The Director of Neighbourhood Services has approved the Direct Award of a contract to ECON following a procurement process through the ESPO Framework for a term of 6 months from 21.10.24 to 14.04.25 for an estimated contract value of £284,284 for hire of 11 x 18t gritters with ploughs and 1 x 3.5t mini gritter for a period of 26 weeks for Winter Maintenance Season 2024/25. All servicing and 24/7 breakdown assistance plus replacement of gritter, if required, included in award.

To approve the award of national ringfenced additional grant funding from the Department of Health and Social Care to the Wirral Stop Smoking Service Provider, ABL Health Ltd, totalling £324,728.59 for delivery of enhanced stop smoking support during the current financial year, April 2024 to March 2025.

The Director of Housing Services has awarded the contract for the Mainstay Access Gateway which will run from 1^st July 2024 – 31^st June 2027 with a further 2 options to extend to 2029.

Under Housing Law, the Council has a statutory duty to secure suitable accommodation for an individual presenting as homeless if there is reason to believe they are homeless, eligible for assistance and in priority need. Those in priority need include young people aged 16-17.

For adults, the definition of ‘suitable accommodation’ may include emergency housing such as B&B accommodation, or temporary housing such as standard residential accommodation. However, for homeless 16- & 17-year-olds, statutory guidance states that B&B accommodation is never suitable for this cohort, and that it is not usually appropriate to place any 16- or 17-year-old in temporary accommodation that does not provide on-site support.

In March 2024, the Housing Department undertook a competitive procurement process for the delivery of a Supported Housing Service for homeless 16/17-year-olds. The contract term for this service will be for one (1) year from 11^th July 2024 until 10^th July 2025 with the option to extend the contract by a further two (2) years. The total identified global budget for the potential maximum 3 years of the contract will be £1,330,314.

The Director of Regeneration & Place has decided to approve the award of a one (1) year contract, with two (2) twelve-month options to extend, in relation to the delivery of a Supported Housing Service for homeless 16 & 17 year olds commencing on the 11^th July and running until the 10^th July 2027 (if all extension options are taken) to Forum Housing Association within the approved budget and as the highest scoring tenderer in accordance with the Most Economically Advantageous Tender criteria.

The Director of Finance has decided to approve the direct award of a contract for strategic transport support services to Mott MacDonald Limited pursuant to Lot 7 of the Multi-Disciplinary NHS Shared Business Services Healthcare Planning Construction Consultancy and Ancillary Services Framework, to run for a period of 24 months from 8 July 2024. 

The acquisition of the properties listed in the exempt appendix including the additional expenditure on HM Land Registry Fees, Stamp Duty Land Tax and associated costs are approved. 

The Director of Regeneration and Place has agreed to approve that a the contract be awarded to undertake the replacement roof works to Meadowside School within approved budget and in accordance with the lowest fixed priced criteria. 

The Director of Regeneration and Place has approved the commencement of a procurement process for the replacement roof works and carrying out of structural repairs & drainage works to Meadowside School, Pool Lane, Woodchurch with the preferred tenderer to be selected on the lowest tender basis via a Further Competition utilising the Procure Partnerships PCR 2015 Compliant Framework, North West £50,000 to £1,000,000 Construction Partners Lot.

The Director of Law and Corporate Services has reviewed and approved the revised Terms of Reference for the Simplification Pathfinder Pilot Board as set out in Appendix 1 of this report.