On 9 September 2025 Cabinet:-
(i)
Endorsed, subject to the completion of the legal
due diligence work, the development of the West Midlands Safe Centre as set out
in the business case that has been submitted to the Department for Education
(DfE) (Exempt Appendix 1 to the report);
(ii)
Endorsed the proposed legal formation of a
Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) as set out at 4.17 – 4.24 to the report, subject
to the completion of the legal due diligence work;
(iii)
Approved the arrangements for Birmingham City
Council to join the SPV and be part of a formal partnership for governance of
the West Midlands Safe Centre with other West Midlands local authorities with
the share as set out from 4.24 to the report;
(iv)
Agreed that further Cabinet approval would be
required for Birmingham to continue to participate in the Partnership Agreement
at a revised share if insufficient local authority members signed up and the
share tolerance of 35% was exceeded, as set out in Appendix 5;
(v)
Approved the proposed surrender of Birmingham
Children’s Trust’s existing lease for the Kingsmere site and the grant of a new
lease in accordance with the draft Heads of Terms set out in Exempt Appendix 3
to the report to facilitate the Safe Centre project. This will be subject to a
report to the Cabinet Committee for Property;
(vi)
Approved the proposed procurement approach set
out at 4.44 to 4.57 of the report for the operation of the West Midlands Safe
Centre;
(vii)
Approved that the further DfE grant funding due
in March 2026 for construction and related project costs set out at 8.6 of the
report will be received by Birmingham Children’s Trust on behalf of the West
Midlands local authorities who will be members to the SPV;
(viii)
Delegated authority to the Executive Director of
Children and Families, in conjunction with the Executive Director of Finance
(Section 151 officer) and the Director of Law and Governance (or their
delegates), to complete the required legal and tax due diligence
arrangements; and
(ix)
Authorised the Director of Law and Governance
and Executive Director for Finance, in consultation with the Executive Director
for Children and Families and the Cabinet Members for Children and Finance, to
complete all necessary documents to give effect to the above recommendations.
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