Decisions Made

Early in 2022, the Full Licensing Committee amended the Councils Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy to include the mandatory requirement for all licensed drivers (current and new) to complete an Essential Safeguarding Course via a Council nominated provider no later than 31st March 2023.

It has become apparent that at least 400 drivers have failed to complete this course and will not meet the deadline. Demand is now outstripping supply and an extension to the deadline until 30th September 2023 is now sought. The primary purpose of the taxi licensing regime is public safety and failure to complete this may compromise this objective.

The Licensing Chair (Cllr Irvine), Vice Chair (Cllr Ali) and Cabinet Member (Cllr Jhans) have all given their approval to the extension.

Extend the timescale for completion of the Essential Safeguarding Course (Taxi Drivers) via a Council Nominated Provider no later than 30th September 2023.

The Deputy Chief Executive took the decision on behalf of the Head of Community Services (whilst a vacancy for that post remained).

As part of the 2022/23 capital programme (FIN/537), the Council included an allocation of £160,460 to make improvements to parks tennis courts covering 3 wards. Following this, the project budget and scope has changed from the original capital scheme approval.

On 14 December 2022, Full Council approved the increase in the capital programme for Park Tennis by £111,390 funded from Lawn Tennis Grant. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) agreed to increase their grant from £21,000 to a maximum of £132,390, thereby making a total project budget of £271,850 – as outlined in paragraph 9.3 of report FIN/596. The funding will allow improvements to be made to parks tennis courts in 3 wards – Maidenbower, Furnace Green, and West Green. The Council have now entered into a Grant Funding Agreement with the LTA Tennis Foundation which includes accepting the standard terms and obligation period, which include:

·        A contractual requirement with the Council and the LTA preferred contractor, CIA Fire and Security LTD, for the supply and installation of gates and access systems and to be operational for a minimum period of 5 years

·        Connecting the access control system to Clubspark (or the LTA’s preferred booking system) for a minimum period of 5 years

·        • To maintain the gate access system for the duration of the obligation period.

All works except for the gate supply and installation to be carried out under our Civil Engineering and Minor Works Framework Contract which Edburton holds with the Council till 2nd January 2024.

Decision taken by Head of Major Projects and Commercial Services to proceed under the Civil Engineering & Minor Works Contract and to enter into and accept the standard terms and obligations set out within the Grant Funding Agreement with the LTA Tennis Foundation to fund the renovation of park tennis courts and provision of gate access systems across 3 sites. Standard terms and obligation period include using LTA preferred booking system and gate contractor for the supply, installation and maintenance agreement for a period of 5 years.

1.      Group the remaining 8 approved schemes together within one tender.

2.      Delegate authority to the Head of Community Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, to conduct any further review stage/s and agree where necessary to reprioritise the order of delivery for the relevant phase of the investment programme.

To extend the contract to the waste and recycling service.

Exempt Paragraph 3

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a)            approves the extenison of the current Waste and Recycling Contract with Biffa Municipal for 26 months from 1st February 2024 until 31st March 2026, noting the resource implications set out in section 6 of report HPS/034. 

b)            agrees to procure a new refuse vehicle fleet with a view to the new fleet coming into operation from 1st February 2024, and delegates the Head of Major Projects and Commercial Services to conduct the fleet procurement in accordance with the Council’s Procurement Code.

c)            delegates the negotiation, approval and completion of all relevant legal documentation, of a new refuse vehicle fleet, to the Head of Major Projects and Commercial Services, Head of Governance, People and Performance, and Head of Corporate Finance, in consultation with the appropriate Cabinet member.

(Generic Delegations 2 & 3 will be used to enact this recommendation)

d)            Request Full Council to approves a supplementary capital estimate of £3m for the procurement of a new refuse fleet funded by:

·           £1.6m from the Refuse Vehicle Replacement Reserve

·           £0.18m from the Waste and Recycling Reserve

·           £1.22m from the Capital Programme Reserve

Reasons for the Recommendations

The recommendations will enable continuity of the waste and recycling service in the coming years and will ensure the waste vehicle fleet is operating efficiently and fit for purpose. The recommendations will also enable the Council to assess options for making amendments to the local waste collection arrangements in response to the National Waste Strategy which the Government has indicated will be released in the ‘near future’.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet:

a)            approves the Tenancy Policy (Appendix A to report CH/199) for adoption and subsequent publication.

b)            delegates authority to the Head of Crawley Homes, in consultation with the Cabinet member for Housing, to review and make amendments to the Tenancy Policy as further changes to legislation and statutory guidance are introduced.

