Under the new Coronavirus Contingency Planning Procedures, as approved by the Leader of the Council, under which the executive (Leader and Cabinet) priorities of the Council are amended to simply be:

(i)  preservation of life;

(ii)  supporting the vulnerable;

(iii)  safeguarding children; and

(iv)  aiding the Borough’s businesses and economy during this period that contingency planning is required to respond to an emergency situation and manage the effects of a covid-19 epidemic.

In view of the Leader’s decision to agree that:

(i)  the Head of Paid Service is authorised to take any action in furtherance of the priorities set out above, acting in consultation with the Leader, Cabinet member and/or Group Leaders wherever it is reasonable and practicable in the opinion of the Head of Paid Service to do so; and

(ii)  the Head of Paid Service and each Director is authorised to take any action that officers consider is reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety or welfare of individuals.

The following decision(s) have been made:

DECISION(S)  26 MARCH 2020

1.  That the Head of Paid Service authorises the officers from within Trading Standards, Environmental Health and Licensing to act under the powers conferred by regulation 4(1) and (2) of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Business Closure) (England) Regulations 2020 (“the Business Closure Regulations “) to monitor and enforce compliance with these regulations.

2.  Council Customer Call Centre – That opening hours be reduced by 90 mins each day, moving to a 9am - 5pm arrangement from Monday 30/03/20.

3.  Free School Meals Scheme - That Wirral Council is to provide funding, in the amount of £124k per week, for 3 weeks, to schools for food vouchers, for children that would usually receive free school meals – bridging the gap until central government funding is in place.

4.  Library services - That an automatic extension for library books be confirmed i.e. extended for 3 months, no fines payable.

1.  That the Head of Paid Service authorises the officers from within Trading Standards, Environmental Health and Licensing to act under the powers conferred by regulation 4(1) and (2) of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Business Closure) (England) Regulations 2020 (“the Business Closure Regulations “) to monitor and enforce compliance with these regulations.

2.  Council Customer Call Centre – That opening hours be reduced by 90 mins each day, moving to a 9am - 5pm arrangement from Monday 30/03/20.

3.  Free School Meals Scheme - That Wirral Council is to provide funding, in the amount of £124k per week, for 3 weeks, to schools for food vouchers, for children that would usually receive free school meals – bridging the gap until central government funding is in place.

4.  Library services - That an automatic extension for library books be confirmed i.e. extended for 3 months, no fines payable.

Under the new Coronavirus Contingency Planning Procedures, as approved by the Leader of the Council, the executive (Leader and Cabinet) priorities of the Council are amended to simply be:

(i)  preservation of life;

(ii)  supporting the vulnerable;

(iii)  safeguarding children; and

(iv)  aiding the Borough’s businesses and economy

during this period that contingency planning is required to respond to an emergency situation and manage the effects of a covid-19 epidemic.

In view of the Leader’s decision to agree that

(i)  the Head of Paid Service is authorised to take any action in furtherance of the priorities set out above, acting in consultation with the Leader, Cabinet member and/or Group Leaders wherever it is reasonable and practicable in the opinion of the Head of Paid Service to do so; and

(ii)  the Head of Paid Service and each Director is authorised to take any action that  officer consider is reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety or welfare of individuals.

Under the new Coronavirus Contingency Planning Procedures, as approved by the Leader of the Council, the executive (Leader and Cabinet) priorities of the Council are amended to simply be:

(i)  preservation of life;

(ii)  supporting the vulnerable;

(iii)  safeguarding children; and

(iv)  aiding the Borough’s businesses and economy

during this period that contingency planning is required to respond to an emergency situation and manage the effects of a covid-19 epidemic.

In view of the Leader’s decision to agree that

(i)  the Head of Paid Service is authorised to take any action in furtherance of the priorities set out above, acting in consultation with the Leader, Cabinet member and/or Group Leaders wherever it is reasonable and practicable in the opinion of the Head of Paid Service to do so; and

(ii)  the Head of Paid Service and each Director is authorised to take any action that  officer consider is reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety or welfare of individuals.

The report of the Director of Resources provided background information for a proposal brought forward by an external organisation, Our Lido Ltd (OLL), to build a lido complex on a site within the Wirral, fully funded by external grant funding.

Resolved - That The People’s Pool project be supported and the investigation to identify a Council site within Wirral to potentially be transferred under the community asset transfer process or occupied in some other way to be decided at a future date, be approved.

The report of the Director of Regeneration and Place sought approval for the redevelopment of Birkenhead Market to bring forward a modern and fit-for-purpose market offer through a new build on the current Birkenhead market site. It was anticipated that the new Birkenhead Market would be developed as part of the Birkenhead Commercial District programme delivered by the Wirral Growth Company.

