Officer Decisions

Date of Decision:

31^st January 2024

Title:

Crisis Support 2024 - 2027

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Jo Brown, Assistant Chief Executive.

Details of Specific Cabinet Delegation

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

Council Constitution, Appendix 9, Section 4C2: Assistant Chief Executive – Delegated Executive Functions: The Assistant Chief Executive is authorised to discharge executive functions in relation to:- (6) Performance, Intelligence and Improvement, including Policy and Partnerships.

Minute 97 (3) of the Cabinet meeting held on 20^th November 2023 delegates authority to the Assistant Chief Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion to enter into a service level agreement with partner organisations to provide crisis support for the years 2024/25 to 2026/27.

Decision:

To enter into a Service Level Agreement with Voluntary Action Rotherham, FareShare Yorkshire and LASER Credit Union to provide Crisis Support functions and services for the three years 2024/25 to 2026/27 as set out in the Crisis Support report to Cabinet at its meeting on 20^th November 2023.

Reasons for the Decision:

At the meeting on 20^th November 2023, cabinet resolved that bids be invited from organisations to work in partnership with the Council, to finalise the implementation details and deliver the provision of crisis support for the three years 2024/25 to 2026/27. Following the receipt of bids, preferred partners would be selected to finalise detail to enter into a service level agreement with annual grant allocations of:

a.    £60k for Crisis Loans.

b.    £34k for infrastructure and transport to enable the supply of crisis food to foodbanks (Community Food Members).

c.     £10k for supporting co-ordination of the Food in Crisis Partnership, collection and dissemination of data and provision of a referrals process.

Following advertisement in accordance with the Council’s Finance and Procurement Procedure Rules, a compliant bid was received from a partnership of Voluntary Action Rotherham, FareShare Yorkshire and LASER Credit Union.

Details have now been finalised to enable a service level agreement to be entered into between the Council and partners to deliver the functions and services agreed by Cabinet. A decision in accordance with the delegation provided is now required.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Alternative options were set out in the report to Cabinet on 20^th November 2023. The preferred option was to enter into a service level agreement with partner organisations. This option has been achieved.

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

No conflicts of interest.

Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion consulted.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None.

Reports or parts of reports considered

Crisis Support 2024 – 2027, Cabinet 20^th November 2023.

Date of Decision:

13^th February 2024

Title:

Riverside Gardens, Corporation Street & Upper Millgate Contract Award (Stage 1 Design)

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Simon Moss

Assistant Director, Planning, Regeneration & Transport

Regeneration & Environment

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

Within the Council’s constitution the Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment has the following delegated powers: -

Contract Standing Orders; Section 41.2:

In relation to their Directorates, each Strategic Director has a general power to make council contracts, including the power to determine select lists of tenderers, to accept tenders and to award contracts.  This is subsequently delegated to Assistant Directors in the sub-scheme of delegation

Brief Description of Decision:

Award to C R Reynolds of the first stage of a two-stage design and build contract for the delivery of works in relation to Riverside Gardens, Corporation Street and Upper Millgate, to undertake detailed design and costing exercise. Outcome production of a Tender Evaluation Report for review before a further decision required to proceed to stage 2, construction.

Reasons for the Decision:

Having previously undertaken a competitive tender process for the Riverside Gardens scheme that ended in a failed procurement, the decision to add the Corporation Street/Upper Millgate scheme to make the offer more attractive to the market and explore a way to engage with a contractor via direct award to work up the detailed design and cost was approved.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Market engagement with the YORCivil2 Contractors has previously been undertaken and the proceeding tender exercise for Riverside Gardens failed.  Feedback from the contractors who withdrew from the tender highlighted the risks associated with the project design, the level of information provided had not been sufficient for them to adequately quantify some of the risks associated with the project to give a firm construction price at tender stage. 

As a result of this feedback, it was proposed that a 2 stage Design and Build direct award from the new Civils framework (YORCivil3) be followed to allow for the designs and costs to be worked up with a contractor for approval before committing to the build.

Timings now align allowing the inclusion of the Corporation Street/Upper Millgate scheme into the tender making it more practical and attractive to the market to group them as one contract.