(Generic Delegation 7 will be used to enact this recommendation).

c)            delegates to the Head of Crawley Homes the variation process required for introductory flexible tenancies under Section 103 of the Housing Act 1985

(Generic Delegation 3 will be used to enact this recommendation)

Reasons for the Recommendations

In line with the Localism Act 2011 and Regulatory Standards, it is a requirement for social landlords to have a policy in place which sets out their approach to offering tenancies and making best use of stock, as well as how they will manage and sustain tenancies.

The proposed Tenancy Policy sets out the Council’s revised approach.

In accordance with the Full Council resolution made in April 2019 as contained in the scheme of management , specifically 7w:
"that all other decisions and actions during the DCO application process, including the examination is delegated to the Head of Economy and Planning."
This delegation allows the Head of Economy and Planning to authorise the appointment of specialist consultants above the normal
contract delegations including AECOM to provide advice on the impacts, particularly Noise, Air Quality, Carbon and socio-economics of the proposed Gatwick Airport Northern Runway Development Consent Order.

To agree to the appointment of AECOM consultants to undertake a range of impact assessments regarding Gatwick Airport Ltd's Northern Runway and DCO proposals - these assessments will focus on the topics listed above.

Crawley Borough Council signed a Heads of Terms on 24th March 2021 with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (now the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, DLUHC) that the Government would provide Crawley with up to a total of £21.1 million from the Towns Fund, subject to submission of robust project business cases.

Following the Full Council approval of Crawley Towns Fund Project Business Cases on 30 March 2022, the Manor Royal Business Environment Improvement project was endorsed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The overall objective of this project is to deliver a programme of Business Environment upgrades and modernisation in Manor Royal Business District which include: a network of new and connected “Micro-Parks” to improve the public realm, visual amenity and outdoor facilities and open space accessible to all within a comfortable (5 minute) walk regardless of where they work in the Business District, and in the immediate vicinity of transformed bus waiting area “super hub” investments, in addition to upgrading visually weak points of entry to the Business District.

The amount of funding allocated to this project, as approved by Full Council is: £1.5 million.

A legal agreement with MRBD (Manor Royal Bid Company Ltd sets out the delivery of this work, in accordance with the project business case and guidance from DLUHC.

On 6th March 2022, the Head of Economy and Planning under generic delegation 3, took the decision to approve the Council signing of the Grant Funding Agreement DLUHC Funded Project: Manor Royal Business Environment Improvement Programme (4B Micro Parks) between Crawley Borough Council and MRBD (Manor Royal Bid Company Ltd. This allows the Manor Royal BID, now successfully returned for another 5 years by BID levy payers, to progress delivery of the project.

To approve the Grant Funding Agreement for the Towns Fund Manor Royal Business Environment Improvement Programme

Determine applications for strategic grants together with the grants budget for 2023/2024.

Approve the determination of ‘main grant’ applications. The funding is part of the grants budget. Main grants (provisional awards) are subject to appeal and final decision by the Grants Appeals Panel. All grants have been assessed against the new outcomes framework document.

Details of awards are included in Councillors’ Information Bulletin IB/1172.

Manor Royal BID would like to contract the Council's Neighbourhood Services team, for a term of 5 years, to do additional grounds maintenance work in addition to existing ‘Base Line’ services e.g. Grass Cutting, Litter Picking, and general cleaning and upkeep of the public domain. Approval to enter into this contracted agreement is required.

The Council already provides this service, and has done so for approaching 5 years now since the previous BID term. These additional services are fully funded by the Manor Royal BID and will continue to be so.

Agree to the Manor Royal BID request to provide additional enhanced maintenance, entering into the contracted agreements as required.