Search decisions

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Strategic Estates and Facilities Management that requested approval to establish a new Construction Framework.

The Cabinet was informed that a review of the delivery of Low Value Construction & Highways Services Multi-Lot Framework currently managed by Unity Partnership and the Council had identified that a new framework needed to be established. The current framework was set up in 2015 and was due to expire.

The proposal was to establish a new Construction and Highways Works & Services Framework (CHWSF), which would include a variety of lots to cover the majority of the Council’s maintenance work requirements. The Council needed to ensure that all procurement activity was fully compliant with Oldham Council Contract Procedure Rules and EU Procurement Regulations.

The Framework Agreement was to be established initially for a one-year period, with the option to extend by an additional two years (in one-year increments), if considered appropriate to do so at that time.

Options/Alternatives considered:

·       To approve the proposed new CHWSF and award the framework to those suppliers listed for each Lot to ensure continuity of supply.

·       Not to award the framework.

RESOLVED that the establishment of the Construction and Highways Works and Services Framework for a one-year period, with the option to extend by an additional two years (in one-year increments), be approved.

Consideration was given to a report of the Senior Finance Manager which sought to;

a)    Secure the necessary agreements on behalf of Oldham Council, which together with similar agreements from all the other participating Authorities and bodies, would enable the full fibre provider to be contracted by 1 October 2019, and

b)    Gain approval to appoint a dedicated project management resource for Oldham to manage the interface between the various Council services that would need to be involved, the appointed contractor, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TFGM).

The Cabinet was informed that, following the successful Greater Manchester (GM) bid to Central Government’s Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) for £23.8m of Local Full Fibre Networks funding (LFFN) in March 2018, a considerable amount of work had been undertaken to finalise this large complex project.

The LFFN Programme would have a transformational impact on digital infrastructure in GM and, at its conclusion the region should have the best high-speed digital infrastructure coverage of any city-region in the UK. The programme was also expected to deliver cost benefits to public sector partners over the medium term.

The Cabinet noted that the Council had been working very closely with the TfGM LFFN Team who had been drawing on local technical, financial, procurement and highways expertise to ensure that the LFFN Full Fibre Programme was delivered within the tight timeframe and met local

needs.

The grant offer from DCMS required GM to spend the £21.3m DCMS LFFN funding by the end of March 2021. This was a challenging timescale, which required the LFFN to be procured during the first half of 2019/20. Therefore, Oldham, together with all the other participants needed formal financial approvals to be in place before the scheduled date for contracts to be awarded in October 2019.

As the GM-wide initiative had been under consideration for some time, the approved 2019/20 to 2023/24 Capital Strategy made provision for the Council’s inclusion in the scheme, with an initial investment of £1.5m being set aside. The commitment and cost to the Council had therefore been anticipated and included in both the revenue and capital financial plans.

Options/Alternatives considered:

·       Approve the recommendations

·       Not to approve the recommendations

RESOLVED that:

1.     Approval was granted to delegate authority to the Leader of the Council and Deputy Chief Executive (People and Place) to approve the final capital funding commitment up to a maximum of £1.525m, which would fund the connection of at least 63 mandatory sites within the Oldham area and up to 36 additional sites.

2.     Approval was granted to delegate authority to the Leader of the Council and Deputy Chief Executive (People and Place) to enter into a contract with the preferred supplier for the fibre connection of public sites and premises in Oldham under the GM Local Full Fibre Networks Programme.

3.     Approval was granted to delegate authority to the Leader of the Council and Deputy Chief Executive (People and Place) to enter into the Inter Authority Agreement (IAA) that will set out the local authority role and processes for the implementation of the LFFN Programme.

4.     The acceptance the Oldham share of the DCMS LFFN grant funding, which will be distributed by the GMCA, be approved.

5.     The engagement of a dedicated project management resource, at a maximum cost of £60k for a period of up to 36 months, be approved.

6.     The increase in the capital allocation within the currently approved Capital Programme, by £0.085m from the currently approved £1.500m to £1.585m with the utilisation of Funds for Emerging Priorities, to fully fund the proposals contained within this report be agreed.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Head of School Support Services seeking approval for an additional expansion of Hollinwood Academy.

The Cabinet was informed that the Local Authority (LA) had a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places within its area. There was significant place pressure at Hollinwood Academy, which provided education for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders and social communication difficulties. The academy was the only bespoke provision in Oldham for pupils with these conditions. Without further additional expansion the academy would not be able to offer places to a number of children whose Education and Health Care Plans (EHCP’s) had indicated that the academy would be the preferred provider.

The Cabinet noted that, in February 2019, a delegated decision was taken to contribute £390,000 Basic Need Funding to the physical expansion of Hollinwood Academy. In the time since that decision was made, it had become apparent that further place pressure would be made on the school which would mean that it would require an additional 8 classrooms, as opposed to the original 4 approved in February 2019. On current predictions there would be 215 pupils in the school in September 2019 which was expected to cater for around 50 pupils.

The Cabinet was informed that the LA had a statutory obligation to provide sufficient special school places in the borough. The additional increased pressure on places was a result of parental choice and an increase in the number of EHCP’s where the school was named as the preferred provider.

