Agenda and decisions

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Up to one hour is allowed for this item.

Any member of the public or Councillor may participate in Public Forum. Petitions, statements and questions received by the deadlines below will be taken at the start of the agenda item to which they relate to.

Petitions and statements (must be about matters on the agenda):

• Members of the public and members of the council, provided they give notice in writing or by e-mail (and include their name, address, and ‘details of the wording of the petition, and, in the case of a statement, a copy of the submission) by no later than 12 noon on the working day before the meeting, may present a petition or submit a statement to the Cabinet.

• One statement per member of the public and one statement per member of council shall be admissible.

• A maximum of one minute shall be allowed to present each petition and statement.

• The deadline for receipt of petitions and statements for the 5 March Cabinet is 12 noon on Monday 4^th March. These should be sent, in writing or by e-mail to: Democratic Services, City Hall, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR

e-mail: democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk

Questions (must be about matters on the agenda):

• A question may be asked by a member of the public or a member of Council, provided they give notice in writing or by e-mail (and include their name and address) no later than 3 clear working days before the day of the meeting.

• Questions must identify the member of the Cabinet to whom they are put.

• A maximum of 2 written questions per person can be asked. At the meeting, a maximum of 2 supplementary questions may be asked. A supplementary question must arise directly out of the original question or reply.

• Replies to questions will be given verbally at the meeting. If a reply cannot be given at the meeting (including due to lack of time) or if written confirmation of the verbal reply is requested by the questioner, a written reply will be provided within 10 working days of the meeting.

• The deadline for receipt of questions for the Cabinet is 5.00 pm on Wednesday 28^th February. These should be sent, in writing or by e-mail to: Democratic Services, City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR.

Democratic Services e-mail: democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk

PLEASE NOTE – The Public Forum deadline for questions has been extended for the following items:

·       Allotment Rents and Water Charges (item 16)

·       Goram Homes – Pipeline of Housing Development Sites (item 27)

The Public Forum deadline for questions for these items has been extended to Thursday 29^th February at 5pm.

When submitting  ...  view the full agenda text for item 2.

To note any declarations of interest from the Mayor and Councillors.  They are asked to indicate the relevant agenda item, the nature of the interest and in particular whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Any declarations of interest made at the meeting which is not on the register of interests should be notified to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion.

(subject to a maximum of three items)

To note any announcements from the Chair

That Cabinet

1.      Noted the submission of the Stage 2 LEVI bid.

Contractual:

2.      Authorised the Executive Director for Growth and Regeneration in consultation with the s151 Officer and the Cabinet Members for Transport and Housing Services and Energy to:

i.                    accept any grant awarded from the LEVI fund to the council (and enter into any grant agreements and other agreements required to accept the grant funding with central government and/or WECAand/or the other WoE authorities and

ii.                   spend such grant funding in accordance with the objectives of the LEVI fund set out in this report, including procuring and entering into all necessary contracts for goods, services or works up to the limit of the grant funding including a contract for the supply of EV charge points and infrastructure with a potential duration of up to 15 years

3.      Authorised the Executive Director for Growth and Regeneration to invoke any subsequent extensions/variations specifically defined in the contract(s) being awarded, up to the maximum budget envelope outlined in this report.

4.      Authorised the Head of Strategic Procurement & Supplier Relations to approve appropriate procurement routes to market where these are not yet fully defined in this report, or if changes to procurement routes are subsequently required.

That Cabinet:

1.      Authorised the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing Services and Energy, to progress and negotiate long-term Power Purchase Agreements between the council and Bristol City Leap in accordance with the terms of the City Leap Concession agreement, in order to enable the supply of electricity to council sites, the final entry in to such agreements being subject to further cabinet or committee authority as appropriate.

2.      Authorised the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing Services and Energy, to progress and negotiate long-term Power Purchase Agreements between the council and winning bidder(s) to provide zero-carbon electricity to BCC sites under the previously established Generation Dynamic Purchasing System, the final entry in to such agreements being subject to further cabinet or committee authority as appropriate.

