Decisions

The Committee considered a report which proposed an extension to the Council’s current Enterprise Resource and Planning (ERP) Support Contract for a period of up to 2 years commencing September 2024.

RESOLVED (unanimously)

That the recommendations in the report be approved.

The Committee considered a report which proposed the closure of the Westfields offices in Sandbach as part of the rationalisation of the Council’s office space, following consultation with Cheshire East Council recognised trade unions, employees and members.

Members had regard to confidential legal advice which had been circulated to members with the agenda.

Officers advised that the timing of staff vacating Westfields would depend on the timing of the repurposing of the building.

Members commented that they would wish to see the repurposing of Westfields as soon as possible to achieve the financial savings and establish a new income stream.

RESOLVED (unanimously)

That the Committee

1.    notes the results from the consultation with Cheshire East Council recognised trade unions, employees and members provided at Appendices 1a and 1b;

2.    approves the option to close the Westfields offices in Sandbach;

3.    notes that the Head of Human Resources and Head of Democratic Services will progress further consultation with trade unions, employees, third parties and members, on the impact of closing the Westfields offices in Sandbach on those groups as it relates to relocation within other areas of the corporate estate;

4.    notes the findings of the market testing at paragraph 21 of the report, and that the Head of Estates/Executive Director of Place will report to the appropriate committee on the future use of the Westfields site in a timely manner to achieve best consideration from the asset; and

5.   notes that the Monitoring Officer will carry out all necessary communications to alert relevant individuals and organisations that the Post Room, located at Delamere House, Crewe, will be the registered address for all statutory correspondence.

The Committee considered a report on progress with the delivery of the Council’s Workforce Strategy 2021-2025 up to October 2023.

Officers were congratulated on the initiative to encourage agency workers to join the Council as permanent members of staff, which had resulted in financial savings to the Council. 

RESOLVED (unanimously)

That the Committee

1.   notes the progress in delivering the Workforce Strategy;

2.   agrees to receive further updates every six months to monitor progress; and

3.   agrees with the implementation of the strategy as set out in the report.

A public path diversion Order be made under

Section 257 of the Town and Country Planning Act

1990 to divert part of Public Footpath No. 20 in the

Parish of Buerton on grounds that the Cheshire

East Borough Council is satisfied that it is

necessary to do so in order to enable development

to be carried out.

The proposal has been put forward by the Public

Rights of Way team on behalf of Mr Geoff Blood of

Hankins Heys Farm, as a response to a planning

application that has been approved by the Council’s

Planning Department, for ‘Conversion of Barns to

Three Dwellings at Lower College Fields Farm,

Audlem Road, Woore, CW3 9RW’ as detailed

within planning reference 22/0523N

Approval of CEC’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund Stage 2 application and associated documentation for submission to the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles.

The application details CEC’s approach to procuring a Charge Point Operator (CPO) to install and operate a range of electric vehicle chargepoints across the Borough. Should the application be successful grant funding of 2.172m and investment from the CPO will wholly cover the costs of the planning, supply, installation, operation and decommissioning (if required) of the chargepoints.

The LEVI project is anticipated to install predominately 7kW chargepoints in car parks and consolidated hub locations on-street to support residents who do not have off-street parking to charge their vehicle. The approach proposed for the installation of LEVI project chargepoints is in line with the framework identified in CEC’s Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy.

That a 125 year lease be entered into with the North West Academies Trust Limited for the premises known as Millfields Primary School & Nursery, Marsh Lane, Nantwich, CW5 5HP

That a 125 year lease be entered into with the North West Academies Trust Limited for the premises known as Millfields Primary School & Nursery, Marsh Lane, Nantwich, CW5 5HP

To enter into a Commercial Transfer Agreement with North West Academies Trust Limited in substantially the same standard form as required by the Department for Education on the conversion of Millfields Primary School and Nursery, Marsh Lane, Nantwich.

To enter into a Commercial Transfer Agreement with North West Academies Trust Limited in substantially the same standard form as required by the Department for Education on the conversion of Millfields Primary School and Nursery, Marsh Lane, Nantwich.

In the interest of openness, all members declared that they knew the applicants   for Westminster Primary School and Rode Heath Primary School as they were both fellow Councillors.

Cllr Hayes declared that he was well known to the applicant for Rode Heath Primary School and therefore would not take part in the vote.

The Council is progressing a package of schemes in the north of the Borough as identified in the Local Cycling Walking and Infrastructure Plan. This package will connect key settlements such as Wilmslow, Handforth and Alderley Edge, and enable wider connections to the Handforth Garden Village development, Manchester Airport and South Manchester. A key element of this package is the Manchester Road scheme between Wilmslow and Handforth.

CEC was allocated £1.29m from Active Travel Fund Tranche 4 for the northern section of the Manchester Road scheme. The section of this scheme south of Wilmslow Cemetery was not funded.

Active Travel England have invited CEC to now apply for a subsequent round of funding titled ‘Active Travel Fund Tranche 4 Extension’ and indicatively allocated £0.673m subject to CEC submitting an application that demonstrates a high quality scheme that offers value for money.

A design for the middle section of this scheme has been developed to provide continuity of the scheme and deliver a high-quality route for people walking, wheeling and cycling.

On the basis of this design a high level cost estimate has been produced estimating the middle section of the scheme to be £1,115,549 inclusive of risk.

This ODR is seeking approval of CEC’s funding submission to Active Travel England’s ‘Active Travel Fund Tranche 4 Extension’ round of bidding for the middle section of the Manchester Road scheme in Wilmslow. A £0.673m funding contribution towards the middle section of the scheme is being sought through the funding application.

If necessary it would be possible to scale back the scheme to match the funding grant