As detailed within the report.

Resolved – That the recommendations as detailed within the report be agreed.

Wirral’s existing Local Outbreak Hub is funded until 30^th September 2022, by the Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF). 

This report seeks approval for the COMF grant to continue to fund the newly revised Health Protection Delivery Service for six months, from October 2022 until March 2023, when this funding stream will conclude, to ensure local resilience and continuity. The service will be evaluated throughout this period, to inform future plans.

The continuation of the local Heath Protection Service will contribute to the Wirral Plan Aims, in particular ‘Active and Healthy Lives’, supporting Wirral residents and communities to live safely with COVID-19 and protect the health of communities from infectious diseases and environmental hazards.

That Wirral’s Health Protection Delivery Service be funded from October 2022 to March 2023 through the Contain Outbreak Management Fund in the sum of £342,600.

The report seeks approval to publish a Public Notice of the Prescribed Alteration proposal to consult on altering the age range of Leasowe Primary School to establish a maintained nursery class.

The report proposes an uplift of payments made to fostering households in Wirral to support foster carers combat the cost of living rise. This increase in payments will also help with the retention of foster carers within wirral. The uplift equates to 4 payments of £150 during the current financial year (2022/23) for each of the 298 fostering households which equates to £178,000 in costs to the local authority. During this time, a review will take place of skills payments to foster carers to support recruitment and retention as well as the increase in skill sets of foster carers who will be able to care for children with higher levels of complex behaviour and who have suffered trauma history.

It is not a key decision.

To Director of Children’s Services has approved an uplift for Wirral Council fostering households of £150 per three-month period for 12 months from April 2022 to March 2023, at a total cost of £178,000.

REASONS FOR THE DECISION

To support in house foster carers during this time of increased cost of living expenses when caring for children who are looked after by the Local Authority. By providing this additional financial support to carers, this will assist in retaining foster carers whom without extra support may seek to foster for Independent Fostering Agencies (IFA) who pay higher allowances to foster carers. Wirral children placed with IFA’s often cost the Council more than double the in house fostering rates. This will also support the recruitment of new carers who will be made aware of the additional support the Council is providing. 

On 27 October 2021, the Council received notification of the outcome of its submission to the first round of the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) Levelling Up Fund (LUF). This announcement set out that the Council had received its full requested allocation of £19,648,873 for a package of projects at Woodside.

Approval was given in February 2022 for the Director of Regeneration and Place to accept the grant funding and to commence activity to develop and deliver the Council’s Levelling Up Programme (Officer Decision Notice, 17 February 2022 refers).

Town centre regeneration, transport improvements and the creation of quality places is a long-standing priority for the Council and is reflected in the Wirral Council Plan 2021-2026.

The proposals contained in this report directly support the following key themes within the Wirral Plan:

• A thriving and inclusive economy, creating jobs and opportunities for all;
• A clean-energy, sustainable borough, leading the way in tackling the environment crisis;
• Safe and pleasant communities that our residents are proud of; and
• Healthy and active lives for all, with the right care, at the right time.

One of the projects being delivered through the Council’s Levelling Up Fund Programme is a new International Battle of the Atlantic, a world class visitor destination which is uniquely split on two banks of the Mersey. Proposals include the complete redevelopment of the U-boat Story, an education centre and memorial site for the Battle of the Atlantic. The project is being led by Big Heritage, a Community Interest Company with a strong track record of delivering projects to connect communities and audience to their shared heritage.

A total of£2,933,116 has been awarded to support the International Battle of the Atlantic Project, to be spent by March 2024.

This report seeks approval to provide advanced grant payments to Big Heritage C.I.C to enable effective project delivery, subject to the provisions set out in paragraph 4.7.

This matter affects the ward of Birkenhead and Tranmere.

That the Director of Resources has approved advance payments to be

Made to Big Heritage C.I.C as the grant beneficiary of the Council’s

Levelling Up Fund Round 1 allocation, to enable project delivery, in

accordance with paragraph 4.7 of this report.

The report detailed the results of two years of successful partnership development work with the football foundation.

Previously, a report seeking committee authorisation to develop partnerships and specific sites, to develop the Council’s grassroots football offer was taken to Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure (TCCL) committee on 23 November 2020. This approach was approved. An update report was taken to TCCL committee on 8th March 2022. The report advised that should funding be awarded, there would be a further report to TCCL committee to seek authorisation to accept the funding.

Resolved – That the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee authorises the Director of Neighbourhood Services to:

(1) Review the grant offer letters and associated conditions attached in Appendix 1 and 2 for Wirral Tennis and Sports Centre and Woodchurch Leisure Centre and accept both grant offers from the Football Foundation.

(2) Vire match funding of £114,000 from an existing approved Capital Programme Budget - ‘Health & Safety - Condition Surveys’, and vire an underspend of £68,000 from ‘Wirral Tennis Centre 3G’ project to a newly established, ‘Woodchurch Leisure Centre supersize 3G pitch and pavilion’ budget.

(3) Award the tendered pavilion contract to Lyjon Construction Ltd, in the sum of £859,867.13 with regards to the development of the facility based within the grounds of Woodchurch Leisure Centre (part of the overall project and the procurement element for which was managed by the Council).

In addition it was resolved (with the approval of the Chief Executive) that,

(4) The Committee determined that the decisions referred to above be not subject to removal of delegation and reconsideration under Part 4 Section 4 of the Constitution because the delay likely to be caused would lead to the withdrawal of the grant offers from the Football Foundation which would seriously prejudice the interests of the Council and of the public.

This report provides the Committee with an update on plans to develop a local Health Protection response for Wirral, evolving from the Local Outbreak Hub model, established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020.

Wirral’s existing Local Outbreak Hub is funded until 30th September 2022, by the Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF). The COMF grant will continue to fund the newly revised Health Protection Delivery Service for six months, from October 2022 until March 2023, when this funding stream will conclude.

This report seeks approval for the Core Public Health Grant to be used to fund the Health Protection Delivery Service for twelve months from April 2023 to March 2024, to ensure local resilience and continuity. The service will be evaluated throughout this period, to inform future plans.

 The continuation of the local Heath Protection Service will contribute to the Wirral Plan Aims, in particular ‘Active and Healthy Lives’, supporting Wirral residents and communities to live safely with COVID-19 and protect the health of communities from infectious diseases and environmental hazards.

Resolved (10:1) – That the funding of Wirral’s Health Protection Delivery Service from April 2023 to March 2024 through the core Public Health Grant in the sum of £705,756 be approved.