Resolved – That,

(1)  the Full Business Case be approved and the preferred option be adopted as outlined in the report, i.e. to demolish, redesign and redevelop the current market site;

(2)  the Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to progress the preferred option for the redevelopment of Birkenhead Market, as outlined in the Full Business case, and in line with the outcomes of consultation on regeneration plans and provide a report back to Members on the proposed design, funding and financial modelling;

(3)  the Director of Governance and Assurance be authorised to initiate the termination of current market stall tenancies and other occupational arrangements at the appropriate time;

(4)  the Director of Governance and Assurance be authorised to issue new tenancies or other occupational agreements with market traders at the appropriate time;

(5)  the adoption of initiating a trader selection criterion as outlined in the detailed full business case, be approved; and

(6)  the scale of the new market offer to accommodate an approx. 35,000sq.ft scheme, be approved.

The report of the Interim Director of Highways and Streetscene sought approval to accept Highways Maintenance Capital Funding for 2020/21 allocated by the Department for Transport and Mayoral Combined Authority. It  also requested approval to the allocation of this money between roads / footways, bridges and street lighting and the detailed programme for Classified Roads.

Resolved – That,

(1)  the acceptance of £2,149,000 of Highway Maintenance funding for 2020/21 awarded by the Liverpool City Region Mayoral Combined Authority, be approved;

(2)  the proposed  allocation  of  the  Highway  Maintenance  funding between Roads / Footways, Bridges and Street Lighting as set out in the report, be approved;

(3)  the detailed Highway Structural Maintenance Programme for 2020/21 for Classified Roads totalling £949,000 as outlined in Appendix 1, be approved; and

(4)  the Director of Delivery, in consultation with relevant Members, be authorised to make necessary adjustments to the programme should the need arise due to financial, asset conditions or other factors.

The report of the Chief Executive outlined a change in the Council’s executive priorities during the period of contingency planning necessary to meet the demands of the covid-19 outbreak and provided for necessary changes to ensure that effective decision-making arrangements were in place to meet the scale of the challenge.

Resolved – That,

(a)  the executive (Leader and Cabinet) priorities of the Council are amended to simply be:

(i)  preservation of life;

(ii)  supporting the vulnerable;

(iii)  safeguarding children; and

(iv)  aiding the Borough’s businesses and economy

during this period that contingency planning is required to respond to an emergency situation and manage the effects of a covid-19 epidemic.

(b)  without prejudice to the current Executive Scheme of Delegation, which is noted and endorsed:

(i)  the Head of Paid Service is authorised to take any action in furtherance of the priorities set out at (a) above, acting in consultation with the Leader, Cabinet member and / or Group Leaders wherever it is reasonable and practicable in the opinion of the Head of Paid Service to do so; and

(ii)  the Head of Paid Service and each Director is authorised to take any action that that officer considers is reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety or welfare of individuals.

(c)  That the Council’s action to date in response to the covid-19 outbreak are noted and supported.

The report of the Director of Resources provided an update on the progress of the SmartBusiness project.

Resolved - That approval be given to the project moving into the procurement process and to go out to tender for a new ERP System.

The report of the Director of Regeneration and Place sought approval for Wirral’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2020-2025, which had been developed following a detailed homeless review, which incorporated public consultation with stakeholders and service users. The strategy sets out a five-year delivery plan setting out short, medium and long-term solutions and actions identified to deliver lasting change to those at risk of, or currently homeless in Wirral.

Resolved – That the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2020 -2025 as set out in Appendix One of the report, be approved.

The report of the Director of Regeneration and Place stated that the Council had been successful in progressing to the final stage of the government Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) Programme for both Birkenhead and New Ferry. Officers were working on the development of Treasury Green Book compliant Full Business Cases, with a submission deadline of 30 April 2020. The report provided an overview of the development of the bids to date and recommended the Director for Regeneration and Place provided final sign-off in April 2020, therefore allowing Officers to maximise the bid writing timescale within the submission deadline.

Resolved – That,

·  the content of the report and the importance of Future High Streets Fund to the regeneration of Birkenhead and New Ferry town centres, be noted;

·  the Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to provide final sign-off for the Future High Street Fund applications to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government in respect of New Ferry and Birkenhead Town Centres, and

·  it be noted that should the Council be successful in securing Future High Streets Funds then a future report will be brought back to the appropriate Committee for approval in relation to the full terms and conditions of the grant funding agreement.

Council are required to sign off the Pay Policy as per the Localism Act 2011.

Resolved (20 for, none against, 1 abstention) – That the Pay Policy Statement for 2020/21 be approved.

The report of the Assistant Chief Executive sought approval to enter into a new lease of private office space located at Riverside Park, Bromborough, to accommodate the Champs service.

Resolved - That the Corporate Director of Delivery Services / Assistant Chief Executive be authorised to agree the terms for a lease of office space at Riverside Park, Bromborough, to be backdated to 1 January 2019 until 31 December 2020 at a total cost of £24,675 per annum.