Resolved – That the recommendations contained within minute 21 of the Policy and Resources Committee of 11 November, 2020, be agreed in that:

Council approves the increased budget in relation to Covid-19 funding of £42.538m, which is for Council use and notes the additional £132.793m of funds that is to be made available to the Council for onward relay to other organisations as passported funding; a total sum of £175.33m is therefore the combined Covid-19 funding being received by the Council based on current information. Council notes that this recommendation supersedes the recommendation made by Policy and Resources Committee on 7 October, following the recent notification of additional funding.

Resolved – That the recommendations contained within minute 22 of the Policy and Resources Committee of 11 November, 2020, be agreed and that the following be approved:

(1)  additional funding for the schemes detailed in paragraph 3.5 of the report as follows:

·  Children’s System Rationalisation - £0.826m (over a three year period)

·  Tree Strategy Delivery - £0.208m (over a four year period)

·  Allotments Sites Expansion - £0.127m

·  Birkenhead Temporary Market Pre-Development Costs - £50,000

·  Concerto Development Asset Management System - £42,000 (over a two year period)

·  Capitalisation of Salaries - £0.5m

(2)  a revised Capital Programme of £95.1 million for 2020-21, including the virements referred to in paragraph 3.7 of the report.

Resolved – That the recommendations contained within minute 23 of the Policy and Resources Committee of 11 November, 2020, be agreed as follows:

(1)  The figure of 94,198.6 be approved as the Council Tax Base for 2021/22 subject to the items below being approved;

(2)  The level and award of each local discount for 2021/22 be:

Wirral Women’s & Children’s Aid

To continue to award Wirral Women & Children’s Aid 100% discount. This remains unchanged from 2020/21.

Care Leaver’s Discount

To award Care Leavers the requisite discount to reduce their Council Tax liability to zero until they are 25. This remains unchanged from 2020/21.

Empty Property Discounts

Discount category D = 0% Full charge on properties undergoing renovations.

Discount category C = 0% Full charge on empty properties from date they become unoccupied.

Both remain unchanged from 2020/21. 

Empty Property Premium = 100% (200% Council Tax) for unfurnished properties empty for more than two years. 200% (300% Council Tax) for unfurnished properties empty more than five years.  300% (400% Council Tax) for unfurnished properties empty more than ten years. 

Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Relief Scheme

The Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Relief Scheme, approved by Cabinet in October 2013, continues in its current format for 2021/2022. The Scheme offers help and assistance in exceptional cases of hardship.

(3)  Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme (LCTRS)

The Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme, be the approved Scheme for 2021/2022. This remains unchanged from 2020/21 apart from the following:

a.  Where an entitlement to the Care Leaver Discount/Exemption has ceased, Local Council Tax Reduction to be awarded without the need for a further application where their eligibility is known.

b. The scheme is aligned to all of the DWP’s upratings and changes for Housing Benefit and Universal Credit.

Resolved: That

(1) the report be noted and the authority’s approach to the Highway Infrastructure Asset Management be endorsed.

(2) the draft Wirral 2020 HIAMP, 2020 HIAMS and 2020-2025 Street Lighting Policy be approved and the Director of Neighbourhood Services be authorised to make any further amendments that the Director considers will correct errors and omissions or will otherwise aid in the operation of the policy in consultation with the Chair and Spokespersons of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee.

RESOLVED – That

1)  the Director of Public Health be authorised to re-commission contracts totalling £1,548,858 for four Children’s Public Health Programmes as detailed in paragraph 3.4 of the report, for initial one year contracts (1 September 2021 – 31 August 2022) with an annual value of £774,429 with the option of a one year extension for each.

2)  the short-term contract period proposed to enable a more collaborative and joint commissioning approach to be developed across the system be noted.