Issue - meetings

Report of the Corporate Director, Neighbourhood and Planning.

The Cabinet Member, Resources, introduced the report and outlined the key issues as follows:

·         Proposal follows planning permission for the remodelling works, which was granted on 6 April 2011 by the Strategic Planning Committee;

·         Preferred contractor is able to commence work immediately upon contractual agreement;

·         Project risks, as set out at pt 23 in the report, have been assessed and will be monitored continuously;

·         English Heritage have confirmed that listed building consent is not required for the work, removing this potential risk;

·         Remodelling works will enable operational benefits through the co-location of services and new working practices;

·         Parent company of preferred contractor limits risk by offering guarantees on contract; and therefore the Cabinet Member,

·         Recommends delegation of authority to the Director, Resources, to award the contract to the preferred bidder.

The Cabinet Member, Highways and Transport, questioned whether provision would be made in the remodelling works to enable a district heating system. The Head of Strategic Property Services confirmed that the agreed works were future-proofed to facilitate the accommodation of either a district heating system or combined heat and power system in future.

The Cabinet Member, Waste, Property and Environment, expressed approval that plans had achieved a BREEAM “Very Good” standard, and that the works could act as a precedent to improve upon this in future developments such as the campuses.

The Cabinet Member, Resources, commented that the project drew on the recent successes at Bourne Hill and the History Centre and the Leader emphasised that signs were encouraging in respect of the remodelling works.

After discussion by the Cabinet Committee, it was,

Resolved:

That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director, Resources to:

a)    Award the contract for the remodelling of County Hall to the preferred bidder, as discussed, for the sum proposed.

b)   Approve a reduced overall project budget of £22,335,000 as part of the existing Campus and Operational Delivery Programme budget allocation. This sum includes a specific project contingency for the County Hall build project of £4,928,000. The budget will be monitored regularly, and contingency released back to the wider programme budget as and when project risk declines over the next twelve months and the revised catering approach is fully developed.