Cabinet Member decisions

Proposed decision – For KCC, subject to S151 officer sign off, to accept a Grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund from Salix Finance on behalf of the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy. (BEIS). The grant funding will be for up to £21m for several proposed energy projects, and up to a further £2.25m for school site energy projects. A Section 31 grant is proposed.

The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launched the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme in autumn 2020 which is being delivered on its behalf by Salix Finance.

The Grant Scheme offered £1bn of grant funding which aligned with BEIS’s new mission and priorities: fighting coronavirus, backing business, unleashing innovation and tackling climate change. The scheme will also encourage green investment, supporting the Government’s net-zero and clean growth goals.

The scheme provides funding for capital energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects within public sector non-domestic buildings, including central government departments and non-departmental public bodies in England only, and will deliver the following objectives:

•           Deliver stimulus to the energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation sectors, supporting jobs. 

•           Deliver significant carbon savings within the public sector. 

The scheme allows public sector bodies including eligible central government departments and their non-departmental public bodies in England only to apply for a grant to finance up to 100% of the costs of capital energy-saving projects that meet the scheme criteria. 

This FED is in recognition of BEIS wishing to award KCC a grant totalling £20,643,013.64 for several energy projects to decarbonise the KCC estate. These include two solar park projects, solar PV (photovoltaic) on KCC buildings, funding for a Maidstone Heat Network, heat pump projects and funding for LED (light-emitting diode) lighting projects.

This FED is additionally in anticipation of a further £2.25m for school site energy projects that will support schools’ efforts to also reach Net Zero.

Reason for Urgency

The Grant Offer Letter requires KCC to sign and return binding documents accepting the grant by1 March 2021.

This funding has the potential to help KCC make significant reductions to it carbon emissions and meet its target to be net zero by 2030. It also has the added benefits of reducing KCC’s energy costs and providing an income to KCC. It also helps to stimulate the low carbon economy in Kent and create local jobs as well as set up some key development infrastructure to meet future energy challenges such as security of supply.

As Cabinet Member for Environment, I agree to:

-       Accept a Grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund from Salix Finance on behalf of the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), subject to s151 Officer consideration.

-       Confirm that the grant funding will be for up to £21m for several proposed energy projects (subject to separate decision-making where appropriate), and up to a further £1.2m for school site energy projects; and

-       Delegate authority to Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport to take relevant actions, including but not limited to, entering into contracts and other legal agreements, as necessary to implement decisions to spend the grant.

Proposed Decision

To approve changes to the Kent County Council local funding formula for schools that is used to calculate school budgets from 1 April 2021. 

Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education to make any necessary changes to the Local Funding Formula rates once final affordability is known in January 2021 after provisional school budgets have been calculated

Reason for the decision

·    In response to the Government confirming the additional funding for schools, Kent County Council is set to receive approximately £36m additional funding in 2021-22 for primary and secondary school budgets and approximately £20m for high needs related services. Funding for Early years providers is yet to be confirmed. This decision will confirm how this additional funding will be distributed in line with Government guidelines. 

·    Background: The Government has confirmed the Council continues to be responsible for operating a local funding formula for Kent maintained schools (and this formula is also used by the Education and Skills Funding Agency for calculating Kent academy budgets) during 2021-22 and legislation dictates that any changes to that formula is subject to an all school consultation. The consultation will focus on how we allocate any additional funding and a request to transfer a further 1% from the schools to the high needs block to support inclusive practices in schools (the latter is also subject to Secretary of State approval).

·    Options: the options considered are outlined in the consultation document to schools. Proposed changes to the primary and secondary schools funding formula have been limited to avoid any excessive deviation from the National Funding Formula (NFF) used by Government to allocate school funding to local authorities for distribution to schools. This is in line with previous recommendations from both schools & the Schools Funding Forum who have supported the general principle that “our Local Funding Formula should move towards the NFF, but at the same time continue to utilise local flexibility to address areas of local concern”. Mandatory factors and rates prescribed by Government have also limited proposed options.

