Officer Decisions

Date of Decision:

26th September 2022

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Jo Brown

Assistant Chief Executive

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

Management decision.

Brief Description of Decision:

To confirm provisional Cabinet decisions made on 20^th September 2022, having consulted the Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion allocating Household Support Fund grant for the period October 2022 – March 2023:

a) £899k for food vouchers to children eligible for free school meals for school holidays up to and including Easter 2023.

b) £1.4m to support applications from households for assistance with cost-of living increases through the Council’s Energy Crisis Support Scheme.

c) £45k allocation to support care leavers, being young people leaving foster or local authority care and living independently in their own accommodation who are responsible for paying their own utility bills, providing additional financial support through the cost-of-living increases.

d) £30k to support local VCS organisations to support vulnerable households over Christmas / New year through a supplement to the Crisis Support service level agreement.

e) £90k to provide additional tinned food to supplement that available for crisis food parcels provided by local food banks and Community Food Members alongside assisting with supplies to social supermarkets, a supplement to the Crisis Support service level agreement.

f) £25k to provide additional non-food products for inclusion in crisis food parcels covering personal hygiene, sanitary and household products.

Reasons for the Decision:

At its meeting on 20^th September 2022, Cabinet considered a report on allocation of Household Support Fund October 2022 – March 2023.

Whilst draft grant guidance had been provided by the Government, no details of grant amount had been made available. However, based on the method for calculation of the grant by population

weighted by a function of the English Index of Multiple Deprivation, a best estimate suggested that Rotherham would be allocated £2.489m, being the same as provided for the first half of the year.

On the basis of the draft guidance and best estimate calculation, recommendations for allocation were made for cabinet to approve provisional allocations of the Household Support Fund Grant subject to receipt of the Government grant not being substantially different from the estimate. The Government grant figure has now been confirmed at the same amount as the estimate, enabling the provisional allocations decisions to be confirmed.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

No alternatives considered because the decision is to confirm Cabinet provisional decisions. No variations from the Cabinet provisional decisions are required

Conflicts of interest declared by any Executive Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None

Reports or parts of reports considered

Cabinet Report, 20^th September 2022 - Household Support Fund October 2022 – March 2023

Date of Decision: 

29^th September 2022

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Simon Moss

Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

Exercising the delegations given by Cabinet on 28^th March 2022 to the Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport to complete the negotiation and acquisition by agreement of the relevant property interests, in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy, and the delegation to the Assistant Director of Legal Services to complete the necessary transactions.

Brief Description of Decision: 

Signing of the agreed Heads of Terms and completion of the necessary transactions to acquire the parcels of land identified in the report.

Reasons for the Decision:

To facilitate the continued development of regeneration in Rotherham town centre it is necessary to bring privately owned land into public sector ownership.

Agreement has now been reached with the private sector owner of the relevant land, and this delegation seeks to finalise the necessary transactions.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

The preferred option is to always acquire by agreement and negotiation is a mandatory precursor to any CPO action. This acquisition will enable land to come forward without the need to use CPO powers, thus significantly reducing the risk of needing to implement CPO powers.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Executive Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

Reports or parts of reports considered

Report to Cabinet dated 28th March 2022 and the attached exempt Report (exempt until completion of land transaction) providing considerations for the Decision.

Date of Decision: 

29^th September, 2022

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Simon Moss

Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

Exercising the delegations given by Cabinet on 28^th March 2022 to the Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport to complete the negotiation and acquisition by agreement of the relevant property interests, in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy, and the delegation to the Assistant Director of Legal Services to complete the necessary transactions.

Brief Description of Decision: 

Signing of the agreed Heads of Terms and completion of the necessary transactions to acquire the parcels of land identified in the report.

Reasons for the Decision:

To facilitate the continued development of regeneration in Rotherham town centre it is necessary to bring privately owned land into public sector ownership.

Agreement has now been reached with the private sector owner of the relevant land, and this delegation seeks to finalise the necessary transactions.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

The preferred option is to always acquire by agreement and negotiation is a mandatory precursor to any CPO action. This acquisition will enable land to come forward without the need to use CPO powers, thus significantly reducing the risk of needing to implement CPO powers.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Executive Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

Reports or parts of reports considered

Report to Cabinet dated 28th March 2022 and the attached exempt Report (exempt until completion of land transaction) and appendices providing considerations for the Decision.

Date of Decision:

30^th September 2022

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Simon Moss, Assistant Director Planning, Regeneration & Transport

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

That Full Business Cases for 1 Town Deal funded project is approved following the report to Cabinet in May 2022 noting Full Business Cases will be approved by the Strategic Director of Regeneration & Environment in consultation with the Council’s S151 Officer and Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy.

