Decisions

To update on the Council's Performance Management Report

This report is for information only and to update the Committee on the outcome of recent procurement exercises to identify providers of new Integrated Sexual Health Services for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. The new model includes three specialist providers delivering digital sexual health services, clinical sexual health services, and health promotion, prevention and community engagement services. The new services are due to go live on 1st April 2025.

For decision: To seek approval for the approach to allocating Bristol Impact Fund 3 grants for the community and voluntary sector, from April 2026.

For decision: To seek approval for the approach to allocating the Enabling VCSE grant, from April 2026.

This report provides transparency in the decision making of the Director of Public Health and DMT to receive funding from the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (BNSSG ICB) to cover the cost of grant funding to Brigstowe for the delivery of HIV community support services. These services will be provided for individuals diagnosed with HIV through the pilot HIV opt-out testing in ED research programme during 2024/25 and 2025/26.

The decision is for BCC to accept the funding that has been made available by NHS England for HIV community services to support those diagnosed with HIV at Bristol Royal Infirmary, Southmead Hospital and Weston General Hospital while participating in a national pilot to provide opt-out HIV testing to people attending ED. The funding for the pilot as a whole is being given to BNSSG ICB via a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) between NHS England and BNSSG ICB. The community support funding will be given to BCC via a signed Section 256 MOU with the ICB. BCC will then award grant funding to Brigstowe for the HIV community support services.

The DfE Guidance, published in the School Admissions Code (2021) requires the local authority to agree the school admission arrangements for primary schools and infant/junior transfers (for whom the Local Authority is the admission authority). As well as the co-ordinated schemes for; primary, secondary and in-year for the 2026/2027 academic year.
Due to a drop in birth rates in Bristol and the resulting falling demand for primary places the following proposed changes to the admissions policy documents were proposed:
•Formatting of document for clarity
•Co-ordinated scheme: dates and deadline
•Establishment changes, where schools had converted to become an academy:
oTwo Mile Hill Primary joining The Leaf Trust
oNova Primary joining Trust in Learning Academies (TiLA) (Feb 2025)
•Published Admission Numbers (PAN) reductions:
oAir Balloon Hill Primary from 120 to 90
oBishop Road Primary from 120 to 90
The documents went to public consultation between 18th December 2024 and 31st January 2025, with information sent to all relevant stakeholders as well as being published on the Bristol City Council website and consultation hub. Clarification and suggestions were put forward and will considered for future years.

To agree the proposed school admission arrangements and for primary schools and infant/junior transfers (for whom the Local Authority is the admission authority). As well as the co-ordinated schemes for; primary, secondary and in-year for the 2026/2027 academic year.

On 6 February 2024, Cabinet authorised the Executive Director of Growth and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport to take all steps required to procure and award a Highways Defect Response and Emergency Works contract to replace the existing contract ending in August 2025.
The purpose of the report is to seek approval for the award of a new Highways Defect Response and Emergency Works Contract following a competitive open tender process. This contract is essential in supporting the Council’s statutory duty to keep the local Highway network in a safe and usable condition. The scope of this contract consists of, but is not limited to fixing potholes, footway repairs, repairing and replacing kerbs and channels, adjusting iron works and removing obstructions from the highway.

An 8-year contract, with 2 optional 2-year extensions, has been awarded to ETM Contractors Ltd.

Where Bristol City Council use their own properties for temporary accommodation (TA), we furnish the properties
In the past 2 years the number of the council’s own properties it uses for TA has grown significantly. The current contract we use to furnish the properties is not overseen by the TA team.
Mid-term we need to develop a new contract for furnishing TA properties
In the short-term, we will run a pilot contract managed by the TA team to furnish some of the new BCC properties coming forward to be used for TA in 25/26
Having good quality furniture delivered consistently promptly is key for savings the council has committed to

To spend up to £375,000 on a Temporary Accommodation furnishing contract to furnish c.125 homes in the 25/26 year. The cost of furnishing properties is recovered in full over 3 – 4 years via a service charge.

The Homelessness Supported Accommodation Pathways (‘Pathways’) provide short-term accommodation and support for adults who are homeless. There are three Pathways which work with the following client groups:
•Pathway 1: Men only
•Pathway 2: Men and women
•Pathway 3: Women only
The overall aim of Pathways are to support residents to develop the skills, resources and resilience to move through and out of Pathway accommodation and into long-term, independent accommodation.
The Homes and Housing Delivery Policy Committee gave approval on 19th July 2024 to commence the procurement and award of contracts necessary for the implementation of the Homelessness Pathways Commissioning Plan, in-line with the procurement routes and maximum total budget envelope of £30,846,870, including £26,909,370 for Pathways 1-3.
Bristol City Council has since completed a tender process for the Homelessness Supported Accommodation Pathways 1-3 service and would like to award 3 + 2 year awards to 8 providers who submitted compliant bids.
A ninth provider, Second Step, submitted a bid to continue providing services but subsequently withdrew this bid. Bristol City Council and Second Step have agreed to a 1 year extension, during which Bristol City Council will undertake a further procurement exercise with the intention of transferring services to another support provider.

To award contracts to the following organisations:
Elim - £1,648,885
LiveWest- £1,120,000
Next Link - £1,242,785
Places For People - £4,794,195
Riverside- £2,515,220
Salvation Army - £4,160,350
Self Help Housing Association - £1,588,080
St Mungo’s - £6,539,365
Second Step - £966,229
Total - £24,575,109

The Portway Park and Ride Bus Access is a £2,007,000 CRSTS project looking to make improvements at the bus junction at the Portway Park and Ride site, which was signed off at Bristol City Council Cabinet in October 2023.
Since Cabinet it has become apparent that mitigation measures will be required to offset the impact of the construction, including the addition of an extra bus to the route and the installation of a real-time information display. Both coming at an additional cost not factored into the original amount approved.
The additional cost for the extra service and information display is £232,300 which will be acquired from the CRSTS funding through a Change Request to the Combined Authority.

Note the previous approvals granted on the project at Cabinet in October 2023.
Approval to increase the financial approvals of the Portway Park and Ride Bus Access Improvements project by £232,300 to a total of £2,239,300.
Subject to the approval of the change request, notes that the Bristol City Council Project Team will take steps necessary to accept and spend the £232,300 on the additional bus service and real-time information display.

Contractor required to carry out responsive maintenance to BCC tenanted properties in response to Disrepair claims. There is a Repairs

Decision is to Direct Award to West Country Maintenance Service Ltd due to their availability and history in dealing with these kinds of works.

With the Hard FM contract being out to tender, due to the amount of clarification questions from bidders, an extension to the bidder’s return date was agreed, therefore, we needed to extend the existing Hard FM contract by the two months.

Based upon current spend, a two month extension to the existing arrangement has been agreed, with the new Hard FM contract coming into effect on 1st July 2025

The decision to dispose of the site to Goram Homes is provided by 2 Cabinet Reports namely: -
March 2021 Cabinet Report “Land Disposals to Goram Homes to Support Housing Delivery” This approved a list of 12 council-owned sites (not including Hengrove Park) for transfer to Goram Homes at a deferred capital receipt.
March 2022 Cabinet Report “Goram Homes – Pipeline of Housing Development Sites 2022” (includes approval to add Hengrove Park including Whitchurch Sport Centre to the Goram Homes Pipeline).
These Cabinet Decisions authorise the Executive Director of Growth

Approval to dispose of Former Whitchurch Sports Centre Land to Goram Homes in accordance with the previous cabinet decisions.