Decisions

-  Approved the council entering into Connection and Supply Agreements with a number of prospective customers for Leeds PIPES

-  Approved the awarding of contract/contracts to the project’s Principal Contractor for detailed design at a number of sites to facilitate connections to Leeds PIPES, utilising standard council T&Cs

-  Approved the awarding of contract/contacts to the project’s Principal Contractor for works to connect customers to Leeds PIPES, utilising an NEC3 contract

Potential customers to be detailed in the accompanying Key Decision report confidential appendix.

The Director for Communities, Housing, and Environment has taken the following decisions:

a)  Approve the awarding of contracts for detailed design at sites included in Confidential Appendix 1 – 24/25 Leeds PIPES Customers, to the maximum values stated, to Vital Energi Utilities Ltd.

b)  Approve the entering into of Connection and/or Supply Agreements with the customers included in Confidential Appendix 1 noting that any variations to the standard council position in these agreements will be subsequently approved by the Chief Officer for Climate, Energy and Green Spaces under the established delegations.

c)  Approve the awarding of contracts to Vital Energi Utilities Ltd for the design and build of connections to sites included in Confidential Appendix 1, to the maximum values stated.

d)  Note that Confidential Appendix 1 is excluded from this report for reasons detailed at paragraph 41, in line with the Local Government Act 1972.

Approval of schemes to deliver traffic signal upgrades across the road network including asset renewal, control strategy upgrades, telecommunications infrastructure upgrades and optimisation of existing asset.

a)  The Chief Officer (Highways and Transportation) has:

i)  Reviewed and approved the prioritised list of proposed schemes set out in Appendix A for delivery as part of the 2024/25 Urban Traffic Management & Control (UTMC) Capital Programme.

ii)  Approved the injection of £1,832,000 from CRSTS and £500,000 from TSOG into the UTMC Capital Programme 2024/25.

iii)  Given authority to incur expenditure of an expected £2,332,000 (inclusive of all works costs, fees and legal costs) which will be funded by way of £1,832,000 from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) and £500,000 from the Department for Transport Traffic Signal Obsolescence Grant (TSOG).

The Chief Officer Community Hubs, Welfare & Business Support gave approval to award the contract for the supply of Domestic Appliances for LWSS to Stearn Electric Co Ltd. A contract length of three years with two one-year extension options was recommended at an estimated value of up to £1 million over a full 5-year period. The new contract will commence on 15 April 2024.

Key Delegated Decision to approve expenditure over £500k in respect of the 2023/24 & 2024/25 Health and Safety Programme

In the absence of The Director of Children and Families, The Chief Officer of Resources & Strategy agreed to:

a)  Authorise expenditure of £1,000,000 of the available School Condition Allocation Grant to spend on essential health and safety condition works.

b)  Approve the proposal to undertake Asbestos Works, Electrical testing, Condition Survey Works and unforeseen urgent Reactive Works at Leeds schools.

The Deputy Director for Learning approved the proposals in this report for the Council to roll forward existing arrangements with Area Inclusion Partnerships from 1st April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

The total value of the agreements, determined annually under separate arrangements, is approximately £5.06m per annum.

To seek authority to incur expenditure to the limit of the available budget and add schemes into the capital programme that have been identified within the Appendix of the “Highways Infrastructure Maintenance Programme (Structures) 2024/25” report.

The Chief Officer (Highways and Transportation);

a)  gave authority to incur expenditure of £7,105,188 (£5,606,000 works costs, £1,231,600 staff, and £267,588 engineering partner fees) funded from the 2024/25 City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (£5,955,088) and Leeds City Council Capital Resources (£1,150,100); and,

b)  approved the addition of the schemes listed in appendix B to this report into the Highways Infrastructure Maintenance Programmes (Structures) for 2024/25.

c)  gave authority to engage with the City Development’s Land and Property team to purchase approximately 9m2 of private land at two properties adjacent to Town Hill, Bramham.

The Early Help Review will seek to achieve efficiencies by simplifying structures and processes, it will improve the quality of practice and the experience of children and families as they receive early help. It will develop the availability of evidence-based support and increase the engagement with children and families.

The review will focus on the need to develop integrated multi-disciplinary trauma informed services recognising the benefits of the Leeds Practice Model and the positive outcomes to be achieved for children and families as well as efficiencies that can be achieved through the increased integration of services. 

The review will build on the successful cluster arrangements and the three existing Early Help Hubs to develop Family and Community Hubs that will ensure the delivery of effective localised multi-agency accessible support. 

The Director of Children & Families approved;

• The new Early Help structure as detailed in appendix 1
• The creation of 1FTE Education Safeguarding & Front Door Support Officer (PO4), along with a 1FTE EDT Family Help Worker (C1) to be established on the Front Door structure.

The transfer of the MST and Futures services from the Early Help Structure to the Corporate parenting structure.

To approve the Waiver of Contract Procedure Rules to appoint a Contractor and Consultant to carry out  health and safety works at Leeds Grand Theatre.

The Chief Officer Operations & Active Leeds (on behalf of the Director of City Development) has:

I.  approved the waiver of CPR 8.1 and 8.2 to directly appoint JBH Developments Ltd to provide project management consultancy services for the urgent repair works required at the Theatre for the sum of up to £35,000.

II.  approved the waiver of CPR 9.1 and 9.2 to authorise the Council to directly appoint the Stone Technical Services Group Ltd (the Contractor) to carry out the design and delivery of the urgent repair works to the Theatre for an estimated sum £1.676 million. 