Failure to proceed with this appointment will result in delays or failure to deliver the Levelling Up/Future High Streets funded Riverside Gardens, Corporation Street & Upper Millgate scheme.

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

n/a

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

n/a

Reports or parts of reports considered

21 June 2021 Cabinet – Town Centre Masterplan Implementation –

Minute 11 (1) That Cabinet approve the implementation work of Town Centre public realm improvements on Effingham Street and Howard Street (Phase 2) and Upper Millgate and Forge Island Riverside Gardens (Phase 3), utilising secured grant funding as part of the Council’s Future High Streets Fund bid.

16 May 2022 Cabinet – Town Deal and Levelling Up Fund: Update and Implementation –

Minute 149 (3)Agree to the implementation of all projects within the Town Deal and Levelling Up Fund programmes as summarised in Appendix 1, to be detailed in forthcoming project specific Full Business Cases.

Procurement Business Case

Date of Decision:

9^th February 2024.

Title:

Ethical Procurement Policy

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Judith Badger; Strategic Director - Finance & Customer Services

Details of Specific Cabinet Delegation

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

The Strategic Director of Finance and Customer Services has delegated functions, as set out within the Council’s Constitution, Responsibility for Functions (Appendix 9), section 4C5 – 3.

Decision:

To approve the updated and refreshed Ethical Procurement Policy

Reasons for the Decision:

The Ethical Procurement Policy was first approved in Cabinet in January 2020, and was due for a review inline with corporate procedures (3-yearly).

The policy has been brought up to date in terms of:

-       Removal of references to the EU Treaty following the UK’s exit from the European Union.

-       Updates to the Council’s actions regarding support to the Charter for Sustainable British Steel.

-       Removing reference to the previous Safeguarding Policy and acknowledging the new Safeguarding Protocol.

-       Removing reference to the previous Equality and Diversity Policy and acknowledging the new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

-       Reference to OSMB spotlight review on Modern Slavery

-       Documenting that the Council is now accredited with the Real Living Wage Foundation;

-       Including the new Council Motion to declare a Nature Crisis.

-       Including the new Council motion relating to Fair Tax.

-       Updates under the case study section.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

However, these are all currently captured in separate policy statements, Council motions, and Cabinet decisions. The aim of this Ethical Procurement Policy is to pull all the policy decisions agreed via Cabinet decisions or Council motions into one overarching document.  Therefore, there are no alternative options, as these will have been considered when the individual decisions had taken place.

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)

None

Reports or parts of reports considered

Ethical Procurement Policy Refresh – to Strategic Director Finance and Customer Services.

Date of Decision:

18/12/23

Title:

Tenant Engagement Service Contract Re-tender 2024

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

James Clark, Assistant Director of Housing 

Details of Specific Cabinet Delegation

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

SECTION 4C3: STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF ADULT CARE, HOUSING AND PUBLIC HEALTH – DELEGATED EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS

2. Housing

(b) Contract and Service Development

(c) Housing and Estates

Sub-Scheme of Delegation: Assistant Director of Housing: In accordance with Financial and Procurement Procedure Rules, matters relating to the specification for works, goods and services, the seeking of estimates, quotations and tenders, the evaluation of the same and acceptance of tenders relating to contracts for works, goods and services in accordance with approved budgets or supplementary estimates.

Decision:

The Assistant Director of Housing authorises the re-procurement of the Tenant Federation Contract, commencing on the 1^st of April 2024 for an initial period of 3 years with the option to extend the contract for another year.

The value of the contract (inclusive of VAT):

£888,000 (Full 4 – year term)

£666,000 (Initial 3 -year term)

£222,000 (Annual Value)

Reasons for the Decision:

On the 15^th of August 2023, the Directorate Leadership Team agreed that a re-tender exercise to appoint a Tenant Engagement Service provider would commence and the successful organisation would be appointed to deliver the new contract from the 1st of April 2024.

On the 1^st of September 2023, the Cabinet Member for Housing and the Leader approved this decision.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Option 1 - Bring the contracted and outsourced functions back in-house, investing the current contract budgetary value in staffing resources.

Option 2 - Commission additional services through our arrangements with the Neighbourhoods Team.