That the Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration & Transport submits the Summary Documents to DLUHC by exercising the delegation “bidding for external funding and grant aid, special financial packages for economic development/regeneration for both revenue and capital schemes, and their subsequent implementation” 

Brief Description of Decision:

This report seeks to progress the next stage of Rotherham’s Town Deal through the approval of Full Business Cases and the subsequent submission of Summary Documents to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

Reasons for the Decision:

A condition of the Town Deal Heads of Terms is the submission of summary documents, following local assurance of projects to DLUHC by 30^th September 2022.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Conflicts of interest declared by any Executive Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

Reports or parts of reports considered

Date of Decision: 

30^th September 2022

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Simon Moss

Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

Exercising the delegations given by Cabinet on 28^th March 2022 to the Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport to complete the negotiation and acquisition by agreement of the relevant property interests, in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy, and the delegation to the Assistant Director of Legal Services to complete the necessary transactions.

Brief Description of Decision: 

Signing of the agreed Heads of Terms and completion of the necessary transactions to acquire the parcels of land identified in the report.

Reasons for the Decision:

To facilitate the continued development of regeneration in Rotherham town centre it is necessary to bring privately owned land into public sector ownership.

Agreement has now been reached with the private sector owner of the relevant land, and this delegation seeks to finalise the necessary transactions.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

The preferred option is to always acquire by agreement and negotiation is a mandatory precursor to any CPO action. This acquisition will enable land to come forward without the need to use CPO powers, thus significantly reducing the risk of needing to implement CPO powers.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Executive Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

Reports or parts of reports considered

Report to Cabinet dated 28th March 2022 and the attached exempt Report (exempt until completion of land transaction) providing considerations for the Decision.

Date of Decision:

30 September 2022

Title:

Faster Payments October 2022 – March 2023

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Judith Badger

Strategic Director of Finance & Customer Services

Details of Specific Cabinet Delegation

or Delegation contained in the relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.

General Delegation in relation to the proper handling of the Council’s financial arrangements.

Decision:

To continue with measures previously approved in relation to the immediate payment of invoices (including receipting, dealing with disputes and increased invoice frequency etc) to the end of March 2023.

Reasons for the Decision:

Faster payments were introduced to support supply chains through the Covid-19 pandemic which has now started to settle, however the market has not recovered or returned to life pre-pandemic due to a range of other unforeseen circumstances.  The market is now facing significant financial pressures resulting from the significant rise in inflation.  it is essential that the Council continues to pay suppliers in as timely as manner as possible to help maintain their cashflow, which will help protect supply chain relationships and ultimately protect jobs.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

The accompanying briefing paper sets out the payment arrangements to support Suppliers which are currently in place, and which would otherwise end after 30^th September 2022. The reasons for the decision to continue the arrangements are set out in the paper. The position will be reviewed again before the end of March 2023.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

No conflicts of interest

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

N/A

Reports or parts of reports considered

Briefing Paper for the Strategic Director of Finance & Customer Services – Faster Payments October 2022 – March 2023.

Date of Decision:

Forge Island Delivery Arrangements - 23 September 2022

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Paul Woodcock

Strategic Director of Regeneration & Environment

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

No specific delegation.

Appendix 9 Section 4C6 of the Council’s Constitution.

Brief Description of Decision:

That prior to entering a direct award that the Council publishes a Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency (VEAT) Notice.

Reasons for the Decision:

To ensure transparency in the procurement approach selected to deliver the Forge Island development.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

A full re-procurement – this course of action would result in considerable delay to delivery, and the very high risk that scheme could not proceed at the current tendered price. This would add significantly to the costs owing to inflationary pressure. Significantly, it would also put at risk the ability to implement the pre-lets already secured. The overall impact is likely to be long term delay of the scheme and a substantial negative impact on the wider regeneration of the town centre.

A restricted procurement – this is a complex development scheme; condensing procurement would not allow an alternative developer a reasonable opportunity to assemble and agree the components necessary for the scheme to be costed and delivered.

Direct Award followed by the issue of a Contract Award Notice – this route is considered to be less transparent that issuing a VEAT Notice.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Executive Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None declared.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

n/a

Reports or parts of reports considered

Forge Island Delivery Arrangements Report – 23/09/2022

Date of Decision:

Forge Island Enabling Works – Letter of Indemnity- 23 September 2022

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Paul Woodcock

Strategic Director of Regeneration & Environment

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

Decision of Council of 28th March 2022:

That a provision is made from the remaining balance of the Town Centre Investment Fund to provide a potential capital contribution to the scheme, as detailed in the exempt appendix 1.

Brief Description of Decision:

A letter of indemnity is signed by the Council and provided to Muse Developments Ltd by 26th September 2022.

Reasons for the Decision:

To enable the scheme to remain on programme to commence on site, as reported to Cabinet in March 2022, mobilisation on site for ‘enabling works’ is required as soon as possible.

To facilitate this, the contractor intended to be appointed to deliver the scheme, need to start mobilisation on site w/c 17th October. To allow this, early orders for site establishment, plant/equipment and initial design fees for early subcontractor packages are required.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Failure to provide the requested letter of indemnity would result in a delay to commencement of works on Forge Island, resulting in potential additional costs and a delay of approximately 5 weeks to the overall works programme.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Executive Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None declared.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None

Reports or parts of reports considered

Forge Island Enabling Works – Letter of Indemnity- 23 September 2022

Report to Cabinet dated 28th March 2022 and the attached exempt Report providing considerations for the Decision.