This is on the grounds that the consultant and the contractor need to be experienced with working on listed buildings with significant structural issues and which are also live performing events venues.  The figures quoted are inclusive of up to £500,000 works carried out under an Early Works and Undertaking Agreement approved by the Director of City Development on 14th March 2024 to enable urgent works to commence and minimise risk exposure.

Approval to award a call-off order under the Bytes Software Framework for the provision of Commoditised Software and Services. 

The Call-Off will cover requirements for a 12-month period (1st April 2024 – 31st March 2025) to allow business continuity whilst we consider and plan a new procurement to replace the outgoing framework.

The current Framework expires on 15th April 2024, we can enter Call-Off Agreements prior to that time, no new Call-Off Agreements can be raised after that.

The Director of Strategy and Resources gave approval to award a call-off contract under the council’s current software framework agreement for a 12-month period from 16th April 2024 to 15th April 2025 for continued provision of our COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) software and professional services for the period of 12 months.  The call-off contract will be awarded based on no minimum commitment on spend, and with a maximum allowable spend not to exceed £5,000,000.

To approve the programme of planned highways asset maintenance works (Roads) for the 2024/25 financial year and give authority to incur expenditure linked to these works.

The Chief Officer (Highways and Transportation);

a) gave authority to incur expenditure of £28,961,043 (£24,543,257 works costs and £4,417,786 staff) funded from the 2024/25 City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (£14,506,243) Network North Funding (£1,454,800) and Leeds City Council Capital Resources (£13,000,000);

b) approved the addition of the schemes listed in appendix B to this report into the Highways Infrastructure Maintenance Programmes 2024/25.

Leeds City Council currently has an established e-purchasing card solution which expires on 18^th August 2024. There are no further extensions on this contract.  Procurement of an e-purchasing card solution for 3 years plus the option of a 12 month extension is to be undertaken to ensure continuation of service for this essential payment solution.

The Director Strategy and Resources approved a direct award of the  contract to Lloyds Bank Plc for the provision of an e-purchasing card solution with effect from 19^th August 2024 for a period of 3 years with the option of a 12 month extension, utilising Crown Commercial Services (CCS) framework; Lot 1 of the RM6248.

Approval will be sought to end Leeds City Council’s lease of Thwaite Watermill. The lease is due to come to an end in 2030. A 12-month notice period is required, from the nearest quarter. This should mean the latest date of surrendering the lease will be April 1 2025.

a) The Chief Officer Culture & Economy has approved the decision to close Thwaite Mills, declaring the property surplus to service requirements, and to surrender the three leases of the site to Canal & River Trust (CRT).

b) The Chief Officer Culture & Economy has approved continuing engagement with trade unions on managing staff reductions during phased closure, and with key stakeholders such as boaters using moorings at Thwaite.

c) The Chief Officer Culture & Economy has approved that, if required, notice (six months) be served on boaters to allow for vacant possession.

a.  Note the contents of the Report to the Chief Officer (Highways and Transportation) (“the Report”);

b.  Note that full Council (21.2.2024) within the Capital Programme Update for 2023-28 has injected £5,404,000 of City Region Sustainable Transport Funding and £511,488 of Section 106 funding to deliver the scheme;

c.  Note and approve the proposed layout as per the drawings attached to the Report;

d.  Give authority to advertise a Traffic Regulation Order and, subject to objections, request the City Solicitor to make, seal and implement the Order;

e.  Give authority to display notices on site under the provision of Section 23 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to inform the public of the proposed formal pedestrian crossings;

f.  Approve the construction of cycle tracks under the powers contained under the provisions of Section 65(1) of the Highways Act 1980 for segregated or shared use by pedal cyclists and pedestrians;

g.  Approve the construction of traffic calming measures under the powers contained under the provisions of Section 90 of the Highways Act 1980; and

h.  Give authority to tender for a contractor to deliver the scheme utilising the Intermediate Works Contractor Framework.

The Chief Officer Highways and Transportation has:

a.  Noted the contents of the Report to the Chief Officer (Highways and Transportation) (“the Report”); 

b.  Noted that full Council (21.2.2024) within the Capital Programme Update for 2023-28 has injected £5,404,000 of City Region Sustainable Transport Funding and £511,488 of Section 106 funding to deliver the scheme; 

c.  Noted and approved the proposed layout as per the drawings attached to the Report; 

d.  Given authority to advertise a Traffic Regulation Order and, subject to objections, request the City Solicitor to make, seal and implement the Order; 

e.  Given authority to display notices on site under the provision of Section 23 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to inform the public of the proposed formal pedestrian crossings; 

f.  Approved the construction of cycle tracks under the powers contained under the provisions of Section 65(1) of the Highways Act 1980 for segregated or shared use by pedal cyclists and pedestrians; 

g.  Approved the construction of traffic calming measures under the powers contained under the provisions of Section 90 of the Highways Act 1980; and

h.  Given authority to tender for a contractor to deliver the scheme utilising the Intermediate Works Contractor Framework. 

To approve the use of Affordable Housing Commuted Sums Grant Funding to support a Registered Provider partner in the delivery of new affordable homes at Railway Street.

The decision has been taken by the Chief Officer Asset Management and Regeneration to approve and grant authority for:

a)  The spend of affordable housing commuted sums grant funding up to £670,000 to support the delivery of a 100% affordable scheme by 54North Homes of 58 new homes for social rent at Leonora House, Railway Street, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill and;

b)  The Council to enter into a grant agreement and nominations agreement with 54North Homes on the terms set out in this report.