Agenda and minutes
PDF 76 KBVenue: Council Chamber - South Kesteven House, St. Peter's Hill, Grantham. NG31 6PZ
Contact: Democratic Services
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Register of attendance and apologies for absence
Minutes: An apology for absence was received from Councillor Annie Mason. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting
Minutes of the meeting held on 19 April 2022. Minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting held on 19 April 2022 were confirmed as a correct record. |
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Disclosure of Interests
Minutes: No interests were declared. |
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Contract award for building materials supply
Under Section 100(a)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public may be excluded from the meeting during this item on the grounds that if they were to be present, exempt information could be disclosed to them as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act in respect of Appendix One.
Additional documents: Minutes: Purpose of report
To consider and award the Council’s contract for building materials and supply in relation to its responsibilities to repair and maintain its social housing stock.
Decision
That the contract award for the building materials supply contract to Grafton Merchanting GB Ltd for a period of up to five years, be approved.
Alternative options considered and rejected
The Council had followed a compliant procedure process that resulted in one tender submission and there was no certainty that running the process again would achieve a different outcome.
Reason for decision
The Council had a clear commitment in its Corporate Plan 2020-2023 to provide ‘housing that meets the needs of all residents’. As a stock-retained Local Authority, the Council had statutory and regulatory obligations to maintain and repair approximately 5,900 properties. It was necessary to source materials to undertake the day-to-day repairs that were required, as well as undertake repairs to properties when they become void, in a timely and cost-effective manner.
The procurement summary was attached to the report as an exempt appendix, not for publication, which set out the procurement process undertaken and the reasons for recommending the award of the contract to Grafton Merchanting GB Ltd. |
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SK Community Fund: Small Grants Scheme
Additional documents: Minutes: Purpose of report
To seek approval from Cabinet of the proposed revisions to the eligibility criteria of the SK Community Fund: Small Grants Scheme.
Decision
(1) That changes to the eligibility criteria for the SK Community Fund Small Grants Scheme be approved, effective within the current funding round (round 26), which would close on 20 July 2022, subject to the following amendments:
- the minimum grant allowed as part of the scheme reducing from £500 to £100
- the removal of reference to an organisation not being able to apply for the grant more than three times and this being clarified to state that organisations can apply for the grant once every financial year
(2) That the notification of awards be sent to local Members at the same time as the successful applicant in order that they are fully appraised.
Alternative options considered and rejected
The existing criteria of the scheme could have been retained, or further amendments proposed.
Reason for decision
The Small Grant Scheme was created following feedback from small and newly-formed voluntary and community groups who required small yet, to them, significant amounts of funding to carry out projects or help with the set up costs of their respective groups. Unlike the Community Projects or Community Events grants, through which groups could apply for up to 80% of their project costs to a maximum of £5,000, the Small Grants Scheme offered up to 100% of project costs to a maximum of £2,000.
In recent rounds of funding there had been an increasing number of applications to the Small Grants Scheme from groups and organisations that had substantial amounts of existing resources, as evidenced through information required as part of the application process. The Council’s Rural and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee had therefore recommended that the criteria be amended to ensure that groups who held financial resources of £10,000 and above were ineligible to apply for the Small Grants Scheme. Such groups would remain eligible to apply for the Community Projects and Community Events grant.
In response to the withdrawal of the Ward Member Grant Scheme for 2022/23, it was proposed that the lower minimum grant allowed within the Small Grants Scheme be reduced, with such an approach envisaged to encourage more applications from those who would have previously sought funding through their local Ward Members.
A copy of the revised proposed criteria for the SK Community Fund: Small Grants Scheme was appended to the report.
