Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

No declarations of interest were received.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 April 2010, be confirmed as a correct record.

Joint report of the Planning and Economic Development Director and the Leisure Director

Further to Minute No.103 of the meeting of Cabinet Member – Leisure and Tourism held on 24 March 2010, the Cabinet Member considered the joint report of the Planning and Economic Development Director and the Leisure and Tourism Director updating on the development of the Ribble Coast and Wetlands Regional Park (RCWRP) and seeking approval to sign up to the Joint Working Agreement.

A copy of the draft Joint Working Agreement for the Ribble Coast and Wetlands Regional Park was attached as an annexe to the report.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the draft Joint Working Agreement for the Ribble Coast and Wetlands Regional Park be approved;

(2)      the Interim Head of Corporate Legal Services and Leisure and Tourism Director be authorised to agree any minor amendments to the draft Joint Working Agreement for the Ribble Coast, and enter into the Agreement; and

(3)      the Leisure and Tourism Director be requested to provided an update on progress when the agreement in due for renewal in May 2012.

Report of the Strategic Director - Communities

Further to Minute No. 13 of the meeting of Cabinet Member – Technical Services held on 26 May 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Strategic Director - Communities which provided details of the progress made with regard to Expressions of Interest submitted for funding from funding bodies and an update on further external funding opportunities.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the of Expressions of Interest as detailed in annexes A and B of the report be endorsed; and

(2)      the current Funding Opportunities available as shown in annexe C of the report be noted.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Strategic Director – Communities on the Renewable Energy and Efficiency in Housing Programme (REECH) indicating that the Regional Development Agency (RDA) issued a call for the submission of a sub-regional bid that sought to directly stimulate the market for low carbon and environmental technologies and renewable energies via their application within existing social and low income housing. The report informed that an expression of interest was submitted by Sefton Council in conjunction with other sub-regional authorities on Merseyside and Halton. Whilst the bid was successfully progressed to the concept stage, the RDA informed that the original allocation of £11m ERDF grant for the Merseyside sub-region had been reduced to £8.23m.

This item was a key decision and was included on the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED:

That the REECH (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Housing) report be noted.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director on the Joint European Support Sustainable Investment in City Areas (JESSICA). The report indicated that this was a £100m fund launched by the Northwest Urban Investment Fund and a new financial instrument created by the European Commission in conjunction with the European Investment Bank with the basic principle to take a more commercial approach to the use of public funds in delivering regeneration and economic development. JESSICA would enable ERDF and match funding to be invested by Urban Development Funds (UDFs) in Urban Projects via loans, equity and/or guarantees. Returns from these investments could then be used to make new investments in new projects, thereby creating a revolving fund for investment in the region.

A sub regional working group comprising The Mersey Partnership, Liverpool Vision, Wirral MBC and Liverpool City Council had been set up and was working with a consortium comprising of Igloo Regeneration Ltd, Aviva Investors Global Services, GVA Grimley Ltd, and Royal Bank of Canada Europe Ltd, to create a Merseyside Urban Investment Fund covering a mix of uses and flexible investment approaches

RESOLVED:

That the Joint European Support Sustainable Investment in City Areas report be noted.

Report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director that sought approval to provide ‘gap’ funding for a capping layer of top soil and gas protection measures to Bellway Homes Ltd. for the development of new housing for sale and rent at the Tannery site, Bootle, using funding from the Council’s Housing Market Renewal Programme.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the Provision of Grant Funding for Capping Layer and Gas Protection at the Tannery Site be noted; and

(2)      the Cabinet be requested to make available a Grant of £225,334 to Bellway Homes Limited subject to completion of the necessary grant agreement and Building licence for a capping layer and associated works at the Tannery site, Hawthorne Road, Bootle.

Report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director that sought approval of the Housing Capital Programme 2010-2011.

This item was a key decision and was included on the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED:

The Cabinet be recommended to request that the Council approve the Housing Capital Programme detailed at annexe A, which required the utilisation of £2.225m One Vision Housing capital receipts as a funding resource, together with other capital funding, be approved.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director that provided information of the progress made on the production of the Liverpool City Region Employment and Skills Strategy as well as the Commissioning Framework and assessment of the opportunities for Sefton afforded by the development.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the Liverpool City Region Employment and Skills Strategy and Commissioning Framework report be noted; and

(2)      the approaches to the City Region Employment and Skills Strategy and Commissioning Framework, as detailed within the report, be endorsed. 

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director that provided information on the progress made on the suite of externally funded projects which together formed the Local Employment Programme for Sefton, managed through Planning and Economic Development’s Department’s Employment and Skills team.

The Cabinet Member expressed his concern regarding the performance of the Opportunities Shop.

RESOLVED: That

(1)   Employment and Skills Programme Performance Overview report be noted;

(2)   the Planning and Economic Development Director note the Cabinet Member’s comments and be requested to provide further reports on the performance of the Opportunities Shop and Sefton@work;

(3)   the proposed Impact Assessment and Sustainability Plan for the Local Employment programme, as detailed within the report, be noted; and

(4)   the interim Work and Skills Plan for the Liverpool City Region, as detailed within the report, be noted.

Report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director that presented a revised approach on the ways support to businesses in Sefton could be delivered, which would utilise existing Working Neighbourhoods Funds and mainstream resources along with Stepclever funding (still subject to approval).

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the Business Neighbourhoods and Sefton Integrated Business  Support including the revised proposals, as detailed within the report, be noted; and

(2)      all resources associated with Business Village Partnerships and Town Centre Management be transferred to the Neighbourhoods Division.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

Further to Minute No. 15 of the meeting of Cabinet Member – Technical Services held on 27 May 2010, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director on the Sefton Business Village Partnership, outlining an update on the current projects and activities being developed and delivered by the Business Village Partnerships in Southport, Birkdale, Formby, Crosby, Waterloo, Bootle, and Altside, and indicating that a decision on the matter was required in order to comply with the standard portfolio reporting procedures

RESOLVED: That

(1)            the contents of report be noted; and

(2)            the fact that further reports on activities undertaken by Sefton Business Village Partnerships would be presented, as appropriate, be noted.

To consider passing the following resolution:

That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph …. of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.  The Public Interest Test has been applied and favours exclusion of the information from the Press and Public.

RESOLVED:

That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1, 3 and 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act. The Public Interest Test has been applied and favours exclusion of the information from the press and public.

Report of the Strategic Director - Communities

Further to Minute No. 21 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 20 May 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Strategic Director - Communities which provided details of the progress made with regard to the development of the Independent Living Centre at Scarisbrick Avenue, Southport, and sought approval to the appointment of Thomas Barnes to undertake the fit-out works.

RESOLVED:

That the Independent Living Centre, Scarisbrick Avenue, Southport report be noted.

Report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director that informed of unforeseen works and consequent increased remediation costs of land at Tannery and Penpoll sites in Hawthorne Road, Bootle.

RESOLVED:

That the increased costs and estimated out-turn costs in relation to the remediation contract for the Tannery and Penpoll sites in Hawthorne Road, Bootle, which can be met from within approved Housing Market Renewal budgets, be noted.

Report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director that sought approval for the proposed enforced sale of a long-term vacant house at 24 Lander Road, Litherland.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the disposal of 24 Lander Road to a preferred partner organisation, namely Liverpool Housing Trust, in the sum of £22,000, subject to the successful conclusion of the enforced sale process be approved; and

(2)      the provision of a capital grant of £40,000 to Liverpool Housing Trust towards the cost of refurbishment of this property be approved.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director that provided an update on Enterprise and Business support activities.

RESOLVED:

That the Sefton Enterprise and Business Support Update report be noted.