·    The decision is linked to achieving the objective “the Children and young people in Kent get the best start in life” within the ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’

As Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, I agree to:

1. Transfer 1% of the Schools Block (which equates to approximately to £10.0m) into the High Needs Block for 2021-22.

2. In relation to the Kent local funding formula for schools:

i.              Continue to provide a Primary lump sum rate of £120,000 (before the area cost adjustment).

ii.            Continue with the Falling Roll fund for 2021-22.

iii.           Set the local Minimum Funding Guarantee percentage at 0.5% for 2021-22 for primary and secondary schools.

iv.           Set the Ever 6 Free School Meals Factor for 2021-22 as per the value in the table below:

v.            Set the Basic Entitlement Factor for 2021-22 as per the value in the table below:

vi.           All other factors within the current local funding formula to be set as per the National Funding Formula (NFF), with most increasing by 3% compared to 2020-21. 

vii.          Update the calculation of the Notional SEN budget to include both the Minimum Per Pupil Level and Minimum Funding Guarantee factors.

3. Increase the base rate paid to Early Years providers for Free entitlement provision by 6p for three- and four-year olds and 8p for two-year olds. Maintain deprivation supplements at the same rates as 2020-21.

4. Increase the factor values of the Special Schools funding formula by 3%, and in addition to abolishing the lower place funding rate for pupils with Social, Emotional Mental Health needs. All SEMH places will now be funded at the higher place funding rate.

5. Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education to make any further necessary changes to funding rates in light of any final affordability issues.

•         Reason for the decision

To secure new leasing arrangements for KCC to enable sustainable waste disposal operations through the provision of a new Waste Transfer Station. To provide enhanced capacity that is fit for purpose whilst accommodating future legislative changes.

•         Background

A Waste Transfer Station has been located at Dunbrik, Sevenoaks since 1992. It is used for the bulking of household waste collected by Sevenoaks District Council; the site also receives quantities of trade waste on a commercial basis.

The transfer station is small and logistically limited in that there is insufficient capacity to receive all waste arisings collected by the District as the Waste Collection Authority. Alternative, but unsustainable arrangements exist at different locations to receive and bulk the local authority’s garden waste and some recycled materials. In addition to this, the Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy is expected  to mandate the separate collection of food waste from 2023 by the District Council, therefore the Kent County Council must make provision for this as part of its statutory undertaking as Waste Disposal Authority (WDA).

Further to this, the current facility is also unsustainable in terms of its ability to receive additional waste arisings expected as a result of planned housing growth within the district.

The landlord has existing planning consent to develop a new, much larger facility at the site for KCC’s use, although non-material, minor amendments would require further approval  by KCC’s Planning which is most likely to be administered via Officer delegation.  

An existing lease for the Transfer Station is in place until  2030, This lease will be relinquished and replaced by a new lease upon the completion of the new development, the current lease costs will be held until 2030 and to budget. In order that the Landlord recovers the capital investment, the term of the lease will extend for up to thirty years.

•         Options (other options considered but discarded)

Over recent years KCC has investigated the potential of developing a Waste Transfer Station in alternative locals within the District but given the extent  of the green belt within the District, there are no viable alternative locations to develop a new site. The proximity to the capital and strategic road network makes this area highly desirable and costly which prohibits viable alternative arrangements.

Dunbrik has excellent transport links and is also sited closely to the waste transport depot for waste vehicles belonging to the District Council.

KCC does not have alternate waste sites outside the immediate border to support the District, and even if these were available compensatory revenue payments would be due to the Collection Authority due to additional travel – these would create an unnecessary higher carbon footprint.

As Cabinet Member for Environment, I give approval to enter into a lease for the provision of a new Waste Transfer Station at Dunbrik, Sundridge for up to 30 years, to provide bulking facilities for household waste collected by Sevenoaks District Council

Decision to make a £6m allocation of one-off COVID-19 emergency grant funding to fund Council Tax Hardship Relief Support.

This will be used to reduce the 2021/22 Council Tax bill for all existing Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) working age households by the higher of £50 or the total council tax liability.

As Leader of the Council, I:

1)        Agree up to £6m allocation from the available one-off Covid-19 Emergency Grant Funding to fund Council Tax Hardship Relief Support as part of the Helping Hands Scheme.  This will be:

i)          Used to automatically reduce the 2021-22 Council Tax bill for all existing CTRS working age households by the higher of £50 or the total council tax liability. New claimants throughout the year will also receive up to the maximum £50 reduction.

ii)         Provide one-off funding to each Kent district to be used to provide Council Tax relief due to financial hardship. This funding will be used to support those who have been seriously impacted by the pandemic and have suffered a loss in income or a change in the financial circumstances, such as furlough, or redundancy.