3.      Authorised the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing Services and Energy, to progress and negotiate leasing arrangements for council-owned sites identified for large scale renewable energy generation, the final entry in to such agreements being subject to further cabinet or committee authority as appropriate.

4.      Authorised the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing Services and Energy, to progress and negotiate energy efficiency investment arrangements between the council and Bristol City Leap in accordance with the terms of the City Leap concession agreement, in order to enable investment in energy efficiency and carbon reduction measures at council sites. Individual projects which would require a key decision under the current system of governance would need further cabinet or committee authority as appropriate.

Appendices published as a supplement to this agenda

That Cabinet:

1.      Noted the previous Cabinet approvals granted on Item 9 at the Cabinet Meeting on 2 May 2023 to develop business cases for the Strategic Corridor Programme.

2.      Approved the submission of an Outline Business Case (Appendices I1 and A1.1-A1.11.3) to the West of England Combined Authority (WECA).

3.      Authorised the Executive Director of Growth and Regeneration in consultation with the Director of Finance and Cabinet Member for Transport to take all steps required to submit the OBC and develop the Full Business Case for the A4 Portway Strategic Corridor including the acceptance and spend of up to £0.85m CRSTS funding as per the approvals granted on Item 9 at the Cabinet Meeting on 2 May 2023.

4.      Noted the consultation report in Appendix B1.

That Cabinet:

1.      Noted the proposed indicative funding allocations of £8.772m of WECA CRSTS maintenance and ITB, £1m internal funding, £0.702m for additional pothole repairs, and £0.105m of TSOG, totalling £10.579m for 2024- 25.

2.      Authorised the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, to take all steps required to accept and spend up to £10.579m of WECA CRSTS maintenance, ITB, and other funding as outlined in this report.

3.      Authorised the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, to ‘roll over’ underspend from the financial year 23/24.

4.      Authorised the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, to take all steps necessary to procure and award any contracts (including any contracts over the key decision threshold) necessary to deliver the works identified in Appendix A.1 as maintenance or minor works and any remaining works from last year; making use of existing term contracts and/ or approved frameworks where appropriate, up to the budget ceiling identified in Appendix A.1.

5.      Authorised the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, to make reasonable changes to the programme of works to ensure delivery of the programme, in accordance with the Council’s scheme of financial delegations.

That Cabinet:

1.      Authorised the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homelessness to approve a two year extension for the Bristol Outreach Service from October 1st 2024 and (subject to service review) a further two year extension from 1st October 2026 with a maximum total budget envelope of up to £2,239,800 (subject to any annual uplift agreed that will be based on CPI and an appropriate Housing index) as outlined in this report.

That Cabinet:

1.      Noted the potential benefits of a council-owned not for profit RP and the ambition to take all appropriate steps to establish a company to help address the need to deliver specialist and supported housing in the city and to potentially deliver a wider range of affordable housing products to meet the City’s needs.

2.      Authorised the Chief Executive, in consultation with all Executive Directors, the Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homelessness and the Deputy Mayor with responsibility for City Economy, Finance and Performance to progress the development of a Full Business Case for the establishment of a company to be approved in accordance with the decision pathway.

That Cabinet:

1.      Approved the allocation of £2M of Strategic CIL added to the Capital programme at Full Council on 21 February 2023 to a programme of investment in the city’s parks and green spaces as set out in the report.

2.      Authorised the Executive Director for Growth and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Public Health and Communities, the S.151 Officer, and Director of Legal Services to take all steps required to spend the funding including to procure and enter into contracts required to deliver the park and green space investment projects proposed as outlined in this report.

That Cabinet:

1.      Approved the revised allotment rent and charges as set out in Appendix A1.

2.      Approved a phased introduction of the revised allotment rent and charges over a two-year period in 2025/26 and 2026/27 as outlined in this report.

3.      Authorised the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Communities to take all steps required to implement the revised allotments rent and charges as set out in this report.