Both of the above options would in effect mean insourcing the tenant federation contract work, rather than re-tendering, which would have the following drawbacks:

Insourcing could mean that Tenant Engagement becomes less independent, that vital community knowledge and relationships are lost and that we no longer have the advantage of partnering with a smaller more agile organisation, able to apply for additional funding streams as required and work with tenants with a greater degree of flexibility.

The re-mobilisation costs and the additional work and resource needed to insource at a challenging time for the team would have caused huge disruption at a time when the Council were entering into a new housing inspection regime environment and the Tenant Engagement Team were working at capacity to achieve TPAS exemplar re-accreditation in 2024 and deliver the Tenant Engagement Framework outcomes.

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

None known.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

N/A

Reports or parts of reports considered

Tenant Federation Contract Re-procurement, 1^ST of September 2023

Date of Decision:

1^st February 2024

Title:

UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) years 2 and 3 – allocation of funding to projects and organisations

Decision Maker:

Jo Brown, Assistant Chief Executive

Details of Specific Cabinet Delegation

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

Minute (43) of the Cabinet decision on UKSPF of 7^th August 2023 delegates authority to the Assistant Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to determine revised and final allocations for the UKSPF. This is to include provision for other eligible actions within the use of the fund should it not be possible to achieve full spend of the grant through the allocations set out in the Cabinet report.

In line with appendix 9, section 4C2 of the Council’s Constitution, the Assistant Chief Executive is authorised to discharge executive functions in relation to: (6) Performance, Intelligence and Improvement, including Policy and Partnerships.

Decision:

Resolve to:

Confirm the allocation of £3,475,224 funding to Council directorates and external partners for the following UKSPF projects that have been approved by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA):

·       Business incubation centres enhancement- £234,870, RMBC Regeneration and Environment

·       Social value- £156,383, RMBC Assistant Chief Executive; £28,500, Go4Growth; £26,100, Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce

·       Children’s capital of culture - £893,166, RMBC Regeneration and Environment

·       Rotherham community support - £487,496, Voluntary Action Rotherham (Open Arms Rotherham and First Step projects); £100,000, RMBC Assistant Chief Executive (Reaching Out project)

·       Town centre events - £280,000, RMBC Regeneration and Environment

·       Visitor and leisure economy - £429,000, Maltby Learning Trust; £390,000, Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust; £234,000, Gulliver’s; £15,709 RMBC Regeneration and Environment

·       Rural business grants - £200,000, RMBC Regeneration and Environment

Reasons for the Decision:

Following endorsement of the programme by Cabinet in August 2023, detailed project proposals have been developed and those listed above have now been approved by South Yorkshire MCA.

The funding allocated to these projects and the activities proposed are consistent with the Cabinet report. Overall, they support the Council’s ambition to create a more inclusive economy. This includes wide-ranging support for local businesses and an integrated employment and skills programme.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Alternatives have not been provided as the projects are in line with the proposals endorsed by Cabinet. 

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

There are no conflicts of interest.

Consultation has taken place with the Leader of the Council as Cabinet Member.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None.

Reports or parts of reports considered

UK Shared Prosperity Fund - years two and three, report to Cabinet, August 7^th 2023

Date of Decision:

5^th February 2024

Title:

Proposed Zebra crossing on Flash Lane, Bramley

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Simon Moss, Assistant Director, Planning, Regeneration and Transport

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

The Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment Sub-Scheme of Delegation authorises the Assistant Director - To promote, consider objections to and implement Traffic Regulation Orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

Brief Description of Decision:

1.    That the comments and objections are noted

2.    A zebra crossing be installed at a location as shown on drawing No 126/17/TT546 (Appendix 2)

3.    Residents are informed of the decision.

Reasons for the Decision:

Following the outcome of statutory public consultation for a crossing (identified in Appendix 1), an alternative location (identified in Appendix 2) for the proposed zebra is recommended following further consultion.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Two alternative locations for the crossing closer to the junction with Wadsworth Road were considered. These are shown on drawing 126/17/TT546 attached as Appendix 2.

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

Proposed Zebra crossing on Flash Lane, Bramley