Decisions

The Director for Environment Services has authorised purchase of an additional winter service gritting vehicle at the cost of £150K.

The vehicle will add to the existing eight vehicle fleet purchased in 2019 and will directly replace the short-term hire unit used to cover the 9th route for the 2019/20 winter season. 

This vehicle (gritter) is essential for the delivery of the frontline Winter Service.  It is a dedicated specialist vehicle for the distribution of road salt on the priority network and snow ploughing during the winter period.  Failure to deliver a winter gritting service could lead to major incidents/accidents on the network that would have been foreseeable and could potentially lead to corporate manslaughter charges.

Will Godfrey, Chief Executive Officer has given his approval for the Decision to go ahead.

The Director for Environment Services authorised purchase of additional winter service gritting vehicle.

Temporary measures to widen pavements, remove traffic from roads, and cycling improvements, will be introduced in parts of the city to help people to socially distance and to encourage a long-term shift in the way people travel around Bath and North East Somerset.

The Cabinet Members decided to:

1.1  agree to the principle of the reallocation of road space and access restrictions, both to encourage active travel and to enable social distancing in in a form that is appropriate for the location in areas across Bath and North East Somerset;

1.2  recognise and agree to the principle of, where strictly necessary, the removal of parking spaces to deliver the schemes;

1.3  approve the incorporation of Social Distancing and Active Travel Measures as a new grant funded scheme into the Councils provisional Capital programme.

1.4  delegate authority to the relevant Director, in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Transport, the decisions to agree and to proceed with any relevant legal processes to ensure the delivery of the schemes as developed;

1.5  support the development and adoption of a reviewable plan setting out the consultation and review processes for all temporary and experimental schemes; and

1.6  consider the Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA)

The Virtual Meetings Procedure Rules (VMPR) are amended to permit public and councillor contributions to meetings where the Chair and public speaking scheme permits, as the Council is now able to support this extension of the scheme.

Under Article 15.4 (b) of the Council’s Constitution, the Monitoring Officer has amended the Virtual Meetings Procedure Rules (VMPR), adopted on 28th April 2020 in accordance with the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020.

This report summaries the Council’s local response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It sets out the revised Governance Arrangements to ensure that the Council took quick and decisive action to effectively manage the impacts of the coronavirus as they arise.

As a result of the exceptional circumstances facing the country in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council has streamlined its decision-making processes to respond quickly and effectively to situations as they arise in order to meet obligations to protect life, contain and mitigate the impact of the emergency, and to create the conditions needed for an eventual recovery to a new normality

The Cabinet (UNANIMOUSLY) agreed to:

2.1  Note the report on the Council response to COVID -19 pandemic

2.2  Consider the comments and feedback from the Corporate Scrutiny Panel meeting on the 27th May.

As part of its response to support small and medium sized businesses with the impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic, the Government have announced the provision of a Bounce Back Loan Scheme.  The Council’s development and construction companies (ADL and ACL) are eligible for this scheme although, as 100% owned Council companies, the approval of the Shareholder is required to make any borrowings under the specific Shareholder Agreement.

The Leader as Shareholder is asked to:

1)  Authorise the Aequus Companies (ADL and ACL) to access the Government backed, Bounce Back Loan facility for small and medium sized businesses, to support their working capital as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic.