Decisions

This report outlines the rationale for the recommendation to approve an extension by way of variation to the contract for the provision of Carers Assessment and Support Services, for a further period of 12 months (01st April 2024 to 31st March 2025) at an estimated cost of £609,000 that can be met from within existing approved resources.

To approve an extension by way of variation to the contract with John Whitgift Foundation for the provision of Carers Assessment and Support Partnership Services for a further period of 12 months (01st April 2024 to 31st March 2025) for an additional maximum annual contract value of £608,898 (and a maximum aggregated total contract value of £2,497,130 covering 01st April 2020 to 31st March 2025).

Executive Mayor in Cabinet RESOLVED: To

2.1.1   Approve the responses and action plans attached to this report as

Appendices 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5; and

2.1.2   Delegate authority to the officers identified in Appendices 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 to report back to the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, or relevant Sub-Committee, within the periods specified in the agreed responses and action plans, and on progress made in implementing any action plan.

Executive Mayor in Cabinet RESOLVED to:

2.1            Note the progress since October 2023 on the Housing Transformation Programme which includes the Voluntary Undertaken given to and accepted by the Regulator of Social Housing (“the Regulator”) which is attached at Appendix A.

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Executive Mayor in Cabinet RESOLVED: To

1.1    Receive the recommendations arising from the meetings of the Homes Sub - Committee held on 23 October 2023 (Appendix 1) and the Scrutiny & Overview Committee held on 16 January 2024.

1.2    To provide a substantive response to the recommendation (a Scrutiny Stage 2 Report) at the Cabinet meeting on 15 May 2024.

Executive Mayor in Cabinet RESOLVED:

2.1       For the reasons set out in the report and appendices, the Executive Mayor in Cabinet is recommended to:

2.2       Authorise officers to undertake statutory consultation on the proposed parking charges which include:

2.2.1 To increase and retain the 1 hour free parking bays in district and local centres.

2.2.2 To introduce a new 2 hour maximum stay for all 1 hour free parking bays with a nominal charge for customers that require longer parking.

2.2.3 To increase to 1 hour the current 30 minute free parking arrangement in South End and Selsdon Road, South Croydon and London Road, West Croydon with new reduced fees for parking up to 2 hours so that all 1 hour free areas are consistent.

2.2.4 For Central Parade Car Park, to extend the 30 minute free parking arrangement to 1 hour, matching the existing free parking arrangement in the Central Parade service road.

2.2.5 To introduce a flat rate charge for on-street 12 hour maximum stay bays for parking events of more than 8 hours, reducing the current rates for long term parking.

2.2.6 Reduction in the parking charges for West Croydon Station Car Park so that the charges of Town Centre Car Parks are consistent.

2.2.7 New charges for parking permits as set out in Appendix A, with no increase in the resident permit charge for the highest band 5 charges, and increasing the charges for other bands, together with an adjustment of emission bandings, recognising the improved efficiency of vehicles. Page 1002

2.2.8 New On-street and Off-street (car parks) parking charges as set out in Appendix B and C, with an adjustment to the emissions bandings to reflect the improved efficiency of vehicles:

• Band 1 – emission vehicles (Electric Vehicles) – reduced discount from 90% to 25%

• Band 2 – emission vehicles – reduced discount from 25% to 15% and amending the band from 1 to 185 grams/km CO2 to 1 to 138 grams/km CO2.

• Band 3 – emission vehicles – no increase in the existing band 3 tariff and adjusting the band so that it commences for vehicles emitting more than 138 grams/km CO2 in place of the current 185 grams/km.

2.2.9  Increase in operational hours in district centre car parks from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday to a 24 hour operation (Monday to Saturday) with a nominal flat fee (£2.20 for band 3 with 25% and 15% discounts for band 1 and 2 respectively) for parking between 6pm and 7am.

2.2.10 Standardise the no-return period for on-street parking from 1 to 2 hours for all payment bays.

2.2.11 Review of the permit charges for Housing residents and contractors.

2.3       Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery, in consultation with the Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Streets and Environment, to give public statutory notice of the above proposals and subject to receiving no objections, make the necessary Traffic Management Orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (as amended).

2.4       In the event that objections are received, delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery in consultation with the Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Streets and Environment to consider the outcome of the consultation and determine whether Traffic Management Order/s under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (as amended) should be introduced.

2.5       Note that the proposals will be reported to the Scrutiny Streets and Environment Sub[1]Committee, this proposed to be at it its upcoming meeting on 2 April 2024.

The Executive Mayor in Cabinet amended the report recommendations and RESOLVED to:

2.1       Approve the “Future Croydon” - the Transformation Plan 2024–2029, and agreed that the reporting cycle was to be clarified at a future Cabinet meeting.

2.2       Approve the update to the existing transformation plan, previously agreed at Cabinet in November 2022, renamed the Council Improvement Programme 2022 – 2027.

Executive Mayor in Cabinet RESOLVED:

2.1            to approve the 18-month Procurement Pipeline as set out in Appendix A.

2.2            to approve the delegated decisions over £500,000 in value within the Procurement Pipeline to those Lead Members or Officers as stated in Appendix A, that includes the procurement strategy and award decisions, the duration of the contracts and contract values.

2.3            that delegated decisions shall only be exercised following recommendations from the Contracts & Commissioning Board, which include approval from both the Lead Cabinet Member and the Cabinet Member for Finance.

2.4            to allow for minor changes to proceed whilst retaining the agreed delegation so long as none of the following thresholds for changes are exceeded:

         i.        Contract value exceeds that proposed in the Procurement Pipeline, by the lesser of £500K or 25%, or the new aggregate value exceeds £1m and it becomes a key decision

       ii.        Substantial / material changes to procurement from that defined in the Procurement Pipeline e.g. material risks are identified

(Should either of those thresholds be exceeded, the delegation cannot be exercised, and the decision shall be recommended to the Executive Mayor, unless a further delegation is approved. Where a delegated decision is a Key Decision to Officers, it must be made in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member).

