Further to Minute No. 114, 9th February 2022, the Director of Adults and Health and the Director of City Development submitted a joint report regarding the development proposals for the Kirkland’s Autism Project, on Queensway, Yeadon in the Guiseley and Rawdon Ward. The scheme would provide a bespoke registered residential care home consisting of six one storey homes for adults with severe learning disabilities and complex autism. The report sought a number of approvals in order progress the project.
The Executive Member provided the Board with an overview of the proposals detailed within the submitted report and the key positive outcomes which would be delivered as part of such proposals.
Members welcomed the submission of the report and provided support for the proposals within it.
RESOLVED –
(a) That the contents of the submitted report, be noted, together with the progress made so far on the Kirkland’s Autism Project;
(b) That an injection of £9.2m capital expenditure, be authorised and that the approval to spend also be authorised. Capital expenditure of £8.1m will be from departmental borrowing to develop a high quality, six-bed bespoke Registered Residential care home for adults with severe learning disabilities and complex autism who display behaviours which challenge services. The remaining expenditure will be funded by a capital grant from the NHS for £1.09m. The cost of borrowing will be funded by West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board;
(c) That approval be given for the Director of City Development, under delegated powers, to progress the scheme to construction completion;
(d) That the project team be authorised to enter into a construction contract with Kier Construction Ltd T/A Kier North and Scotland (Kier) to construct the Kirkland Autism Project;
(e) That Leeds City Council be authorised to enter into a legal capital grant agreement with NHS England for the receipt of £1.09m to Leeds City Council, which will involve a Land Registry restriction around one highly specialised home to be built on a portion of the site;
(f) That the necessary authority be delegated to the Director of Adults and Health under the scheme of officer delegation to grant approval for the authorisation to enter the legal capital grant agreement (as referenced above);
(g) That the resolutions arising from this report, as detailed above, be exempted from the Call In process for the reasons as set out in paragraphs 39 to 43 of the submitted report.
(The Council’s Executive and Decision Making Procedure Rules state that a decision may be declared as being exempt from the Call In process by the decision taker if it is considered that the matter is urgent and any delay would seriously prejudice the Council’s, or the public’s interests. In line with this, the resolutions contained within this minute were exempted from the Call In process, as per resolution (g) above, and for the reasons as set out within sections 39 - 43 of the submitted report)