Decision details

To provide an overview of the Property Programme including the savings and capital receipts it is targeting to achieve, and to seek approval and authorisation to allocate funding to enable continued activity to achieve these targets in 23/24.

To seek approval to further property disposals and note the long-list of potential property disposals across the asset base.

That Cabinet provided the following collective approval across the four transformation programmes: Property Programme, Temporary Accommodation and Homelessness Programme, Children’s & Education Transformation Programme and Adult Social Care Transformation Programme to:

1.      Approved spend of up to £21.4m (for the four corporate transformation programmes), of which £14.0m will be designated from within corporate held resources as outlined in the finance commentary.

2.      Authorised the Chief Executive in consultation with the Director of Finance and Deputy Mayor for Finance, Governance and Performance to take all steps required to procure and award a contract for a transformation consulting partner (which may be above the key decision threshold and subject to an urgent decision with a retrospective report to Cabinet) to provide oversight and assurance and support delivery across the portfolio of four transformation programmes.

Cabinet recommendations specific to the Property Programme:

That Cabinet:

3.      Noted the Property Programme’s financial objectives include £36m capital receipts and £4m revenue savings in 23/24.

4.      Noted the total anticipated costs of the Property Programme for 23/24 of £6.04m of which £0.7m is already funded through reserves.

5.      Approves spend of up to £6.04m to support the delivery of the Property Programme of which £5.34m will be the initial drawdown from the £14m and £0.7m is contained within earmarked funding.

6.      Authorised the Executive Director - Growth & Regeneration in consultation with the s.151 Officer and Deputy Mayor with responsibility for Finance, Governance and Performance to take all steps required to procure and award of contracts (which may be above the key decision threshold) for refurbishment works at the retained locality offices on approval of the project’s business case.

7.      Authorised the Executive Director - Growth & Regeneration in consultation with the Council’s s.151 Officer and Deputy Mayor with responsibility for Finance, Governance and Performance to take all steps required to procure and award of contracts including any key decisions for refurbishment works at 100 Temple Street following on approval of the project’s business case.

8.      Noted that commercial lease/s will be agreed for office space vacated at 100 Temple in accordance with the requirements to secure best consideration, as defined by S123 of the Local Government Act 1972

9.      Authorised the Executive Director - Growth and Regeneration in consultation with the Council’s s.151 Officer and Deputy Mayor with responsibility for Finance, Governance and Performance to spend up to the remaining budget to deliver the programme’s objectives including procuring and awarding contracts over the key decision threshold, subject to individual project’s business case approval as outlined in this report.

10.  Approved the centralised approach to food/café/catering provision including virement and centralisation of associated contracts and budgets.

11.  Authorised Executive Director – Growth & Regeneration in consultation with Cabinet member for responsibility for Finance, Governance & Performance, and the Director of Finance (S151 Officer) to take all steps required to extend (or recontract) for all/any café/catering/food supplies contracts within the provision of existing budgets in short term whilst strategic review and procurement is underway to maintain stability.

12.  Authorised the Executive Director – Growth & Regeneration and the Director of Finance (S151 Officer) in consultation with Cabinet member for responsibility for Finance, Governance & Performance to approve the business cases related to the catering contracts and changes to service delivery models.

13.  Authorised the Executive Director – Growth & Regeneration consultation with Cabinet member for responsibility for Finance, Governance & Performance, and Director of Finance (S151 Officer) to take all steps required to implement a centralised approach to food/café/catering provision including procuring and awarding contracts over the key decision threshold before end of the FY 23/24 (subject to presentation and approval of business case).

14.  Noted that a further report will be brought back to Cabinet for information by no later than October 2023 to (a) inform Cabinet of details of the contracts extended or direct awarded (in relation to decision 11), and (b) inform Cabinet of the plans and scope of the proposal (in relation to decision 12 and 13).

15.  Authorised the Executive Director: Growth & Regeneration , in consultation with the Deputy Mayor for Finance, Governance and Performance, Director: Finance and Director: Legal & Democratic Services to take all steps required to negotiate the terms of and enter into all necessary legal agreements to move to a partnership model for the delivery of parks cafes, which may include the transfer of employees to third party provider(s).