The following points were made by Cabinet Members during consideration of the report:
· the minimum grant allowed should be reduced to £100 as opposed to £200 proposed in the report. It was anticipated that this would generate more applications as grants as low as £100 in value were often submitted through the previous Ward Member Grant Scheme · the criteria was not clear enough regarding the number of times community groups or organisations could apply for the grant, with reference in the existing criteria to no more than three times together with ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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Award of Contract - The Earlesfield Project
Under Section 100(a)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public may be excluded from the meeting during this item on the grounds that if they were to be present, exempt information could be disclosed to them as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act in respect of Appendices One and Two.
Additional documents: Minutes: Purpose of report
To seek approval to award a contract to the successful tender to undertake significant improvement works to a number of properties on the Earlesfield Estate in Grantham and recommend to Full Council additional revenue budget allocation.
Decision
That Cabinet:
(1) Approves the award of a contract for the Earlesfield Estate Capital Works Project for £3.288 million to United Living Group.
(2) Recommends to Full Council a budget allocation of £1.364 million to be funded from the Housing Revenue Account Improvement Reserve in order to deliver the one-off revenue costs associated with the Earlesfield Estate Capital Works Project.
Alternative options considered and rejected
Alternative options considered and rejected included:
- Not undertaking improvement and asbestos containing material removal works - Undertaking works when properties became vacant due to tenancies ending
Reason for decision
The Council had a clear commitment in its Corporate Plan 2020-2023 to provide ‘housing that meets the needs of all residents’ and the timely delivery of improvements to its social housing stock, which included a significant number of properties on the Earlesfield Estate in Grantham, was a key element to this.
The Earlesfield Estate contained 1,014 Council-owned properties, of which 152 were ‘Wimpey No Fines’ design and represented a post-war non-standard construction archetype. In 2021, the Council identified that these property types contained asbestos containing material and although this did not present immediate risk of harm to residents, it was best practice to remove it. It was noted that there were no other properties in the Council’s housing stock of this archetype.
As part of the project initiation process, a range of actions were undertaken as set out in paragraph 1.4 of the report by a small group of Officers set up as a project team. It was noted that the project team had maintained dynamic risk assessments and appropriate mitigations throughout, and the Regulator of Social Housing had been kept fully informed through the monthly meetings with senior officers and was satisfied with the approach taken.
The asbestos surveys showed that this property type required intrusive works to remove the asbestos containing material and that the works would necessitate the removal of ceilings within the properties. It was also noted that several of the affected properties required replacement kitchens and bathrooms and were also scheduled for electrical, heating and door upgrades through the Council’s usual capital works programme.
Considering the potential disruption and scope of works needed to the properties identified over the next few years, it was considered most practical and efficient to package the works into one contract covering all of the works and to temporarily transfer approximately 112 households during the work being undertaken to their homes. In order to facilitate this, ten properties on the estate had been held as void to provide such provision and one flat had been converted into an estate office to ensure tenant engagement was optimised.
Details relating to the procurement process was set out in the report, together with the financial and budgetary implications ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
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Key and Non-Key Decisions taken under Delegated Powers
Additional documents: Minutes: Those Key and Non-Key Decisions taken under delegated powers since the previous meeting of Cabinet, as set out in the report, were noted.
It was agreed that the item in respect of the disposal of land at Stamford would be discussed as the last item at this meeting due to its consideration requiring the exclusion of the press and public. |
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Cabinet's Forward Plan
Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet noted its Forward Plan. |
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Exclusion of public and press Under Section 100(a)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public may be excluded from the meeting during any listed items of business, on the grounds that if they were present, exempt information could be disclosed to them as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act.
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Key and Non-Key Decisions taken under Delegated Powers - Disposal of land at Stamford
Minutes: Discussion ensued in respect of a Non-Key Decision taken by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Property on 11 April 2022, with concerns expressed regarding the proposed erection of a large fence surrounding the property and the Council’s principles generally with regard to the disposal of land and respective covenants.
It was noted that the standard height of fencing for properties was in the region of six feet, consistent with the height of the fence proposed for installation.
Concerns expressed regarding covenants were addressed as part of the discussion. |