2)        Delegate authority to the Corporate Director, Finance, after consultation with the Leader, to update, review and amend the proposed level and distribution of the funding in response to changing need; and

3)        Delegate authority to the Corporate Director, Finance to take other necessary actions including but not limited to entering into contracts or other legal agreements, as required to implement this decision.

1.    Mr Hill (Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Affairs said the coroner for North West Kent had been investigating a death following a police shooting since 2016 and that there was a statutory obligation for such cases to be heard with a jury.  Since the lockdown in March 2020 all inquest hearings had been held virtually, however, this method was not acceptable for this case.  The coroner’s service had, therefore, worked closely with KCC’s infrastructure service to develop a Covid-safe way to accommodate a jury, the presiding coroner, the coroner’s counsel, and witnesses in a court setting using County Hall and a bespoke IT package.  In addition, jurors were provided with iPads to enable them to access documents using a court document software package.  Mr Hill said this was the first time this software had been used in a coroner’s court, the first complex jury inquest in England and Wales delivered with significant video conferencing functionality, and during Covid-19 restrictions.  He was pleased to say that a number of compliments from the Police and the judiciary had been received on the successful staging of this complex event despite the many complications presented by Covid-19.

2.    Mr Whiting said he had been working closely with Locate in Kent to ensure Kent was not left out of the government's levelling up agenda which was focussed on the Midlands and the North.  He said it was important that ministers recognised that Kent had areas of high deprivation, which should be reflected in any plans to relocate government departments from London to other parts of the country.

3.    Mr Whiting said the London Resort had submitted its application for a Direct Consent Order to government.  He said that, while KCC was generally supportive of the project, which had the potential for to bring significant economic benefit to Kent, there were areas of concern including transport and environmental matters.  Officers were, however, working through these issues with the development company and the three planning authorities in the area.

4.    Mr Whiting referred to the Scrutiny Committee's timely short, focussed inquiry into the local farming economy and said it would help inform new strategies to assist farmers, who played a vital role in Kent’s economy and who had been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and extreme weather in the last twelve months.

5.    Mr Whiting said that KCC’s first Infrastructure Funding Statement was now live on kent.gov.uk and that it provided a summary of all financial and non-financial developer contributions, as well as information on Section 106, legal agreements under the Community Infrastructure Levy and examples of infrastructure projects delivered and planned. 

6.    Mr Whiting said that the Innovative Sector Exchange Project, a four-year project to bring together innovative technology and creative SMEs across Kent and regions in France, the Netherlandsand Belgium had come to an end last month.  Over 300 SMEs had taken part in a range of seminars, advice sessions and company visits, with the project assisting those SMEs in the internationalisation of their businesses, in finding new customers and partners, and in boosting their innovation programmes. He also said that partners would take forward this work through the Straits Committee and that he had written to the Cabinet Office to make the government aware of the project and KCC’s  commitment to continuing cross-border partnerships. He congratulated the project manager, Steve Samson, who had managed the project on behalf of KCC.

7.    Mr Whiting said that he would be speaking at the launch of the Experience Project which was part of an Interreg initiative funded by an EU grant of over €20 million. The project, led locally by Visit Kent, was scheduled to run until June 2023 with the objective of attracting new visitors to Kent from across the Channel, focussing on outdoor tourism activities such as walking and cycling.

8.    Mr Whiting concluded his update by referring to land sales made by East Kent Opportunities, the limited liability Joint Venture formed between KCC and Thanet District Council, at Manston Business Park to All Access Scaffolding Limited, a local SME employing 100 people and to three future land sales that would allow the completion of Maples Business Park which  provided affordable and flexible workshop, storage, and office accommodation for dozens of SME businesses. He thanked Matt Hyland, Chelsea Green and Thanet District Council for their work and cooperation in this highly successful partnership.

9.    The verbal updates were noted.

Proposed Decision:

To procure and delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Growth, Environment and Transport to award and commission the Highway Civils Framework.

Reasons for Decision:

Under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, as the local Highway Authority, the Council has a legal duty to maintain its respective sections of the highway network. This includes responsibility for maintaining, managing and, where necessary, improving their section of the network. These services will need to be commissioned externally to ensure the Council meets is statutory obligations and that service continuity is maintained.

The proposed Highways Civils Framework is to enable the procurement and delivery of significant highway infrastructure development, civil engineering works and associated major value constructions works. The framework will be split into two lots:

Lot 1 - Civil Engineering Works

Lot 2 - Multidisciplinary Civil Engineering Works

This framework will cover the South East of England and, while predominately supporting the Highway and Transportation directorate, it will be open to other government organisations. To ensure there is sufficient headroom for the Council and other government organisations, the value of the framework is set at £500m over a term of four years.

