Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2022 be noted.

The following items contained exempt information.

Resolved: That under section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act. The Public Interest test has been applied and favours exclusion.

Resolved: That the exempt appendix be noted.  

The Director of Finance introduced the report which presented the Draft Annual Business Plan submitted by Edsential CIC (‘Edsential’) recording its performance against last year’s Annual Business Plan, setting out the existing position of the company, its view of the immediate future and steps that it proposed to take to continue trading successfully and compliantly. The Managing Director and a non-Executive Director of Edsential were present to answer questions. It was noted that the company had only returned to financial stability, that local authorities were withdrawing from providing school meal services directly, and that feedback was regularly gathered from schools, Headteachers, pupils, staff and suppliers.

Members questioned the confidence in the forecasts and noted that there was an intention to grow the business. It was also noted that the Living Wage was promoted to schools, who received funding for meals which was insufficient to pay the full cost, and that with benefits including pension the actual value of pay was higher than other similar employment. 

The Chair, Councillor Jean Robinson, then moved to exclude the press and public to continue the discussion with details in the exempt part of the agenda. This was seconded by Councillor Helen Cameron and agreed.

Following the discussion of the exempt appendix, Councillor Phil Gilchrist proposed an additional motion to note the commitment to work towards payment of the Real Living Wage. This was seconded by Councillor Jo Bird.

Resolved: That

1. the draft Annual Business Plan as attached to this report be approved and allow Edsential to continue to trade in the manner proposed in the attached Draft Annual Business Plan

2.  the commitment of the organisation to take steps to reach the level of the Real Living Wage in future be recognised and the constraints in the context of the nationally available funding be recognised and that the Board looks forward to further work to reach this given the potential to reach this in view of the forecast growth as part of their medium-term forecast.

The Director of Law and Corporate Services presented the report which set out the proposals made by Edsential CIC (“Edsential”) for the alignment of the composition of its board with the provisions of the Shareholder Agreement, the rotation of non-executive directors of the company and the future strengthening of its board to more accurately reflect the sectors served by it. The documents had been approved at Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Resolved: That

1. the board of the Edsential be authorised to

(a) implement the changes to the composition of its board set out in paragraph 3.9 of this report; and

(b) adopt, so far as is practicable, the proposals to rotate, replace and appoint its directors of the company as summarised at paragraph 3.10 of this report;

2. the Director of Law and Corporate Services be authorised to progress all necessary steps to settle and perfect a document reflecting the agreed changes so as to amend the terms of the relevant Shareholder Agreement made between the Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Edsential

The Director of Regeneration and Place has decided to approve:

(1)  the award of a Pre-construction Services Agreement, (PCSA) to John Sisk and Sons to complete the design of the Birkenhead Waterfront Project to RIBA Stage 3/4 together with additional ground survey works in the sum of £909,422

(2)  that the above recommendation be deemed urgent and therefore not subject to the procedure for re consideration.

The Assistant Director of All Age Independence and Provider Services presented the report of the Director of Care and Health which provided the progress to date of the implementation programme following the All-Age Disability Review that was approved at the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee on the 13 June 2023. The implementation programme covered high level thematic areas and included starting earlier at age 14, improved accessibility and relevant information for parents and carers.

Each work stream in the work programme was interlinked and part of a continual improvement journey. It was reported that each area within the workstreams had made significant progress and some of the workstreams had been completed or were on target for completion. The co-production of the strategy had been included in a report and completed and a co-production preparing for adulthood transitions protocol had been produced and was scheduled to be completed by early March 2024. The real time story board of Thomas demonstrated the benefits of personalisation and systematic transition from one service to another.

Progress against the education, health and care plan provided a snapshot of 25 plans of 14-18 year olds to establish a base line of current practice and included an analysis of cost of care, support packages for improved outcomes and the forecast of potential opportunities for cost avoidance and covers plans for training, volunteering and employment and plans for housing options for18 year olds. The analysis projected that with good preparing for adulthood planning 15 of the 25 individuals could be supported into employment and 17 of those could be supported into housing options. The report was comprehensive with its own set of recommendations that were to be taken forward in the preparing for adulthood collaboration with stakeholders. In July 2024 a further report will detail opportunities to support people into employment and keep them there. We will look at the current service model for young people moving into adulthood and enable them to flourish. The coproduction of the pathways from the Education Health and Care Plans was to be in the summer of 2024. This report was to be presented at Children’s, Families and Education Committee on 6 March 2024.

Resolved – That the significant progress to date of the implementation programme following the All-Age Disability Review as in Appendix 1 be noted.

The current Birkenhead Market Hall is an aging building, operating inefficiently and the Council has been considering options to re-locate the market to an alternative market site for several years.

