Decisions

To change the polling place for polling district A1 in Anchorsholme ward from the mobile unit sited at Huntington Road/Buckden Close to Anchorsholme Bowling and Social Club, Anchorsholme Park, Anchorsholme Lane West, FY5 1LY.

That Anchorsholme Bowling and Social Club, Anchorsholme Park, Anchorsholme Lane West, FY5 1LY be approved as a polling place for the polling district A1.

To confirm the appointment of a sub-arc welding contractor for Tramway Maintenance Services for Permanent Way assets on Blackpool Promenade. 

Blackpool Council wishes to appoint 1 Contractors:

• Lot 1 (Sub-Arc): Keltbray

This is in addition to another Lot (Lot 3 – Rail Replacement subject to a previous ONK decision dated 1 October 2020) which was also won by Keltbray. 

To approve the appointment of Keltbray for the works. 

The Head of Licensing Service deals with a number of requests for licences under the Licensing Act, the Gambling Act and other pieces of legislations. Details of the licences, applied for and granted are outlined in the report.

The Head of Licensing Service agreed to grant the licences as set out in the attached Appendices.

To authorise the requests, as submitted.

To request authority for a Covid Recovery Fund of up to £20m plus a 20% contingency of £4m to be established, such funds to be ringfenced for Council Wholly-Owned companies (WOCs) only, from within the existing Business Loans Fund. The authority to approve loans to individual companies and agree terms on a case-by-case basis within the principles set out below to be delegated to the Director of Resources, except that in the case of Lancashire Management Operations Limited, to avoid a conflict of interest, this authority to be delegated to the Chief Accountant.

The Leader of the Council agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To note the progress Council Wholly Owned Companies are making in respect of producing Covid recovery plans.

2. To approve the creation of a Covid Recovery Fund of up to £20m plus a 20% contingency of £4m, such funds to be ringfenced for Council Wholly Owned Companies from within the previously established Business Loans Fund
3. To require that Wholly Owned Companies requesting cashflow support are able to demonstrate a cumulative breakeven income and expenditure position by the end of year 5 (current year plus 4) of their recovery plan or as close as possible to this term.

4. That the loans are tailored to the individual circumstances of the company and its recovery plan, that loans may be offered on either:

a)                  an interest-only basis with balloon principal repayment; or

b)                  monthly repayments of interest and principal.

5. That loans are offered at a fixed rate over 5 years, thereby providing the Wholly Owned Companies with certainty over future repayments requirements, but consequentially the Council carrying the risk of adverse interest rate movements.

6. That temporary cashflow loans on existing agreed terms be offered to Wholly Owned Companies until approvals for a Covid recovery cashflow loan on the above terms are in place, such temporary cashflow loans to be repaid from the Covid recovery cashflow loan when issued.

7. That all Wholly Owned Companies loan agreements be reported to the Business Loans Fund Panel with the authority to approve loans to individual companies and agreement of terms on a case-by-case basis within the principles set out above to be delegated to the Director of Resources, except that in the case of Lancashire Management Operations Limited, to avoid a conflict of interest, this authority to be delegated to the Chief Accountant.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. That the Council retains Blackpool Coastal Housing Limited as an Arms Length Management Organisation to manage Council homes and a variation to the current agreement be made to permit this to happen from 1 April 2021 for a period of 5 years.

2. That the Head of Legal Services be authorised to sign on behalf of the Council any necessary documentation to enact the resolution.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To note the report.

2.      To continue to lobby central government (HM Treasury, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Transport, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Department for Education in particular) along with local authority peers and networks and the Local Government Association for the funding necessary to cope with the demands and new burdens presenting as a result of both Covid and within Children’s Services.

3.      To require the respective directors and Director of Resources to continue to closely monitor and manage service financial and operational performances, specifically Children’s Services, Strategic Leisure Assets and Growth and Prosperity and also the 3 Wholly Owned Companies that are facing the biggest impact from the Covid-19 pandemic these being Blackpool Transport Services (BTS), Blackpool Entertainment Company Limited (BECL) and Blackpool Operating Company Limited (BOCL).

The Executive agreed the recommendation as outlined above namely:

To note the report concerning the Treasury Management activities for the six months to September 2020.

The Executive agreed the recommendation as outlined above namely:

That the 2020-30 Education Vision and the general direction of travel is accepted and adopted for a period until 30 September 2030 with an initial review after a period of two years, where the vision will be reviewed and re-presented

The Executive resolved as follows:

To accept the final report and recommendations resulting from the scrutiny review of Inclusion in Education and endorse the comments made by the Cabinet Member in the review at Appendix  2a, to the Executive report.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To accept the final report and recommendations resulting from the scrutiny review of Inclusion in Education and endorse the comments made by the Cabinet Member in the review at Appendix  2a, to the Executive report.

The Head of Licensing Service deals with a number of requests for licences under the Licensing Act, the Gambling Act and other pieces of legislations. Details of the licences, applied for and granted are outlined in the report.

The Head of Licensing Service agreed to grant the licences as set out in the attached Appendices.

To authorise the request, as submitted.

To authorise the requests, as submitted.

To confirm the outcome of the recent market tender exercise undertaken for Lead Design Team on the Grange Park Estate and 5 Infill Sites (RIBA Stages 2-3 with option for novation to main Contractor). 

Blackpool Council wishes to appoint Cassidy and Ashton for both projects under a RIBA form of contract. 

To approve the appointment of Cassidy and Ashton for Lead Design Team on the Grange Park Estate and 5 Infill Sites (RIBA Stages 2-3 with option for novation to main Contractor). 

The Head of Licensing Service deals with a number of requests for licences under the Licensing Act, the Gambling Act and other pieces of legislations. Details of the licences, applied for and granted are outlined in the report.

The Head of Licensing Service agreed to grant the licences as set out in the attached Appendices.