The Director of Public Health has approved the virement of £340,000 from the Public Health grant to the Regeneration and Economy budget during the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026.

The Director of Public Health has approved the grant allocation of £100,000 from the Public Health Grant to Wirral CVS (charity number 1196584) to administer grants up to £5000 each to support grass root and small organisations in the Community, Voluntary and Faith Sector to deliver services to support sustainable health and wellbeing improvements within communities.

Resolved - That

1.  The Wirral allocation of UKSPF Funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority of £2,029,068 and approve the Wirral Programme as set out in section 3.9 of this report be noted;

2.  The Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to negotiate final outputs and outcomes associated with the Wirral UKSPF Programme and commence delivery of the grant funding agreement outcomes and change control process;

3.  The 12-month extension of the Worklessness Support Service contract delivered by Involve Northwest funded from UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Public Health Grant of a contract value of £993,291 be approved; and

4.  The above recommendations be deemed urgent and therefore not subject to the procedure for re-consideration.

Resolved – That

1.  The resolution of Economy Regeneration and Housing Committee of 16th July 2024 to allocate £4,500,000 to Big Heritage CIC be rescinded.

2.  The award of grant funding in the sum of £750,000 to the Charing Cross & Grange Road, Conway & Europa Boulevard project be approved.

3.  The award of grant funding in the sum of £2,000,000 to the Birkenhead Market project be approved.

4.  The award of grant funding in the sum of £3,447,288 to the New Ferry Public Realm project be approved.

5.  The withdrawal of grant funding to the sum of £2,000,000 from the Price Street Car Park project be approved.

6.  The Transport Museum/Ticket to Ride proposed revised business case submitted by Big Heritage CIC not be approved.

7.  The Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to:

a.  submit to MHCLG an application for timescale extensions for the Waterfront Infrastructure and New Ferry projects;

b.  allocate by way of grant funding of up to a value of £1,500,000 to Big Heritage CIC for the delivery of the renovation of Wirral Transport Museum upon the submission of a revised business case; and

c.  re allocate funds up to the value of £1,500,000 into the Simplification Pathfinder Pilot programme for future re-allocation should a revised business case for the delivery of the renovation of Wirral Transport Museum not be submitted by 23 April 2025 and allocate such funds  for other existing and eligible Simplification Pathfinder Pilot projects; and

d.  re allocate any other funding that becomes available up to a value of £500,000 to ensure projects in delivery are provided with timely funding as appropriate.

Resolved – That the adoption of the following documents be approved as the Council’s dynamic long-term planning and regeneration strategy for the relevant areas:

1.  Birkenhead Central Masterplan and Neighbourhood Development Framework; and

2.  St Werburgh’s Quarter (Birkenhead) Masterplan

To approve contract awards for 4 contracts listed below to enable the Council to carry out essential highway maintenance of existing carriageway and footway surfaces:

A1.1 Surface Dressing and Micro Carriageway Surfacing
A1.2 Footway Slurry and Carriageway Micro Hand Patching
A1.3 Carriageway and Footway Retread
A2 Carriageway Structural Resurfacing

Resolved – That

(1)  the Director of Neighbourhood Services be authorised to proceed with procurement exercises with a view to appointing, in each case, a contractor to deliver the following essential highway maintenance works on a 3-year contract:

a) the A1.1 Surface Dressing and Micro Carriageway Surfacing contract.

b) the A1.2 Footway Slurry and Carriageway Micro Hand Patching contract.

c) the A1.3 Carriageway and Footway Retread contract.

d) the A2 Carriageway Structural Resurfacing contract; and

(2)   the Director of Neighbourhood Services be authorised to appoint in each case the preferred tenderer on the basis of the most economically advantageous tenderer criteria.

Resolved – That

(1)  the proposed City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (“CRSTS”) Combined Authority Transport Plan programme for 2025/26 and the spending of the associated grant funding once accepted by the Council’s Section 151 Officer, as set out in Appendix A to this report be approved.

(2)  the indicative CRSTS Combined Authority Transport Plan programme for 2026/27 as set out in Appendix B to this report be approved.

(3)  the Director of Neighbourhood Services be authorised to amend the Liverpool City Region's sustainable transport settlement combined authority transport plan program for 2025 -26 having regard for available resources and risk -based prioritization of schemes in consultation with the chair and party spokes of this committee

(4)  the Director of Law and Corporate Services be authorised to execute any grant funding agreements associated with these recommendations.

Resolved – That the Housing Standards Enforcement Policy and associated Civil Penalty, Rent Repayment and Banking Order policies as contained within appendix 1 of the report be approved.

Resolved – That

(1)  the proposed programme of works for Wirral’s Carriageways, Footway Improvements and Bridge Maintenance for 2025/26 be approved, using any relevant grant funding allocated to the Council by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement - Highways Structural Maintenance allocation, and the spending of the associated grant funding on these works, once accepted by the Council’s Section 151 Officer, as set out in Appendix 2 to this report;

(2)  the indicative Red, Amber, Green rated highway network condition matrix as set out in Appendix 4 to this report be approved, to be used by the Director of Neighbourhood Services as one of the decision tools when developing the Council’s highway structural maintenance programmes.