4.      Noted the consultation outcome as set out in this report and Appendix B

That Cabinet:

1.      Approved the use of Sports Section 106 funding as match funding as outlined in this report.

2.      Authorised the Executive Director, Adults and Communities, in consultation with the cabinet member for Finance, Governance and Performance, to develop a project proposal, submit a funding application to the Football Foundation, and if successful, to take all steps required to accept and spend the funding awarded and use Sports Section 106 match funding as outlined in this report.

That Cabinet

1.      Approved the proposed policy changes for Home to School Travel as set out in Appendix A, which includes:

a.      Removal of council arranged vehicles for pupils (16 to 18)

b.      To explore transformation of future service delivery and possible pick-up points model

2.      Authorised the Executive Director Children & Education, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for, Children's Services, Education and Equalities to take all steps required to implement the new policy.

3.      Noted the outcomes of the consultation as set out in this report and at appendix B.

That Cabinet:

1.      Approved the Employment, Skills and Lifelong Learning Plan 2024-30.

2.      Authorised the Head of Service Education Skills and Learning in consultation with the Cabinet Member Children’s Services, Education and Equalities to take all steps required to implement the ESL plan.

3.      Noted the consultation responses at appendix B.

That Cabinet:

1.      Authorised the Head of Service Employment, Skills and Learning and the Employment Support Manager in consultation with the Cabinet member Children's Services, Education and Equalities to negotiate with WECA and to accept and spend the Future Bright Phase 3 Grant funding on the delivery of the Future Bright Phase 3 programme as outlined in this report.

That Cabinet:

1.      Authorised the Head of Service Employment, Skills and Learning in consultation with the Cabinet Member Children’s Services, Education and Equalities to take all steps required to negotiate with BNSSG and, if successful, to accept and spend the funding and lead on the regional implementation and delivery of the Employment support element of the WorkWell Partnership Vanguard Programme as outlined in this report.

That Cabinet:

1.      Authorised the Executive Director – Children & Education in consultation with the Cabinet Member Children's Services, Education and Equalities to take all steps required to vary the Alternative Learning Provision (ALP) framework to cover post-16 SEND support in-line with the maximum budget envelope as outlined in this report.

That Cabinet:

In relation to Bristol Holding Limited:

1.      Approved the 2024/2025 Business Plan of Bristol Holding Limited (company number 09485669)

In relation to Goram Homes Limited:

2.      Approved the 2024/2025 Business Plan of Goram Homes Limited (company number 11597204)

In relation to Bristol Waste Company Limited:

3.      Approved the 2024/2025 Business Plan of the Bristol Waste Company Limited (company number 09472624)

That Cabinet noted:

·       The General Fund forecast £6.9m adverse outturn variance against the approved budget for 2023/24 (see Appendices A1, A2 and A4).

·       The performance on delivery of savings (as summarised in Appendix A1 Section 3).

·       The General Fund additional net risk of £0.4m against which Executive Directors plan to mitigate in full (as summarised in Appendix A1 Section 4).

·       A forecast overspend of £3.2m within the HRA and that over- or under-spends that materialise on the HRA will be funded by a transfer from or to the HRA general reserve at the end of the financial year.

·       A forecast in-year deficit of £16.4m accumulating to a total £56.1m carried forward deficit in the DSG for 2023/24.

·       A breakeven position on Public Health services.

·       A forecast £25.4m underspend against the revised GF and HRA Capital Programme’s Budget (Appendix A1 Section 6).

·       The urgent key decision taken by the council’s S151 Officer (in consultation with the Cabinet Member for City Economy, Finance and Performance) to accept and spend £825,416 grant funding from the DfE to deliver Befriending to Care Leavers and Family Finding to children in care and to procure and award contracts for expenditure of that funding.

That Cabinet:

1.      Noted the submission of the transport funding bid submitted in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council

Contractual:

2.      Authorised the Executive Director for Growth and Regeneration in consultation with the s151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Transport to take all steps required to accept and spend the funding including to procure and award the contract(s) to undertake safety improvements on the A432 Bristol as outlined in this report.

