Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of Service Delivery, (copy enclosed).

The Council considered the report of the Director of Service Delivery updating Members on exploratory work regarding options for the Council Offices, Princes Road, Maldon and seeking support for a feasibility study to be completed and reported back to the Council later in the 2022 / 23 financial year.

The report outlined the work of the Commercial Options Project Team who had been working with Essex Housing and the Corporate Projects Working Group to assess options for the site at Princes Road.  A number of issues with the current Council building were highlighted in the report.  It was reported that Members had recently received a presentation on the options for building a new council offices and developing the site at Princes Road.  The report sought consideration of undertaking a feasibility study of these options based on the financial, environmental and social benefits.

The Leader of the Council proposed that the recommendations set out in the report be agreed.  This proposal was duly seconded.

Councillor A S Fluker raised the following proposals in respect of recommendation (ii):

·                 That all Members would have access to the Corporate Projects Working Group, able to attend, listen and with permission of the Chairman asks questions.

·                 That Officers advise on what was considered a reasonable length of time to carry out the requirement work and report back to the Council.

In response to the debate that followed and in response to questions, Officers provided the Council with additional information regarding the proposal, including:

·                 clarification that the Corporate Projects Working Group (CPWG) would report back to the Council as the parent Committee of the Working Group.

·                 that until the first scoping meetings had taken place it was not possible to provide a timescale for reporting back to the Council.  It was noted that the number of options being taken forward would be a factor in this.  The Project Team would be meeting the following week and if the feasibility study was supported they would be looking at scoping the report, internal and external support required along with costings to support the options coming forwards to Members.

·                 the feasibility study would be Council led and One Public Estate funding would be available.  An internal Project Manager to lead the work would be identified and where external contracts were required to support items such as site surveys, land valuations etc. these would follow the Council’s internal procurement policy for transparency and compliance.

·                 Essex Housing had been involved in initial discussions free of charge and secured a grant for the Council through One Public Estate. 

·                 There was initially no cost to the Council as the grant would be used. However, once the feasibility study had been completed and if the Council agreed to take forward a recommendation, £60,000 of the sustainable grant was repayable.

Councillor Fluker proposed that from the Council meeting on 6 July 2022 this matter is a standing item on the agenda to allow for updates to be given.  This proposal was duly seconded.

There was some discussion about a report being brought back to the Statutory Annual meeting of the Council.  Councillor Fluker withdrew his earlier proposal and proposed that from the Statutory Annual meeting of the Council On 12 May 2022 and thereafter this matter be a standard item on all Council agendas.  This proposal was duly seconded and agreed by assent.

The Chairman then move the duly seconded proposal in the name of Councillor Mrs Channer to agree the recommendations set out in the report.  This was duly agreed by assent.

RESOLVED

(i)               That a feasibility study and associated work to further explore the options for a new office and potential development of the Princes Road site utilising One Public Estate funding, at no cost to the authority, be supported.

(ii)              That it be noted that the Corporate Projects Working Group will have oversight of this project with a feasibility study coming back to the Council later in the 2022 / 23 financial year;

(iii)            That from the Statutory Annual meeting of the Council on 12 May 2022 ‘Update from the Corporate Projects Working Group’ be added standard item of business to all Council meeting agendas.

Councillor M F L Durham returned to the chamber at this point.