Agenda item

SSDC Review of Operational Office Accommodation

Meeting of District Executive, Thursday 7th December 2017 9.30 am (Item 86.)

Decision:

RESOLVED:	That District Executive agreed to:-
	a.	note the findings and recommendations in the David Lock Associates report – SSDC Review of Operational Office Accommodation November 2017 attached in Appendix 1.
	b.	the principle that there is surplus office accommodation for council operational requirements at present and this will increase further post Transformation, and that the Council should therefore seek to rationalise operational property or seek alternative commercial or strategic use for it.
	c.	task the Members Leadership & Development Project Group (Locality Working) to consider the report recommendations made in regard to Area Offices with input from Area Development Officers lead by the Locality Manager and report back to District Executive in February 2018 with findings and recommendations in respect of office / building requirements to meet the new model of delivery.
	d.	task the Commercial Property, Land and Development Manager in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Property Services and Leader of Council with undertaking a full feasibility study to be funded through One Public Estate budget for the future council Head Quarters office to be located at Petters Way, and brought back to District Executive with findings and recommendations by February 2018.
Reason:	To agree the principles and next steps in considering the future of area offices and head quarters offices for the council.

Minutes:

The Chief Executive advised that currently, the Council only occupied 40% of its office space and public visitor footfall at council offices was reducing. Area working was a core part of locality working and the proposal was part of meeting the change in customers demand. The recommendation was to undertake a full feasibility study before any decision was taken in the future.

In response to questions from Members, the Chief Executive advised that:-

· No decision had been made regarding future parking at Petters House and this would need to be addressed if the Council was minded to move its HQ.

· The visitor footfall numbers for Brympton Way offices was now available and would be circulated but they showed a 16% drop in visitors over the comparable first 10 months of the year.

· Property experts were commissioned to give SSDC a steer on its future HQ requirements and had taken a high level look at all the options and made a recommendation. To undertake a detailed feasibility of all the potential options would have taken longer and been a broader piece of work.

During discussion, the following comments were made:

· Recommendation D be amended to include “in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Property Services and Leader of Council” and, to clarify that the full feasibility study would be funded through One Public Estate budget.

· Could funding set aside for the Superfast Broadband Extension Programme be used to improve Broadband within Area East to allow residents to access Council services on-line.

At the conclusion of the debate, the Chairman assured Members that the decision on the Council’s future headquarters would not be rushed and the comments of the Scrutiny Committee would be taken into account. With this assurance Members were content to confirm the recommendations of the report.

RESOLVED:	That District Executive agreed to:-
	a.	note the findings and recommendations in the David Lock Associates report – SSDC Review of Operational Office Accommodation November 2017 attached in Appendix 1.
	b.	the principle that there is surplus office accommodation for council operational requirements at present and this will increase further post Transformation, and that the Council should therefore seek to rationalise operational property or seek alternative commercial or strategic use for it.
	c.	task the Members Leadership & Development Project Group (Locality Working) to consider the report recommendations made in regard to Area Offices with input from Area Development Officers led by the Locality Manager and report back to District Executive in February 2018 with findings and recommendations in respect of office / building requirements to meet the new model of delivery.
	d.	task the Commercial Property, Land and Development Manager in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Property Services and Leader of Council with undertaking a full feasibility study to be funded through One Public Estate budget, for the future council Head Quarters office to be located at Petters Way, and brought back to District Executive with findings and recommendations by February 2018.
Reason:	To agree the principles and next steps in considering the future of area offices and head quarters offices for the council.

Supporting documents:

Agenda item

SSDC Review of Operational Office Accommodation

Council and Democracy