Decision details

Matter for Decision

The report set out the Council’s aspirations and approach to the future provision of office accommodation working towards a future where the City Council would require less office accommodation, thereby providing a reduction in cost and the potential to redeploy its assets to generate revenue income or capital receipts. The report described the options, funding requirements and timescales for office reallocations to vacate Lion House ahead of the termination of the lease in September 2014.

 

Decision of the Executive Councillor for Customer Services and Resources

(i)                 Approved the aspirations of the long term strategy.

(ii)                Supported the approach to the further development of long term strategy, noting the desires of the Committee to consider the wider options and with suitable Member engagement.

(iii)          Approved the approach, described as option 2, to vacate Lion House.

(iv)         Approved option 2 based on internal borrowing for the cost of change to be repaid out of savings and the income generated by Option 2.

(v)               Agreed to review the financial implications of the office accommodation strategy in the mid-year Financial Review in September.

 

Reasons for the Decision

As set out in the officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations

The committee received a report from the Corporate Project Manager regarding the Office Accommodation Strategy.

 

The committee made the following comments on the report:

 

(i)                 Questioned whether the Guildhall was the right building to accommodate a modern office working environment.

(ii)                With additional staff relocating into the Guildhall the question was raised if the building was being used to its full potential in terms of commercial income.

(iii)          The Council needed to use its buildings in a more effective way than in the past. For example, taking more commercial bookings. The Guildhall may not meet modern plan office needs, but was recognised as the Civic Centre of the City; so it was hard to move in short to medium term.

(iv)         Stated unease at the timing of the relocation as it was so close to the expiry of the lease for Lion House and asked why this report had not been made earlier.

(v)               Would have liked to have more Member consultation. 

 

In response to Members’ questions the Director of Resources said the following:

 

(i)                  Recognised the building constraints of Guildhall as it was a listed building. Its historic layout did not reflect modern open plan designs.

(ii)                 Officers were reviewing the internal layout of the Guildhall and options for change would be reported back to a future Committee.

 

Councillors requested a change to recommendation 2.2. Councillor Pitt formally proposed to amend the following recommendation from the Officer’s report (amendments shown as bold text):

 

Support the approach to the further development of the long term strategy, noting the desires of the Committee to consider the wider options and with suitable Member engagement.

 

The Committee unanimously approved this amended recommendation.

 

The Committee resolved unanimously to endorse the recommendations as amended.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the amended recommendations.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

Not applicable.