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Resolved:-
 

(1)         
that approval be given to the geographical focus for
Sandwell LUP as Wednesbury Town (Wednesbury North, Wednesbury South
and Friar Park);

 

(2)         
that the Director of Regeneration and Growth and
S151 Officer in consultation with the Leader be authorised to
review and formally accept the LUP offer/ grant conditions from
DLUHC;
 

(3)         
that approval be given to commence delivery of
Levelling Up Partnership interventions, subject to S151 Officer
authorisation and acceptance of grant conditions from DLUHC as set
out in (2) above;
 

(4)         
that approval be given for the Council to act as the
Accountable Body for the Levelling Up Partnership Programme, adopt
programme governance arrangements and establish a Wednesbury
Levelling Up Partnership Board and associated Terms of
Reference;
 

(5)         
that the Director Law and Governance in consultation
with the Director of Regeneration and Growth and the Leader be
authorised to make any changes to the Wednesbury Levelling up
Partnership Board Terms of Reference to respond to any Government
guidance or requirements;
 

(6)         
that the Director of Regeneration and Growth in
consultation with the Leader be authorised to invite expressions of
interest and conduct any necessary selection processes to make
appointments to the Wednesbury Levelling Up Partnership
Board;
 

(7)         
that subject to acceptance of grant conditions as
set out in (2) above, that in relation to Levelling Up Partnership
interventions, that the following capital expenditure be approved
and added to the Capital Programme for 2023/24 and
2024/25:
 

a.   
in relation to Friar Park Urban Village project,
that capital expenditure of up to £11.5m be authorised to
bring forward the Friar Park Urban Village Scheme, as per the
recently approved Masterplan for this site and that officers are
authorised to renegotiate the current Joint Venture Agreement (JVA)
with West Midlands Combined Authority to reflect the nature of this
significant investment and to deal with related commercial matters
that impact on the JVA now that the Council is the primary funder
using LUP resources;
 

b.   
in relation to Wednesbury Town Centre Improvement
project, that capital expenditure of up to £4.45m be approved
for site improvement, acquisition and public realm improvement
works;
 

c.   
in relation to the Wednesbury Community Safety
project that capital expenditure of up to £0.4m be approved
for CCTV scheme improvements, mobile cameras for flytipping and installation of low level bike
inhibitors as deterrents to ASB and crime;
 

d.   
in relation to the Greenspaces project that capital
expenditure of up to £1.65m be approved for improvements to
green spaces in Wednesbury;
 

e.   
in relation to the Friar Park Millennium Centre
extension, approval is requested for an appropriate scheme to be
designed; planning consent to be obtained; procurement of a
construction partner to deliver the scheme; capital expenditure of
up to £2m be authorised for the scheme to be delivered; and
all relevant agreements and actions be taken to ensure this project
is delivered that enhances the community offer (this approval
updates the previous Cabinet approval for this scheme of
15/03/2023);

 

(8)         
that subject to acceptance of grant conditions as
set out in (2) above, that approval be given to expend up to
£100,000 revenue in relation to the Wednesbury Community
Safety Project and up to £250,000 revenue in relation to
Wednesbury Masterplanning and Levelling
Up Partnership Programme Management and that the appropriate budget
virements are actioned, funded from Levelling Up Grant;

 

(9)         
that the Director of Regeneration and Growth, in
consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and WMCA be
authorised to approve public consultation in relation to Wednesbury
Masterplanning for the purposes of
Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning)
(England) Regulations (2012);
 

(10)     
that the Director of Regeneration and Growth, in
consultation with the S151 Officer and Cabinet Member for
Regeneration and WMCA, be authorised to approve:
 

a.   
a decrease/ increase of grant funds to be drawn down
by individual projects of up to £250,000 within the overall
Levelling Up Partnership capital allocation;

 

b.   
any decrease to mandatory indicators of outputs and
outcomes of the Levelling Up Partnership projects;
 

c.   
slippage of outcomes and/ or grant claim profile up
to £1m requiring re-profiling across future financial years
with no overall material change to project outcomes;

 

(11)     
that the Director Regeneration and Growth, in
consultation with Director of Law and Governance, be authorised to
undertake all necessary steps/actions, to acquire relevant sites in
Wednesbury and Friar Park in line with the Council’s land and
property portfolio;

 

(12)     
that the Director of Regeneration and Growth, the
Director of Borough Economy and the Director of Law and Governance
in agreement with the Section 151 Officer, be authorised to enter
into any necessary legal agreements, submit any necessary planning
applications/agreements, undertake all necessary procurement
processes (including entering into contracts for the provision of
goods and services and any direct contract awards), and
undertake/exercise all other necessary action/powers necessary to
deliver the Levelling Up Partnership interventions;
 

(13)     
that subject to acceptance of grant conditions as
set out in (2) above, that the capital allocation to the Council
from the Levelling Up Partnership be managed within the
Council’s overall capital programme to allow carry forward of
other funding sources into 2024/25 for delivery of the Levelling Up
Partnership Interventions;
 

(14)     
that Cabinet approve the Wednesbury Town Centre
Improvement project to be added to the Regeneration Project
Pipeline;
 

(15)     
that Cabinet receive a report on the performance of
the Levelling Up Partnership Programme after 6 months;
 

(16)     
that in connection with Resolution 1 – 15
above approval be given to make an exemption to the Council’s
Financial Regulations in relation to the Levelling Up Partnership
Proposals.