Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from:

·         Cllr John Brady

·         Cllr John Thomson

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee meeting held on (date).

To receive any declarations of personal or prejudicial interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

To consider the attached report of the Chief Finance Officer.

Michael Hudson, Director of Finance, introduced the report which reflected the position of the Capital Programme as at 31 January 2012.  The report also detailed changes to the budget, such as the reprogramming of schemes. There was also a change to reflect the formal addition of budget for Castledown Business Park which required approval by Council following recommendation by Cabinet.

Resolved

That the Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee:

a.    Note the current position of the capital programme as at Period 10 in Appendix A.

b.    Note total budget increases of £1.148 million, the returning of £0.935 million of budget to the centre, and the £13.277 million reprogramming of spend between 2011/2012 and 2012/2013.

c.    Recommend to Council, via Cabinet the approval of £0.182 million of additional budget for Castledown Business Park to be funded from borrowing.

Reasons for Decision

To inform Cabinet of the current position of the 2011/2012 capital programme and to highlight changes in the capital programme.

Neil Ward, Head of Strategic Property Services, introduced the report which outlined a proposal developed by Trowbridge Town Hall Group for the future transfer of Trowbridge Town Hall, as outlined in the proposal set out at Appendix A to the report.  The report had been presented to the Trowbridge Area Board on 15 March, where the proposals had received unanimous support.

Neil introduced Tracy Sullivan and Ian Walker, who were presented as representatives of the Trowbridge Town Hall Group.  Tracy set out some of the next steps in the project, and it was hoped that a further update could be provided in September with clearer timescales.

Officers undertook to work with the Group with regard to permitting out of hours access to the building while work continued to secure funding sources.

Resolved

The Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee:

1.    Notes the proposal made by the Trowbridge Town Hall Group, and approves investigation of potential funding opportunities in line with the approach set out in paragraphs 8 and 9 of the report, acknowledging the unfunded revenue pressure this will place on the transformation property revenue budget, as identified in the body of this report.

2.    Requests a further report on progress later in 2012, to evaluate the way in which the Group’s proposals have developed, and to confirm the commitment to maintaining the property vacant for a further period of time. 

Reason for Decision

To fully explore a long term, sustainable future for a key community asset.

To support the ambitions of the Trowbridge community to bring a locally significant asset back into public use.

To responsibly dispose of a building which is surplus to Council needs, and inefficient to maintain and run without significant investment.

Cllr John Noeken, Cabinet Member for Resources, introduced the executive summary report, which set out arrangements for the procurement of Facilities Management Services Contracts, and sought authority for the Cabinet Member to use delegated powers to award the contracts following the satisfactory conclusion of the formal tendering processes.  It was anticipated that the new contracts would be in place and operational in time for the occupation of the refurbished MECH building at the end of the Summer.

Concern was raised that, when arranging the TUPE of staff to new contractors, experience and knowledge of buildings should be retained wherever possible.

Resolved

That Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee authorises the Cabinet Member for Resources to use delegated authority to award Facilities Management Service Contracts for Cleaning, Security and Keyholding and Catering, following the satisfactory conclusion of the formal tendering processes.

Reasons for Decision

To put in place the means to consistently and cost-effectively manage the Council’s built facilities over a period of significant change in both service levels and occupied properties, and to support the timescale for the procurement process.

Any other items of business that the Chair agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

None.