Agenda item

Members of the Committee are requested to bring their copy of the agenda for the Executive meeting on 18^th May 2016.

Report CSD16067

The Committee considered the following reports on the part 1 agenda for the Executive’s meeting on 18^th May 2016.

(6)  Better Care Fund – Local Plan 2016/17 

Report ED16031

The report recommended that the Executive approve Bromley’s Better Care Fund 2016/17 local plan.

RESOLVED that the recommendations be supported.

(7) Authorisation to Procure Special Educational Needs Placements through a Dynamic Purchasing System

Report ED16031

A Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) had been set up with nine other South London Authorities, with LB Croydon acting as the host, to procure Special Educational Needs (SEN) placements. It was anticipated that the DPS would produce savings of between 5% and 8%.

RESOLVED that the recommendations be supported.

(8) Gateway Review 1/2 Approval of Education Building Maintenance Budgets, Education Planned Maintenance Programme and Preferred Procurement Options 

Report DRR16/047

The report set out the maintenance budget for education buildings, the criteria used to assemble the programme and the preferred procurement option. The size of the programme was reducing as more schools became academies. A Member suggested that some expenditure could be funded through the Salix Fund, which aimed to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, but it was thought that these schemes would not be eligible. 

RESOLVED that the recommendations be supported.

(9)  Civic Centre Development Strategy Stage 2 Report: Business Case

Report DRR16/045

A Development Strategy Stage 2 report had been prepared which refined the option for the Civic Centre selected by the Executive on 17^th September 2015. The Executive was recommended to approve the scheme, agree that the Palace and Council Chamber would not be retained, seek approval from full Council that the sum of £14.1m be included in the capital programme for the scheme, funded by capital receipts, and to approve the procurement of a Project Delivery Team at a cost of £365k.

Councillor Michael Rutherford confirmed that as a ward councillor he had been closely involved in the development of the proposals and that he was in support of the scheme. He asked whether officers could be confident about the anticipated capital receipts. Another Member suggested deferring the proposals so that more robust estimates could be obtained.

The proposals included a new Council chamber/multi-purpose venue on the site of the Adventure Kingdom building. A Member asked if the Council Chamber at the old Town Hall was being retained as part of the redevelopment of the site as a hotel, in which case the Council might rent it for its meetings rather than provide a new venue.

The proposals involved a considerable reduction in office space and in staff car parking space, but officers were confident that this could be achieved successfully. With a clear desk policy and flexible working practices, it was expected that 70% desk provision would be adequate. It was anticipated that the scheme might be finished as early as the third quarter of 2018. Further work was needed on access to the public park and its maintenance arrangements. The Chairman proposed an additional recommendation to authorise the Director of Corporate Services to seek expert legal advice. 

RESOLVED that the recommendations be supported, subject to the addition of an additional recommendation –

“That the Director of Corporate Services is authorised to seek advice from suitably qualified and experienced counsel on the application of and management of the covenants relating to the land should he deem it appropriate to do so, any such advice being funded from money allocated to the project costs.”