Decisions

To consider the Equality Plan and its objectives

That Council be recommended to approve the Equality Plan (2021-2025) and associated Action Plan (2021-2022).

To consider bringing back inhouse Trading Standards, Environmental Health and Licensing functions from the Public Protection Partnership

That:

1)              the Council serves formal notice on the Public Protection Partnership before 31^st March 2021, which if effected would take place on 31^st March 2022;

2)              the delegation to PPP in respect to the Executive and Council functions and duties (including environmental health, licensing and trading standards) will end and will be exercised by the Council directly from 1^st April 2022;

3)              The Director of Place and Growth and Deputy Chief Executive (and Section 151 Officer), in consultation with the Lead Member for Environment and Lead Member for Finance and Housing, are authorised to commence design of the new services structure and any resulting negotiations on an Exit Plan and to address timeframe (including earlier dates than stated in recommendation 1 and 2 if agreed by the Councils), mitigation of risks and costs, key milestones, ongoing resources and staffing implications for a successful departure from the partnership;

4)              The Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Place and Growth create and work with a task force of Officers and Members to create the new in-house service;

5)              it be noted that a special item of £500k, spread over financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23, was included in the Medium Term Financial Plan to fund a safe and effective transition.

The write off of non-collectable debt ensures that the council ledgers are accurate and up to date.

That the Executive Member for Finance and Housing agreed to write-off as unrecoverable two outstanding Business Rate debts totalling £72,003.40 as detailed within this report.

That the Executive Member for Highways and Transport:

1)      Approved the WBC adoption of the Department of Transport Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/20 ‘Cycle Infrastructure Design’ (July 2020), as part of our relevant highway design guidance going forward for schemes not yet commenced;

2)      Agreed that WBC seek to embrace the principles of LTN 1/20 (and Gear Change) in developing new policy and applying, where possible within budget constraints and availability of external funding, to schemes already within the design process.