2.5            to note the improvements to the pipeline format as set out in section 4.4 of the report.

Executive Mayor in Cabinet RESOLVED:

2.1            to note the General Fund revenue budget outturn is forecast to underspend by £1.5m at Period 9, after the budgeted utilisation of £63m capitalisation directions requested from DLUHC.

2.2            to note the progress in Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) savings achievement of £32.4m (89.8%) against the total savings target of £36.1m as set out in paragraph 4.102.

2.3            to note the work that has commenced on the Council’s Transformation Programme as set out from paragraph 4.97.

2.4            to note the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) revenue budget outturn is forecast to overspend by £12.0m.

2.5            to note the General Fund capital programme 2023-24 forecast underspend of £20.0m against the revised capital budget of £124.0m.  The 2023-24 General Fund capital budget has been updated to reflect the changes agreed through the Capital Programme and Capital Strategy 2023-29 report at the Cabinet meeting on 14 February 2024.

2.6            to note the HRA capital programme 2023-24 forecast overspend of £1.8m against the revised capital budget of £37.2m.  The 2023-24 HRA capital budget has been updated to reflect the changes agreed through the Capital Programme and Capital Strategy 2023-29 report at the Cabinet meeting on 14 February 2024.

2.7            to approve within the multi-year HRA capital budget the re-profiling of £2.071m budget from 2024-25 to 2023-24.  This is to align the budget with the acquisition of the Belgrave and Grosvenor site and freehold of the previous Printworks site on Portland Place from Brick By Brick in March 2024, as set out from paragraph 4.141.

2.8            to note the Council’s historic borrowing and subsequent debt burden continues to be critical to the non-sustainability of the Council’s revenue budget.  Dialogue with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) continues, and the Council is seeking further financial support from Government in regard to its level of structural indebtedness to ensure it can deliver sustainable local government services.

2.9            to note that the Council continues to operate Spend Control Panels to ensure that tight financial control and assurance oversight are maintained.   

2.10         to note that current forecasts are based on the best available information at the time and will be subject to review and change during the financial year.

The Executive Mayor in Cabinet RESOLVED to:

2.1            Approve the Oracle Improvement Programme Business Case attached as appendix A.

2.2            Approve the addition to the capital programme of the budget requested of £3.922m funded through earmarked reserves.

2.3            Note that the HR business case will be subject to a separate report to Cabinet in June.

Executive Mayor in Cabinet RESOLVED:

2.1.          to agree the publication of the Proposed Submission draft of the Croydon Local Plan review (Appendix 1), its associated additional Sustainability Appraisals (Appendix 2) and updated additional supporting evidence for six weeks for representations to be made upon it, in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012;

2.2         to agree that the Proposed Submission draft of the Croydon Local Plan review be recommended to Full Council for submission to the Secretary of State upon expiry of the statutory 6-week publication period including, if applicable, any minor changes arising from any representations received in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012;

2.3         delegate minor and/or factual changes to the Proposed Submission draft of the Croydon Local Plan review including the Policies Maps, prior to publication to the Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration in consultation with the Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration.

2.4            delegate to the Corporate Director for Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery, in consultation with the Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, the publication of draft Supplementary Planning Documents.

2.5         delegate to the Corporate Director for Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery, in consultation with the Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, the publication of draft Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule: and 

2.6         delegate to the Corporate Director for Sustainable Communities, Regeneration and Economic Recovery, in consultation with the Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, the publication of the Council’s Authority’s Monitoring Reports and Infrastructure Funding Statements. 

The Executive Mayor in Cabinet RESOLVED:

2.1       Note the LGSCO findings and recommendations in respect of Child B in Appendix 1.

2.2       Endorse the Action Plan in response to the recommendations including the measures already in place as set out in Appendix 2.

2.3       Adopt the report as the Executive’s formal response as required by section 5A of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 for distribution to all members and the Monitoring Office

RESOLVED:

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2023 as an accurate record of the proceedings.

Contained within the Part A report.

RESOLVED:

2.1             To approve the commissioning intentions and procurement strategy detailed in this report which will lead to the award of a contract for Children’s Advocacy Services for a maximum of 5 years with a total contract value of £508,250 and annual value of £101.650.

To note that the procurement is to be combined with the Adults Advocacy procurement and advertised as a separate lot.

The report for decision sets out the purpose and need for the procurement of a two-phase contract for a strategic deliver partner to support the Children, Young People and Education Directorate (CYPE) to deliver the service transformation and savings required over 2024 – 2026.

The programme of work to be delivered will amplify and accelerate the pace of delivery across the existing CYPE transformation programme, identifying new opportunities to sustain service quality and reduce costs.

RESOLVED:

To approve the procurement strategy detailed in the report which will lead to the direct award of a contract (called off from the NEPRO single supplier Framework) to Bloom Procurement Services Ltd to a maximum value of £1,000,000 to deliver the services of a Strategic Delivery Partner for CYPE over a period of up to two years

The scheme is both a housing priority as it replaces 3 1960s system-built tower blocks and maisonettes all of which are becoming unfit for habitation which are being planned to be replaced by a vibrant, modern, well-designed development of social, affordable rent and private homes – the Regina Road Redevelopment.

RESOLVED:

To approve the award of a contract for the provision of Quantity Surveyor Services for the Regina Road regeneration project, for a maximum contract value as stated in the Part B report to bidder (A), as named in the Part B report.