Agenda and minutes

To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th March 2016

The notes of the meeting held on 8^th March were approved as a correct record.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Working Group

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman or the Chief Executive

There were no announcements.

Draft Chairman’s Report (to follow)

The Chairman presented his draft report, which summarised the working group’s conclusions regarding the Council’s current S106 processes and set out its recommendations.  

Members of the working group were unanimously supportive and congratulated the Chairman on producing a comprehensive Report which reflected the deliberations and conclusions of the review.

The Chairman advised that there were a few technical adjustments required to ensure the recommendations could be practically applied by the Planning Department and Members agreed that the draft Report should be amended accordingly before being submitted to Scrutiny.

·         The Working Group agreed that the amended draft Report be taken to the Scrutiny & Overview Committee on 9^th May, with the recommendation that the Report and Recommendations be submitted to Council.

The Chairman thanked Members of the working group for their contribution to the review, including the co-opted Members who had joined the Business Improvement Working Group for the duration or this review.  The Chairman also thanked the Development Manager for all his work and support during the review.

Update from the Property & Facilities Manager

The Property & Facilities Manager presented a general overview of the Council’s Property Portfolio, focusing on the approach to repair and maintenance.

The presentation outlined the different categories of properties and, in cases where they were occupied by a tenant, the extent to which HDC was responsible for their upkeep depending on the terms of the lease and the type of property.

The facilities management contractor SSE had recently finalised an asset survey and submitted a comprehensive planned maintenance schedule for Mechanical and Electrical services for the next five years.  This schedule was currently being reviewed and checked. 

Maintenance of building fabric was mainly dealt with by reactive maintenance and approved cyclical works that were programmed for the financial year.  Major refurbishment works required a business case which would be approached with a view to adding value to the property.

A programme of inspection by technical officers of major Council assets, in particular leisure centres, had also been instigated. 

The Property & Facilities Manager advised that major expenditure would be included in the approved Council Budget.  The Property and Facilities Manager also advised that acquisitions or disposals are approved by the Cabinet Member.

The Property & Facilities Manager highlighted the differences between the investment portfolio of rented properties and the corporate portfolio.  The corporate portfolio, which includes properties used by the community, such as The Drill Hall, had to be considered for their social and community value as well as their commercial value.

Members discussed the balance between social and commercial responsibilities, and the Chairman suggested that the Property be brought back to the working group as an ancillary item next Council Year, with a view to reviewing further.

The Chairman thanked the Property & Facilities Manager for his achievements since joining the Council in rationalising the Property Portfolio and significantly improving its management.

·         The Chairman would write a summary of how the Property Asset List was being managed and bring this to the next Scrutiny & Overview Committee for information.