Reason for the decision

•         KCC has entered into a short term supply agreement (from 16 January 2021 until 1st December 2021) for East Kent Paper and Card (est. 15,000 tonnes p/a) to ensure continuity of supply, whilst KCC goes out to market for the wider receipt and processing service which incorporates County-wide provision within a longer-term contractual arrangement.

Background

•         As the Waste Disposal Authority, KCC has a statutory responsibility to dispose of waste collected by the Waste Collection Authorities and deposited at Household Waste Recycling Centres, one stream being  Paper and Card.

•         The current arrangements are:

o        an existing contract with Smurfit Kappa (which ceases in December 2021) for the receipt and processing of paper and card collected at Kent’s 18 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) and received from South West Kent’s kerbside collections.

o        a short-term contract (10.5 months) for the receipt and processing of paper and card collected from the East Kent kerbside which became KCC’s title in January 2021.

•         A longer-term contractual arrangement (up to 5 years) is sought for the receipt and processing of paper and card collected from the East Kent and South West Kent kerbsides and to include paper and card from all Kent’s HWRCs.

•         It is envisaged that the commission will be presented in geographical Lots to take account of haulage considerations to the treatment facility and will include provision for managing circa 33,000 tonnes of Paper and Card.

•         This is an income generating material which is market tracked. There is further financial benefit in segregating the card from the mixed paper at the HWRCs.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

•         Option 1 – Do nothing – the current arrangements will continue; this is not an option as one of the contracts is a short term contingency for East Kent only and the other contract ceases in December 2021 with no extension provision; best value would be secured from a longer term contract providing for all of the County’s Paper and Card processing needs.

•         Option 2 – Discontinue accepting  Paper and Card waste from the Collection Authorities and at HWRCs; this is not an option due to KCC’s obligation to take this waste as the Waste Disposal Authority.

•         Option 3 – Continue to accept the waste, but utilise alternative disposal options by using landfill or incineration; this is not an option as there is a priority  to move this material up the waste hierarchy and to meet landfill diversion targets.

•         Option 4 – continue with the interim arrangement whilst undertaking a commissioning activity to secure a provider/s who is able to process and recycle the waste material meeting the circular economy priority outcomes which is both financially and environmentally beneficial for the Authority.

Preferred option:

•         Option 4 is the preferred option. The authority is seeking to appoint a new provider to secure a contract (for up to five years) that will benefit and achieve the best outcomes for the authority and Kent households and fulfil the Statutory duty of KCC operating under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, to dispose of collected municipal waste.

As Cabinet Member for Environment, I give approval to commission and award a contract for the receipt and processing of paper and card for up to 5 years. 

Adoption of the revised Mineral and Waste Local Development Scheme which sets out the work programme and timescale for the Council’s statutory local plan making responsibilities as planning authority for minerals and waste management development.

Reason for the decision

Section 15 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires the County Council, as the minerals and waste planning authority for Kent, to maintain a scheme, known as the Local Development Scheme.  This Scheme sets out the timetable for preparing and revising the Council’s development plan documents.  The development plan documents are more commonly referred to as Local Plans and set new policy that affects more than one electoral division.

Background

The County Council’s current Local Development Scheme, which was adopted in February 2019 includes a timetable for preparing the Kent Mineral Sites Plan and completing an Early Partial Review of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30. Work on the Mineral Sites Plan and Early Partial Review has now been completed.

The Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30 (KMWLP) was adopted in July 2016 and the Council is statutorily required to review adopted planning policy at least every five years. The elements of the plan recently updated by the Early Partial Review will not require review until 2025.

An updated Local Development Scheme, to be known as the Kent Minerals and Waste Development Scheme 2021, is therefore required to set out the timetable for the review of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30.

It is proposed that the scheme also be updated to include details of the timetable for completing the following:

§  Updates to the Kent Minerals and Waste Safeguarding Supplementary

    Planning Document (SPD); and,

§  review and update of the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement (SCI).

How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, 

      Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’

The KMWLP and associated policy documents support the County Council’s corporate policies  contained within the Council’s Strategic Statement ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes – Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement 2015-2020 and national planning policy requirements.