On 6 December 2023, this Committee received a report on the market and its future location. It (amongst other matters) agreed to progress the development of the design of the Princes Pavement option to RIBA Stage 3, appoint a market consultant to further develop the market operating model and then bring back the outcome of this work to the Committee for a decision. The report set out other options that have been considered in the past discounting them for practical reasons. This Committee also reviewed the capital cost of re-locating the existing market to a new purpose-built market hall on the site of the former House of Fraser Store (HOF). The capital cost of delivery for the HOF proposal is £31.6 million based on July 2023 figures and there is an emerging funding gap which could have a significant impact on the Council’s financial position. Furthermore, Policy and Resources Committee on 17 January 2024 resolved amongst other matters to reduce the capital budget for the new market project making the HOF proposal unaffordable. This report makes recommendations regarding the feasibility of the House of Fraser options.

In recognition of the recent engagement with Birkenhead Market Traders Association, Committee also agreed that further feasibility work would be undertaken on two options, the St John’s Pavement option and a refurbishment of part of the existing Birkenhead Market site.

The Committee also agreed to pause market development work on the House of Fraser site whilst this work was undertaken. Issues associated with the development of the HOF site for the purpose of a market were reported, including its financial viability.

This paper reports back to Committee on these points.

The report proposal directly supports the Wirral Plan (2023-27) through the key theme of working together to deliver people focused regeneration.

Resolved (7:4) – That

1.  The Princes Pavement option to deliver a new market for Birkenhead, which will require remodelling, refurbishment and fit out of the interior and some changes toits external façade and outside areas be approved;

2. That the Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to:

a.  notify Wirral Growth Company LLP that it does not wish to proceed with the development of the House of Fraser site pursuant to the relevant Development Service agreements that have been entered into between the Council and Wirral Growth Company LLP;

b.   allocate up to a maximum of £13.7m towards the costs of the delivery of the new market;

c.  Using an appropriate procurement pathway:

  i.  procure and appoint a design team to complete the design for the new market;

  ii.  place the physical works to deliver the new market out to tender; and

  iii.  let the contact to deliver the works to remodel, refurbish and fitout the interior of the new market and make changes to its external façade and outside areas as required to deliver the scheme;

d.  Progress any applications for planning, building control or highways approval that may be required to progress the new market scheme;

e.  Undertake a consultation exercise with the public to inform final design / integrate feedback into the development of the design for the new market;

f.  On completion of the new market, progress with the decant of the old market; and

3.  That in taking forward the proposal for the market, it be endorsed that the Council shall work in close collaboration with key stakeholders, as appropriate, as part of a partnership-based approach. This will include other events and activities related to the market in collaboration with stakeholders, including market traders as part of the delivery of the scheme.

To approve the award of a contract for a 24-month term with one 12-month extension option, to Churchill Contract Services for cleaning services.

The Director of Regeneration and Place has agreed:

(1)  To endorse the competitive tendering exercise by Crown Commercial Service, acting on the Council’s behalf to arrange for a preferred supplier for a liquid fuel call-off contract by competitive tender; and

(2)  To award the contract for the supply of liquid fuels toStandard Fuel Oils Limited for a contract duration 2 years with no option to extend at a contract value of £728,400.

(3)  That the above recommendations be deemed urgent and therefore not subject to the procedure for re-consideration.

The Consultant Lawyer, Contracts and Commercial, presented the report of the Director of Law and Governance which included the work programme for future meetings of the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee.

A number of items were suggested to be added, which were:

• A workshop to discuss the future of Floral about options of revamping offer and capital raising;
• a training session regarding what our event policy is;
• Liverpool Visitor Economy Partnership update and progress;
• Customer contact performance and strategy to come back annually and incorporate the issue of consultation bias;
• Heritage strategy including the Battle of Brunanburh site;
• The impact of hosting Open Golf Championship in 2023 – Mark Camborne as a briefing note or other way.

Resolved: That, subject to the addition of the items identified at the meeting, the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee work programme be noted.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2024 be approved and adopted as a correct record.

The Lead Lifeguard Supervisor for Wirral and Denbighshirepresented the report of the Report of Director of Neighbourhood Services which set out the end of year report from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) regarding the service levels and provision of the RNLI Lifeguard Service in Wirral and includes a review of the Service. It was noted that the RNLI provides the equipment and training and that 95% of the work was prevention, through educational talks. There had been no fatalities during the year.

Members thanked the Institution for their work and cited individual incidents of bravery. Members also queried the recruitment and statistical techniques involved and measures to limit abuse.

Resolved: That the report by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) as attached as Appendix 1 to this report be noted.