Issue - meetings
OUTLINE BUSINESS CASE TO SUPPORT AGILE WORKING IN WOODGREEN AND ELMFIELD COUNCIL OFFICES INCLUDING DECARBONISATION AND SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES
Meeting: 13/07/2022 - Cabinet (for meetings after 18 January 2023 see "Executive") (Item 36)
Purpose:
To seek agreement to changes to Woodgreen and Elmfield Council offices to facilitate the implementation of the Agile Working Strategy, reduce costs and carbon impact of the Council’s operations and increase public accessibility.
Recommendations:
That Cabinet resolves to:
(a) Support Option 2 in section 4 to upgrade technology in the Council Chamber and Committee rooms plus modernisation of the Council Chamber and public spaces to create an attractive, flexible and publicly accessible space;
(b) Confirm that, the first floor of 3 Welch Way offices will not be re-let when the current tenancy ends to enable use of this space for staff;
(c) Note that a report will be brought back for decision on the future letting options of Elmfield, to consider how that space is utilised;
(d) Delegate a final decision on a replacement heating solution to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet members for Climate Change and Finance;
(e) Recommend to Council to allocate £2.15m of funding from the Capital Programme “Investment Strategy for Recovery” line item to facilitate the changes and deliver up to £186,000 of net annual revenue benefits with a return on capital of up to 10% after capital financing costs.
Additional documents:
- Item 7 Agile Annex A, item 36
PDF 845 KB
- Item 7 Agile annex a2, item 36
PDF 318 KB
- Item 7 agile annex b, item 36
PDF 528 KB
- Item 7 Agile Annex C, item 36
PDF 25 KB
Minutes:
The Chair introduced this item. He said that the Council’s facilities needed to be appropriate and accessible. Elmfield was under occupied and it made sense to move Planning to Woodgreen were officers would be much more accessible to residents. The Council Chamber was unwelcoming and in need of updating to allow other uses such as weddings. Technology needed improving to allow hybrid working and remote access.
Councillor Prosser reported on the decarbonisation and sustainability measures set out in the report and said that he would be revisiting the assumptions underlying the proposed new heating systems. Councillor Levy emphasised the importance of updating the Council’s estate and the positive impact this would have on the Council’s income. Councillor Enright spoke of the need to ensure that all the Council’s properties support the Council’s priorities to increase openness and transparency.
In answer to a question from Councillor MacRae, Claire Locke, Group Manager for Commissioning, confirmed that there was sufficient flexibility to allow all those who wished to work in the office to do so and to allow space for the Elections team. Councillor Al-Yousuf was assured that a detailed report would be taken to Finance and Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Councillor Mead said that ICE had committed to there being accommodation for Parking Services in their building and she asked that consideration be given to retaining at least a partial Registration service at Woodgreen for the bereaved who preferred not to use the Welch Way office.
The Chair said that these points would be taken into consideration.
Resolved that Cabinet:
a) Support Option 2 in section 4 to upgrade technology in the Council Chamber and Committee rooms plus modernisation of the Council Chamber and public spaces to create an attractive, flexible and publicly accessible space;
b) Confirm that, the first floor of 3 Welch Way offices will not be re-let when the current tenancy ends to enable use of this space for staff;
c) Note that a report will be brought back for decision on the future letting options of Elmfield, to consider how that space is utilised;
d) Delegate a final decision on a replacement heating solution to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet members for Climate Change and Finance;
e) Recommend to Council to allocate £2.15m of funding from the Capital Programme “Investment Strategy for Recovery” line item to facilitate the changes and deliver up to £186,000 of net annual revenue benefits with a return on capital of up to 10% after capital financing costs.