Kent’s mineral and waste planning policies support and facilitate sustainable growth in Kent’s economy and support the creation of a high-quality built environment, with accessible local services that reflect the community’s needs and support its health, social and cultural well-being.

As Cabinet Member responsible for the Minerals and Waste Local Plan, I agree to give approval to the Minerals and Waste Local Development Scheme 2021 that concerns:

-         The review of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30

-         updates to the Kent Minerals and Waste Safeguarding Supplementary Planning Document

-         review and update of the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement

Approval to move to the design stage and the next steps towards the second consultation, subject to results of the initial consultation which will run from 9th December to 19th January 2021.

Reason: To inform Members of secured funding from the Department for Transport Active Travel Fund and seek approval to proceed to the next stage of design and second consultations.

Background – The Department for Transport have awarded Kent County Council £6.098m for five named active travel schemes across the County. 

How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’.  The scheme supports policy objectives of promoting active travel in line with the Active Travel Strategy.  Delivering health benefits, reducing congestion, promoting healthy neighbourhoods and improving infrastructure and accessibility.

As Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport,  I agree to give approval to proceed to the next stages of commissioning consultants to progress to detailed design and further consultation. 

The schemes will be informed by the consultation results. 

Reason for the decision

As a result of the latest national lockdown and the new variant of the virus, additional and on-going needs have been identified that the Council, working with partners is keen to respond to, ensuring the continued support for residents and businesses in Kent. It is proposed that these areas of support utilise an initial £10m of the currently unallocated Covid-19 Emergency Grant Funding.

Background

The Government has provided significant grant funding to Kent County Council to support the local response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The Council has worked with a range of partners to allocate funding to respond to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Council’s services, to meet its public health obligations and to support those residents, families and businesses most in need of support since the start of the pandemic. In addition to a number of specific grants, a total of £95m Covid-19 Emergency Grant Funding has been received since March 2020.

Building on the support provided to date, the main aims of the funding are as follows:

•   To ensure those who most need help receive it, with a focus on equality of access, and consistency of approach to assessing eligibility across the county;

•   To provide guidance and advice that supports those seeking help to improve their situation and avoid future dependency;

•   To use this opportunity to improve the system for addressing financial hardship across the county, and preparing for what lies ahead

•   To support local businesses and the self-employed that have been significantly impacted by the pandemic.

•   To ensure that the funding is used for time limited activity with a clear exit strategy in recognition that it is one-off funding

In order to be able to respond to the changing environment, it is proposed to have a flexible approach to the deployment of the grant funding, to allow for it to be used dynamically where it will be most effective. In order to ensure appropriate use of the grant funding, the support provided will take an evidence-based approach.

As there is already strong partnership working in place across the county and a wide range of effective support measures that have already been implemented, it is proposed to build on those arrangements and utilise the grant to respond to the latest national lockdown and the impact of the new variant. The four categories of spend and the proposed allocations are as follows:

a)        £4m to support low income households and households in financial distress, including through council services such as the Kent Support and Assistance Service, district and borough councils, voluntary and community sector organisations, such as Kent Community Foundation and utility companies such as South East Water.

b)        £3m to provide a range of support for businesses and the self-employed not in receipt of government funding, including through council services, district and borough councils, voluntary and community sector organisations, and business support organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce.

c)         £2.5m to tackle digital poverty, working with schools and colleges, district and borough councils and voluntary and community sector organisations.

d)       £500k to match-fund crowdfunded community projects and initiatives that support local communities in responding to and recovering from the impact of the pandemic.

The proposed decision will support the following elements of the Interim Strategic Plan:

•           Stand up for Kent’s residents

•           Target resource where it has the greatest impact

•           Empower people with the right skills to compete and succeed

•           Support children and young people with the highest needs

•           Support older and vulnerable adults to maintain a good quality of life

•           Invest in effective prevention

•           Support the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector

As Leader of the Council, I:

1)        Agree a £10m allocation from the available Covid-19 Emergency Grant Funding.  This will be:

i)          Used to provide targeted support to low income households and households in financial distress, including individuals and families; and local businesses, in line with the funding principles and criteria set out within this decision report and the associated Policy Documents/Funding Frameworks, which are intended to provide sufficient flexibility to respond to emerging and changing needs across the county;

ii)         Allocated as follows:

(a)       £4m to support low income households and households in financial distress, including through council services such as the Kent Support and Assistance Service, district and borough councils, voluntary and community sector organisations, such as Kent Community Foundation and utility companies such as South East Water.

