the River Wye and Lugg Natural Flood Management (NFM) Project Catchment Advisors will provide the advisors with the skills and confidence required to advise landowners on meadow creation/ restoration. This advice will support the delivery of the River Wye and Lugg NFM Construction Grant Scheme, which is helping to reduce flood risk to communities in Herefordshire.

Caroline Hanks, the Facilitator of Herefordshire Meadows has been selected as the provider for this service due to her expertise in meadow creation and existing links to local meadow owners. By working with Herefordshire Meadows, the landowners and NFM Project will gain access to a network of meadow managers who are able to offer support and advice.

The decision taken was to approve the strategic purchase of a site in the central ward within the defined budget has been approved on the basis that Heads of Terms have been agreed, due diligence has been completed and the purchase provides value for money.

The proposed purchase will be a strategic acquisition which would support the council's policies in respect of economic growth and enable the council to plan for any future demand or development opportunity that may arise in line with the cabinet's county plan objectives

To consider an application under the Highways Act 1980, section 119, to make a public path diversion order to divert part of Footpath AV4(part) in the parish of Avenbury.

To extend the contract period (by variation) for the service provided by Elklan Limited to deliver an Early Years Workforce Development Speech and Language Support service at an unchanged total cost of £462,272.

The service will no longer end on 31st March 2021. The service will continue until 30th September 2021, with the provision to extend for a further three months up to 30th Dec 2021. The potential further extension up to December 2021 will be determined by the recovery timescales for early year’s settings and ability to complete necessary training in light of the current Covid 19 crisis.

To proceed with face to face introductions for adoption during the COVID 19 pandemic.

This shall be reviewed on a regular basis and in line with Government guidance regarding the restrictions as a result of COVID 19.

Following the decision to deliver the improvement works at Leominster MAO the BWOW programme Board requested and approved a revised layout for the building which increased the scheme cost by £30k and extended the programme by two weeks.

The Library Home Delivery Service ceased temporarily from March 20 2020, along with other library services due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Home Delivery Service provides a much needed service to some 150 customers who are housebound, ill or disabled.

Reintroducing the Home Delivery Service will be a first stage in a phased reintroduction of the MLA services and will a positive step in supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities

WSP UK Ltd were appointed following an open tender exercise via the Council’s procurement portal. A contract was issued for £47,638 for the provision of Drainage Management Services for Hereford Enterprise Zone for a period of up to two years from 25 June 2018. This contract is still extant so this represents an extension to that contract.

The contract was envisaged to work through a number of individual projects to help facilitate the completion of the preparatory works on unsold areas of the Zone. Its focus was to inform the foul drainage capacity installation, and strategic approach to Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDs) to enable all the remaining plots to be made ready for sale.

However, the foul drainage design work required to connect the Shell Store to the network has proved more complicated and protracted than initially foreseen. This has necessitated multiple additional site visits, surveys and numerous iterations of drawings and designs in order to agree a solution with Welsh Water (the statutory waste water).

This particular connection is fundamental to the operability of the Shell Store and has to be progressed as a matter of urgency. There is still a good deal of activity required to complete this individual task to steer the tender and installation of these works including advising on the connection of the adjoining development plot. This project alone will use up the remainder of the budget on this contract.

However, this will leave no resource to carry out the final component of the original specification - namely the preparation of the North Magazine site. We have secured LEP Growth Deal money to make that site investor–ready this financial year and drainage and SUDs advice are an important part of the masterplanning work for that, which should ideally start now and run in parallel with the Shell Store works.

It would be difficult to procure a drainage consultant purely for this task which will be of modest cost and hence limited attractiveness as a stand-alone tender. WSP are very familiar with the locality from the work already undertaken under the existing contract and there is direct applicability to the Shell Store work in particular to what needs to be devised for the larger, next door site.

The proposal is to extend the existing drainage contract to accommodate this remaining project and complete the overall strategic review of drainage planning works for the whole HEZ as a consequence.

The hourly rates proposed are the same as previously procured and set out in the existing contract.

There is sufficient budget available in the Enterprise Zone Capital allocation to meet this increase

A decision was taken 9 August 2019 by Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Highways to pause all work on the South Wye Transport Package and Hereford bypass and a review of the projects be undertaken to determine next steps. This decision was called in and a General Scrutiny meeting was held 9th September in which recommendations were made.

The Cabinet Member took a further decision 22 October 2019 which took into consideration the recommendations made by General Scrutiny Committee and confirmed a review of the South Wye Transport Package and the bypass project to determine next steps.

On 24 January 2020 the Cabinet Member took a decision to approve the scope, outline programme and timescale for undertaking the review of the Hereford and South Wye Transport Packages, within a budget of £360,000.
The report outlined that the review is essential to ensure that the council’s decision making is fully informed by the latest information and best practice.

The Acting Assistant Director for Highways and Transport approved on 10 March 2020 to commission professional services up to a value of £145k through the Public Realm contract, for works to the end March 2020 to undertake a transport strategy assessment as outlined in the 24 January 2020 Cabinet Member decision report.

This decision will enable the commissioning of the remainder of works as outlined from April 2020 to the end of July 2020. This aligns with the timeline of work set out in the 24 January 2020 Cabinet Member decision report.

- Fuel Poverty affects an estimated 10,682 households in the county (12.9%). This figure is higher than the national level of 10.3% and reflects the challenges that the county faces in relation to the energy efficiency of properties including a large proportion of older, hard to treat properties and restricted access to mains gas due to the rural nature of the county
- The Warm Homes Fund is designed to support councils, registered social landlords and relevant partner organisations to address some of the issues affecting fuel poor households. This fund is administered by National Grid and the Community Interest Company, Affordable Warmth Solutions.
- The project will allow around 200+ Herefordshire homes to benefit from first time central heating in order to alleviate fuel poverty and improve healthy home levels.
- The associated Category 2 (rural) and Category 3 (Health and energy advice) projects will provide further funding in Herefordshire to improve affordable warmth and healthy housing outcomes.

Approve up to £24k of maintenance at Peterchurch Primary School
Fund the additional works from the existing school capital maintenance budget

Approve up to £5k of maintenance at Orleton CE Primary School
Fund the additional works from the existing school capital maintenance budget

Approve the asbestos removal works as part of the approved boiler and heating upgrade planned maintenance works at Kington Primary School, to be undertaken Balfour Beatty living Places at an initial cost of £11,374 plus associated contingency, professional and statutory fees. A total cost up to the value of £15k

Approve the gas disconnection works as part of the approved enabling works for swimming pool demolition at Ashfield Park Primary School, to be undertaken by Wales & West Utilities Limited at an initial cost of £699 plus associated contingency, professional and statutory fees. A total cost of up to the value of £1k

Approve up to £20k of maintenance at Orleton CE Primary School
Fund the additional works from the existing school capital maintenance budget

To approve the gas safety inspection at St Peters Primary School, to be undertaken via Balfour Beatty Living Places, at an initial cost of £300 plus associated contingency, professional and statutory fees. A total cost up to the value of £500
Fund the works from the existing school capital maintenance budget

As part of Herefordshire Council’s response to the COVID 19 crisis, temporary accommodation and support has been arranged for rough sleepers in Herefordshire. The recovery aspect of this response requires a model of support to provide long term, permanent solutions.

As part of a multi-agency response Herefordshire Vennture have been providing support and is able to mobilise promptly to ensure continuity of this provision in the recovery phase.

In response to covid-19, the council recognise that there may be some that are required to visit the city centre for essential reasons such as to visit pharmacies.
On street pay and display parking provides for these essential services to be accessed. Drivers will not need to display a ticket for stays up to 30 minutes, with any other parking paid for.

In the public interest the council continues to operate its services as much as possible during the Covid-19 pandemic. To support organisations operate Government Guidance has now been published on creating a Covid Secure work environments (link). For the most part employees will continue to work from home, but where that is difficult for network reasons or personal circumstances staff will be able to work from Plough Lane offices which lends itself well to being Covid Secure and includes measures the council wants to take over and above the guidance. Additionally the decision supports a range of other sites to have controlled opening based on staff needing to access equipment or files to conduct their work.

This decision will enable funding and delivery in the financial year 2020/21 of developer S106 planning contributions for highways and transportation schemes. These schemes have been identified in accordance with the Heads of Terms (HoT) in the S106 Deed of Planning Obligation Heads of Terms for the individual developments which form the S106 contribution

Entering into a Basic Asset Protection Agreement (BAPA) with Network Rail will enable us to achieve our objective of constructing a new flood exceedance channel and amended field access to divert surface water originating to the east of the railway/agricultural field away from properties in Brookmill Close

Please see below officer decisions taken during the month of May 2020 for temporary road closures.

U71605 Holly Bush Lane, Much Birch

Cultivation licence 1118, 8 St Clares Court, Lower Bullingham

U90412 Point Pitch, Woonton

U80328 Burcott Road

TCO MY3C

TCO ESG18

TCO MY1C

U71015, Glewstone Road, Pencraig

U71211 Langstone Lane (South), Llangarron

PU1825 Section 50 for Approval

1825 Section 50 for Approval

C1110 Pencombe

TCO CL68

U94213 Hamnish Road, Kimbolton (TTRO20-305)

C2097 from C1061 junction to School Lane, Hampton Charles (TTRO20-304)

U67003 Rhea Lane, Ledbury (TTRO20-303)

A465 from Radway Road to Little Lugg River, Eau Withington (TTRO20-302)

U75206 Church Road, Clifford

U71006 Sellack Marsh Track, Foy

C1162 Mathon Road, Colwall

PU1821 Section 50 Licence for Approval

PU1824 Section 50 Licence for Approval

PU1826 Section 50 for Approval

Road Closure - C1121 Bodenham

U72407 Thinghill Lane, Cross Keys

Road Closure - C1110 from Little Maidenhyde to C1116 via Pencombe, Pencombe (TTRO20-307)

Road Closure - U71211 Langstone Lane South, Llangarron (TTRO20-309)

C1122 from C1120 to Wellington Crossing, Marden - Road Closure

C1066 from A44 to Tidbatch via Whitbourne - Road Closure

C1098 from Lulham Cottage to Madley, Lulham Madley (TTRO20-310)

C1066 from A44 to Tidbatch via Whitbourne - Road Closure

TCO EB25

TCO YP7

"Resurfacing & Surface Dressing Works (June), Herefordshire - A44 West Hill
A449 Ross Road
C1114 from C1110 to Hollybush Cottage
U75238 Watery Lane, Archenfield
"

One of the key HEZ’s objectives is to achieve a sustained level of new quality employment generating developments across the Zone. This is being achieved primarily by encouraging developers and owner occupiers to buy land and develop within the Zone and secondly by direct development by the Council/Zone Board itself.
Experience has shown that in order to secure those sales or direct developments, the land needs to be development ready. This means that ground investigations, other surveys, remediation works, infrastructure (roads, services) are all completed or the works co-ordinated with the sales.
In order to help achieve those objectives, services are needed to support the Zone’s Managing Director in taking project activity forward, through project management and employer’s representative services.