(3)  the Director of Neighbourhood Services be authorised to revise or amend the delivery or implementation of the work programmes, as deemed necessary, having due regard for the available resources and applicable risk-based prioritisation of locations selected for intervention and treatment, in consultation with the Chair and Party Spokespersons of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee; and

(4)  the Director of Law and Corporate Services be authorised to negotiate and finalise any grant funding agreements on behalf of the council, amongst the relevant subject areas over the next 3 years, as set out in Appendix 1 to this report and for any additional grant funding received during this period relevant to the subject area.

Resolved – That

(1)  the variation of the current contract with Biffa Waste Services Ltd for separate food waste collections for indicative start date of 1 April 2026 be approved, pending readiness of Merseyside Recycling Waste Authority (MRWA) transfer and treatment solutions.

(2)  the Director of Neighbourhoods Services be authorised to jointly procure the required food waste vehicles and caddies to enable separate food waste collections for households as part of the Liverpool City Region Waste & Resources Partnership.

Resolved – That

1.  Policy and Resources Committee be requested to recommend that:

a.   The Liscard Levelling Up Fund programme be progressed as a standalone programme and not incorporated into the remit of the Simplification Pathfinder Pilot Board; and

b.  The Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to:

i.  enter into a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Liscard Levelling Up Fund allocation, in consultation with the Director of Law and Corporate Services;

ii.  progress delivery of the Liscard Levelling Up Fund Programme, in line with the Grant funding provision and the Approved Project as described under paragraph 3.5 of this report; and

iii.  implement any necessary change control process in consultation with Economy, Regeneration & Housing Committee’s Chair and group spokespersons.

2.  The update regarding the Town Centre Regeneration and Public Realm Interventions and the Community Hub be noted.

The Director of Neighbourhood Services has approved the Direct Award of a contract to Gaist Solutions Ltd following a procurement process through the Blackpool RAMS Framework for the purpose of carrying out a highway condition network survey at a cost of £106,090 for a period of 12 months.

The Director of Finance has approved the direct award of a contract utilising the G cloud 14 network to Namos Solutions Limited for a two year term commencing on 1 April 2025 at an overall contract price of £172,958 for the purpose of technical support for the Oracle Fusion ERP system including ticketed support and associated software.

This report recommends acceptance of a tender from Traffic Direct Limited, company number05552434, for the provision of traffic management works within Wirral.

This contract provides a traffic management service to assist the Council in the safe and effective delivery of highway projects. Traffic Direct Limited will provide all aspects of traffic management including resources, vehicles, and equipment required for road works, closures, or diversion routes necessary for carrying out routine and emergency highway operations.

The report supports the Council Plan Wirral Working Together 2023-27, specifically the themes: People-Focussed Regeneration and Safe, Resilient and Engaged Communities and Protecting Our Environment.

The appendix 1 to this report is exempt from publication under paragraph 3 of part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person [including the authority holding that information] and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

The Director of Neighbourhood Services has agreed to:

1.  endorse the competitive tendering exercise that is outlined in paragraph 3 of this report; and

2.  award the contract for Traffic Management within Wirral to Traffic Direct Limited, company registration number 05552434, as the most economically advantageous tenderer for an estimated contract value of £800,000 for a term of 4 years. 

The Director of Regeneration and Place has approved the award of a Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) to Seddon Construction Limited, to provide design development and construction advice to inform a fixed price for the main base build construction works for the new Birkenhead Market Hall. The cost of the PCSA is £188,487.31. A contingency amount of £50,000 will be built into the budget to cover for any additional surveys that may be required.

Resolved – That

1. The rates as set out in paragraph 4.2 of this report this report be approved and applied, with effect from 1 April 2025, to services commissioned by Wirral Borough Council and jointly commissioned services between Wirral Borough Council and NHS Cheshire and Mersey Integrated Care Board (ICB), in relation to Residential and Nursing Care, Supported Living, Extra Care, Care and Support at Home, Direct Payments and Shared Lives.

2. The move to one fee rate for the Community Care Market given the high percentage of providers paying the Real Living Wage (RLW) and to pay providers who pay the National Living Wage by exception, be supported.

This report concerns a commission for media buying services, which is a key component of the Cheshire and Merseyside All Together Smokefree Programme which is delivered by the Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Collaborative on behalf of all nine localities and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board.

The Director of Public Health has agreed to the initiation of a legally compliant procurement process for the buying of media planning and buying services  within an estimated budget of £900,000 to support the implementation of the Cheshire and Merseyside All Together Smokefree Programme for the Champs Public Health Collaborative (Champs Collaborative) on behalf of the nine Directors of Public Health  in Cheshire and Merseyside and the Integrated Care Board.

 Resolved – That

1.  The provision Delivery Plan outlined at appendix 1 of the report for the £4,376,408 Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery grant be approved.

2.  The provisional utilisation of the 2025/26 Inpatient Detoxification grant of £111,364 (indicative) be approved.

3.  The provisional utilisation of the 2025/26 grant funding for Individual Placement Support of £159,614 (indicative) be approved.

4.  The progress made to date in delivering the SSMTR, Inpatient Detoxification) and the Individual Placement Support programmes be noted.

5.  Delivery progress of the Wirral Drugs Strategy 2023/2027 be noted.

The Director of Regeneration and Place has approved that funds allocated to Woodside Ferry Village in the sum of £1,116,703 and Birkenhead Priory in the sum of £80,585, remain in the Simplification Pathfinder Pilot programme for future re-allocation.