(b)       £3m to provide a range of support for businesses and the self-employed that meet specified criteria, including through council services, district and borough councils, voluntary and community sector organisations, and business support organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce.

(c)        £2.5m to tackle digital poverty, working with schools and colleges, district and borough councils and voluntary and community sector organisations.

(d)       £500k to match fund crowdfunded community projects and initiatives that support local communities in responding to and recovering from the impact of the pandemic.

and;

2)        Delegate authority to the Corporate Director, Finance, after consultation with the Leader, to update, review and amend the proposed distribution of the funding in response to changing need, as evidenced by the monitoring of all Covid-19 related grant expenditure, including consideration of the use of any remaining unallocated grant funding; and

3)   Delegate authority to the Corporate Director, Finance to take other necessary actions including but not limited to entering into contracts or other legal agreements, as required to implement this decision.

– Kent County Council is seeking to extend the Kent and Medway Business Fund (KMBF) which is currently due to end on the 31 March 2021, for a further 2 years, until the 31 March 2023. The extended KMBF scheme will offer investments in the form of grants, loans, and equity, financed from recycled equity and loan repayments received from recipients of both the KMBF and the former Regional Growth Fund (RGF) schemes - Expansion East Kent (ExEK), Tiger and Escalate programmes. Investment in the extended KMBF scheme will be subject to the same decision-making structures, procedures, and safeguards that operate under the existing KMBF scheme.

Reason for the decision

KMBF and the former RGF schemes are administered by KCC via two contracts with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). An East Kent contract (original contract end date 31 March 2021) and a West Kent, North Kent, Medway & Thurrock contract (original contract end date 31 March 2023).

BEIS have now unilaterally extended the East Kent contract until 31 March 2023 to bring its end date in line with the West Kent, North Kent, Medway & Thurrock contract.

When the Key Decision for the Kent and Medway Business Fund (KMBF) was agreed in 2016 (Decision 16/00107), the decision was made to seek approval to spend until the end date of the then East Kent contract – 31 March 2020. Now that the East Kent contract has been extended, KCC are seeking to extend the KMBF scheme until 31 March 2023.

Background

BEIS allocated £55 million from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund to KCC between 2011 and 2014. This funded three RGF schemes covering the whole of Kent and Medway and additional local authority areas:

•        East Kent (Expansion East Kent - £35 million).

•        North Kent, Medway, and Thurrock (Tiger - £14.5 million).

•        West Kent (Escalate - £5.5 million).

These schemes operated from November 2011 to January 2016. For most businesses, loan finance was provided at 0% interest, with a repayment period of between 5 and 7 years.

Since January 2017, KCC has used the recycled RGF loan repayments to enable the Kent and Medway Business Fund (KMBF) to provide loans and equity investments ranging between £50,000-£500,000 to eligible businesses across Kent and Medway. Most funding recipients receive 0% interest loans, with a repayment period of up to 5 years. The recycled RGF loan repayments are also used to finance the Kent Life Sciences (KLS) Fund, a sub-programme of the KMBF scheme. This provides equity investments predominantly in the life science sector. Since 2017, KMBF has made the following investments:

* FTE=Full-Time Equivalents

KCC are seeking to operate the extended KMBF scheme in a similar way, offering grants, loans, and equity.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

KCC could seek to appoint an external third-party to manage the grant and loans (an on-going external equity management arrangement already exists). This option has not been pursued due: a) the value of the contact would require a lengthy procurement exercise; b) this contract would only initially last for a maximum of two years i.e., March 2023; c) it is unclear if these arrangements would offer savings or improved  investment performance.

How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’

The decision supports the outcome “All Kent’s communities benefit from economic growth and lower levels of deprivation” as it will allow KCC to deliver the Kent and Medway Business Fund, which is seeking to deliver business investment, create new jobs and safeguard existing jobs in the Kent area.

Decision:

As Cabinet Member for Economic Development, I agree to:

Delegate the authority to the Director of Economic Development to enter into relevant contracts, legal agreements and put appropriate arrangements in place required to implement this decision:

• Allowing Kent, Medway and Thurrock Companies to access grants, loans or equity investments from the Kent and Medway Business Fund (KMBF) until the 31 March 2023.
• That these grants, loans, and equity investments will be financed from recycled loan and equity repayments previously obtained from companies that received funds via the former RGF and KMBF programmes.
• These investments shall be subject to the same rules, criteria and management/administrative charges as investments that have been allocated under the existing KMBF scheme.

Approval for the County Council to enter into legal agreements, as necessary, with Dover District Council for the County Council to act as the delivery partner for the Infrastructure Works associated with the Market Square project. The approval shall include the following:

i)             Approval to enter into legal agreements with Dover District Council to undertake the delivery of the Infrastructure Works at no cost or risk to the County Council.

ii)            Approval for KCC officers to project manage, input into the delivery and supervision of the project, with the cost of all staff and consultant time being recoverable against the project funding.

iii)           Approval to complete the detailed design for the project. This work will be undertaken by a design consultant appointed through the Medway Professional Services Framework Contract.

iv)           Approval to progress all consents required for the scheme including Traffic Regulation Orders.

v)            Approval to enter into construction contracts as necessary for the delivery of the scheme subject to the approval of the recommended procurement strategy.

vi)           Approval for any further decisions required to allow the scheme to proceed through to delivery to be taken by the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment & Transport under the Officer Scheme of Delegations following prior consultation with the Cabinet Member.

Reason for the decision

Dover District Council (DDC) have been successful in a funding bid to MHCLG via the Coastal Communities Fund for the delivery of a public realm improvement project within the Market Square area of the Town Centre.  DDC do not have the in-house resources to deliver a highway project of this scale and have asked KCC to deliver the project on their behalf.

Background – Provide brief additional context

The aim of the Market Square project is to provide a high-quality public realm scheme.  To encourage local growth, provide a safer, more attractive environment for pedestrians, businesses, and residents. Repurposing Dover’s historic Market Square as a hub connecting the local community and tourists alike and to create a multipurpose events space, through providing safer crossing points and increased footway widths for pedestrians, strengthen connections to the St James development, manage the impacts on traffic and improve drop off / pick up logistics for buses and coaches. A key aspect of the project is the replacement of the existing redundant fountain with a new water misting feature.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

The proposed design builds on the previous design  developed by the Dover Town Team, and has evolved following ongoing engagement with DDC and the Dover Town Team and meets the requirements of the funding bid by DDC.

How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’

The scheme has a strong fit with the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’.

The scheme particularly supports Strategic Outcome 2

·         Kent communities feel the benefits of economic growth by being in work, healthy and enjoying a good quality of life

·         Kent residents enjoy a good quality of life, and more people benefit from greater social, cultural, and sporting opportunities

·         Kent’s physical and natural environment is protected, enhanced, and enjoyed by residents and visitors

The public realm scheme is seen as an opportunity to improve a key focal point for the town centre, draw in additional visitors and to provide a boost to the local economy.

As Cabinet Member for Highways & Transport, I give

i)               Approval to enter into legal agreements with Dover District Council to undertake the delivery of the Infrastructure Works at no cost or risk to the County Council.

ii)              Approval for KCC officers to project manage, input into the delivery and supervision of the project, with the cost of all staff and consultant time being recoverable against the project funding.

iii)            Approval to complete the detailed design for the project. This work will be undertaken by a design consultant appointed through the Medway Professional Services Framework Contract.

iv)            Approval to progress all consents required for the scheme including Traffic Regulation Orders.

v)             Approval to enter into a construction contract through an external competitive tender.

vi)            Approval for any further decisions required to allow the scheme to proceed through to delivery to be taken by the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment & Transport under the Officer Scheme of Delegations following prior consultation with the Cabinet Member

Approval to take the A229 Loose Road Corridor Junction improvement scheme through the next stages of development and delivery including authority to progress statutory orders and to enter into funding and construction contracts.

Reason for Decision:

The scheme is identified in the Maidstone Integrated Transport Package (MITP) to reduce congestion and ease traffic movements through the town.

Background:

The scheme involves the removal of an existing building, which has been purchased by KCC property team and the construction a signalised junction on the A229/A274.  In conjunction with this improvement, and to ensure connectivity between the junctions on the corridor, an new set of traffic signals will be installed at the junction with Plains Avenue, reconfiguration of the junction at Armstrong Road/Park Way and alteration of the lining leading into Sheals Crescent. 

Options: Various options have been considered but discarded as the proposal being taken provides the maximum benefits and least impact on the surrounding area. Alternative options required the acquisition of multiple adjacent private frontages, which would have required all residents to agree the purchase.  The cost of purchase and agreements would have been protracted and made the scheme unviable.