Options/Alternatives considered:

·       Provide an additional contribution to the Newbridge Trust to facilitate the increase in pupils.

·       Not approve the additional funding.

RESOLVED that:

1.     An additional basic need funding of £300,000 for the increased expansion of Hollinwood Academy be approved.

2.     Authority be delegated to the Director of Education, Skills and Early Years to develop, consult, procure and arrange for the execution by the Director of Legal Services of any relevant contracts and incidental and ancillary documentation in accordance with the agreed school expansions programme.

The Cabinet gave consideration to a report of the Operations Manager which sought approval for the award of a Framework Agreement to cover the annual, seasonal and ad hoc requirement within the Highway Operations for the provision of a range of hired plant and equipment.

The Cabinet was informed that the intention was to form a Framework of suppliers, which will ensure availability of all plant and equipment. The Agreement would be administered and the work allocated by the individual service areas. Being selected as one of the prospective suppliers on the Framework Agreement would in no way guarantee an allotted amount of work during the contract period.

The plant hire framework would be established over 5 years and was essentially a framework for the Highways Operations team to hire various plant, equipment and skilled operatives to cover the annual, seasonal and ad hoc requirements within the Highway Operations service. The contract was divided into six lots with various suppliers in each lot, which allowed the flexibility to complete various projects.

Options/Alternatives considered:

·       To award the framework agreement to the bidders identified.

·       To not award.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet would consider the commercially sensitive information contained at Item 13 of the agenda.

The Cabinet gave consideration to a report of the Senior Planning Officer which sought adoption of the Oldham Town Centre Oldham Town Centre Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (CAAMP) Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), with the proposed extensions to the Oldham Town Centre Conservation Area boundary being designated under section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and treated as a material planning consideration, until formally adopted through the Local Plan

review process. This would allow the CAAMP to hold more weight in planning

decisions, including the proposed extensions, to help enhance Oldham Town Centre Conservation Area.

The Cabinet was informed that the SPD would provide further guidance on the relevant policies contained within the Joint Core Strategy and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document (the

Joint DPD) and, in particular it would assist council officers and applicants in implementing Policy 24 ‘Historic Environment’ in planning decisions and enforcement.

The CAAMP would provide up to date evidence to inform the Local Plan review and its implementation when adopted. It would also support the regeneration plans for Oldham Town Centre.

The CAAMP was a high priority as the Oldham Town Centre Conservation Area had been surveyed as part of the Historic England Heritage “At Risk” Assessment and had been included on the conservation area “At Risk” Register. An up to date CAAMP was required to reassess the designated area, and evaluate and record its special interest. The last conservation area appraisal for Oldham Town Centre had been published in April 1997.

The Cabinet was informed that four extensions were proposed to the existing Oldham Town Centre conservation area boundary.

·       High Street East and Parliament Square

·       Yorkshire Street, Retiro Street and Waterloo Street

·       Cultural Quarter

·       Harrison Street

Buildings had also been identified that could be added to a local list and a Management Plan had been developed, which set out policies and recommendations around enhancement, regeneration and community

engagement.

The appraisal had been prepared has been prepared as an SPD providing more detailed guidance to Policy 24 on the Historic Environment in

the adopted Local Plan. This would give the CAAMP more weight in planning decisions and enforcement action. The proposed extensions to the

conservation area would have to be formally adopted through the Local Plan and, until then, approval would enable them to be designated and treated as a material planning consideration in planning decisions, so that consideration would still be afforded to these areas recommended for inclusion within the conservation area.

Options/Alternatives considered:

·       Option 1 - To approve the CAAMP SPD and associated requirements.

·       Option 2 - To not approve the SPD and associated requirements.

RESOLVED that the adoption of the CAAMP SPD and associated requirements and designation of the proposed extensions be approved.

Consideration was given to a report of the Engineer, Highways & Engineering, Unity Partnership, which sought approval for the award of a civil engineering contract in excess of £400,000 to Bethell Construction Ltd for Delph New Road / A62 Huddersfield Road Flood Alleviation Scheme following the tender selection process.

The Cabinet was informed that the Gatehead and Huddersfield Road area had been identified as a local priority area for a flood risk management scheme. There was a history of flooding in the Gatehead area and along Huddersfield Road. 110 domestic properties and 43 commercial sites were

affected by flooding at Gatehead housing estate and internal flooding along Huddersfield Road. The two locations flooded approximately 1 in 10 years.

The project involved the procurement, tender evaluation and acceptance for Delph New Road / A62 Huddersfield Road Flood Alleviation Scheme. The works included the construction of proposed highway drainage, including pipe, manholes, gullies and the construction of an outfall structure.

Options/Alternatives considered:

·       Agree to appoint the preferred contractor and enable a purchase order for the works value to be raised for the works associated with Delph New Road / A62 Huddersfield Road Flood Alleviation Scheme.

·       Do not agree to appoint the preferred contractor to undertake the works.

RESOLVED that – the Cabinet would consider the commercially sensitive information contained at Item 14 of the agenda.