3.      Authorised the Executive Director for Growth and Regeneration to invoke any subsequent extensions/variations specifically defined in the contract(s) being awarded, up to the maximum budget envelope outlined in this report.

4.      Authorised the Head of Strategic Procurement & Supplier Relations to approve appropriate procurement routes to market where these are not yet fully defined in this report, or if changes to procurement routes are subsequently required.

That Cabinet:

1. Noted the current approach to Vehicle Dwellers in Bristol as set out in Appendix A ‘Vehicle Dwellers – The Bristol Model’ and the intentions set out therein, specifically:

a.      The intention to investigate the provision of additional meanwhile and permanent sites across the city, including a new service site with service provision, to improve the health of people living in vehicles, which can be offered as an alternative option to people on unauthorised sites.

b.      The intention of setting up of a Council officer’s Task and Finish group to further explore issues and options around vehicle dwelling in Bristol, with a view to reviewing the Bristol City Council’s Policy for Vehicle Dwelling Encampments on the Highway to explore inclusion of roadside parking, encampments, squatted sites and meanwhile sites.

c.       The intention to deliver a training session for all elected members about vehicle dwelling in Bristol. d. The intention to deliver a roundtable event to discuss the appendix document ‘Vehicle Dwellers – Report and Recommendations’ with key stakeholders.

This item will now be taken under PART B – Key Decisions.

That Cabinet:

1.      Noted the update on the current status of each site previously approved for allocation to the Goram Homes pipeline, as set out in Appendix A1.

2.      Approved the allocation of Dovercourt Road Gas Works site to the Goram Homes development pipeline as set out in Appendix A2

3.      Noted that the disposal of sites referred to in Appendix A1 as Baltic Wharf, Car Park adjacent to SS Great Britain, A & B Bond, The Grove, Prince St car park and Western Harbour will be subject to agreement by the Harbour Authority.

That Cabinet:

1.      Noted the report detailing the progress being made to

a.      co-design a co-production policy and process for Adult Social Care

b.      Embed Co-production in Adult Social Care

c.       Work in partnership with system partners to adopt a One City approach.

2.      Committed to and fully endorsed the continued development of co-production in Adult Social Care as a council and corporate priority.

3.      Agreed for the final Coproduction policy and process to return for further consideration when the new committee system is formed.

That Cabinet

1.       Noted the theme summary reports and overall performance progress, and the measures to address performance issues to be implemented by relevant services

That Cabinet:

1.      Approved the principles and mitigations (Appendix A1) that will form the basis of the Safety Valve agreement between the Council and the Department for Education including the allocation of general fund resources as approved in the Council’s 2024/25 budget on 28 February 2024.

2.      Approved, if the DfE accept the proposal, entering into the Safety Valve Agreement between Bristol City Council and the Department for Education.

3.      Authorised the Chief Executive, S151 Officer and the Executive Director Children and Education in consultation with the Mayor, Deputy Mayors and Cabinet Members for Children's Services, Education and Equalities and Cabinet member for Finance, Governance, Property and Culture to take all steps required to enter the Safety Valve Agreement and resolve any minor technical issues to the text, which do not materially alter the substance of the Agreement.

4.      Endorsed the application for, and subsequent acceptance of, additional DSG funding of £53.0 million in relation to the Safety Valve Programme.

5.      Noted the bid for additional High Need Capital Allocation funding of £28.2 million submitted on 5 January 2024 and if successful, a further report will be brought to Cabinet in April to seek approval to accept and spend this funding.

6.      Authorised the Director of Education and Skills and Director of Finance, in consultation with Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Education and Equalities to approve revenue funding and to take all steps required to deliver the Safety Valve Programme including procuring and awarding and extending/varying contracts which may be over the key decision threshold.

7.      Authorised the Head of Strategic Procurement & Supplier Relations to approve appropriate procurement routes to market where these are not yet fully defined in this report, or if changes to procurement routes are subsequently required.