How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’ The scheme supports policy objectives of supporting existing businesses and encouraging economic activity with housing growth and job creation by reducing congestion and improving infrastructure and accessibility.  These also meet the objectives set out in the existing Local Plan.

As Cabinet Member for Highways & Transport I give:

i)               Approval to undertake the design and surveys for the schemes, including development control and land charge disclosures,

ii)              Approval to progress all statutory approvals or consents required for the schemes,

iii)            Approval to enter into land agreements with third parties as necessary,

iv)            Approval to enter into construction contracts as necessary for the delivery of the scheme subject to the approval of the recommended procurement strategy, and

v)             Approval to undertake engagement with all relevant stakeholders as identified in the communication plan.

vi)            Approval for any further decisions required to allow the schemes to proceed through to delivery to be taken by the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment & Transport under the Officer Scheme of Delegations following prior consultation with the Cabinet Member.

The Cabinet Member for Highways & Transport is asked to give approval for KCC to accept the capital grant from Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) and to take the UTMC project through the stages of development and delivery.

Specifically, to provide:

i. Approval for KCC to enter into a funding agreement with EDC subject to the approval of the Corporate Director of Finance, Corporate & Strategic Services

ii. Approval to undertake the design and surveys for the UTMC project. The design work will be undertaken by the KCC Traffic & Network Solutions Team.

iii. Approval to progress all statutory approvals or consents required for the schemes, including transfer of land and rights;

iv. Approval to carry out any additional consultation required for the schemes;

v. Approval to enter into construction contracts as necessary for the delivery and future maintenance of the schemes:

Approval for any further decisions required to allow the schemes to proceed through to delivery to be taken by the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment & Transport under the Officer Scheme of Delegations following prior consultation with the Cabinet Member.

Reason for the decision:

This fully funded scheme proposes to upgrade the existing Urban Traffic Management and Control (UTMC) system by ensuring the traffic signal junctions within or adjacent to Ebbsfleet Garden City are utilising the latest traffic control systems.

UTMC enables traffic signals to react to traffic conditions and incidents by adapting traffic signal timings to ease congestion. The UTMC system will integrate real time traffic information informing road users of conditions via Variable Messaging Signs (VMS).

The purpose of the scheme is to improve journey times for all road users and ensure that the transport infrastructure across Ebbsfleet and the surrounding area is used as efficiently as possible.

·     Options (other options considered but discarded)

EDC and KCC have considered options for the scale of UTMC implementation within the business case for the UTMC project. The following options were considered:

·       No implementation of the UTMC across all junctions

·       Scaled back, partial implementation of UTMC on some of the identified junctions only

·       (Chosen option) Implementation of UMTC on the identified 41 junctions

For UTMC to effectively work the scheme coverage needs to include groups of junctions coordinated through UTMC. This means there is no practicable option that would reflect a scaled back version of the preferred option, without eroding the coherence of the overall intervention.

·     How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’

Implementation of the scheme will support the Council in meeting its Strategic outcome for “Kent Communities to feel the benefits of economic growth by being in work, healthy and enjoying a good quality of life”. This will be achieved through the projects supporting continued operation of key transport networks in Dartford and Gravesham, as well as helping support growth by enabling new residential and commercial development.

The key priorities set out in the County Council’s Integrated Transport Strategy ‘Delivering Growth without Gridlock’ in terms of providing additional highway capacity, improving accessibility, and reducing congestion are also delivered . The scheme will set out to provide improved growth and economic prosperity through having an efficient highway and transport infrastructure.

As Cabinet Member for Highways & Transport, I give approval to accept the capital grant from Ebbsfleet Development Company and to take the UTMC project through the stages of development and specifically for:

i.         Approval for KCC to enter into a funding agreement with EDC subject to the approval of the Corporate Director of Finance, Corporate & Strategic Services

ii.        Approval to undertake the design and surveys for the UTMC project. The design work will be undertaken by the KCC Traffic & Network Solutions team.

iii.       Approval to progress all statutory approvals or consents required for the schemes, including transfer of land and rights;

iv.       Approval to carry out any additional consultation required for the scheme;

v.        Approval to enter into construction contracts as necessary for the delivery and future maintenance of the scheme;

vi.       Approval for any further decisions required to allow the scheme to proceed through to delivery to be taken by the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment & Transport under the Officer Scheme of Delegations following prior consultation with the Cabinet Member