An update on the Accommodation Strategy will be provided by the Director for Environment and Public Protection.
Minutes:
The Head of Corporate Programmes and Projects, together with the Director for Environment and Public Protection attended to update the LJCC regarding the Accommodation Strategy. It was explained that separate meetings had been arranged with the Trade Unions and with the Departmental Representatives with a view to providing advice and engagement. It was clarified that the new site for the location of the Council would be the Direct Line building in Bromley South. The purchase of the new site had to be finalised and then plans for the disposal of the existing site would need to be implemented. This was being dealt with by the Director of Housing, Planning and Regeneration together with the Assistant Director: Property.
It was hoped that the sale of the building would be finalised by the end of January 2023 and that vacant possession could be achieved around June 2023. Work would need to be undertaken to create a new Council Chamber, new meeting rooms and offices. The project would still go through the normal reports and committee scrutiny process. Different workstreams were being developed. The aim of the Council was to develop an agile, flexible workforce and to make better use of technology in an open plan environment. It was felt that the new location would be a good flagship location for the Council and had excellent transport links. It was anticipated that a video-drone would be used to go around the building and relay pictures back to staff. There would be a process of constant engagement and Directors had already met. Retained architects would deal with space planning and desk allocation; the details of which would be finalised in March. There would be different architects and contractors involved in the building work. It was estimated that in total there were 300 different workstreams.
The Director said it was a very exciting project which would provide a flagship building for the authority. The Chairman asked if there was a possibility that the purchase could fall through. The Director replied that he estimated that there was a 70% certainty that matters would progress satisfactorily. Emma Pearce headed the Project Board and was responsible for overseeing the vast programme of work that needed to be done. It was suggested that feedback should be provided to the Departmental Representatives’ meetings.
The Vice Chairman expressed some concern as to what would happen to staff who serviced existing sites.A brief discussion took place regarding the satellite sites which would be moving into the new building (Youth Offending Service and services currently based on the 3rd Floor of Central Library and 2nd floor of Walnuts Library).
The Director briefed the LJCC that as there would be space that the Council would not occupy, then there would be scope to develop rental income. The CCG had expressed an interest in renting space and Direct Line would retain the first floor. The Princess Royal University Hospital had expressed an interest in renting space for some of their administrative functions.
It was not clear at this stage what would happen with respect to weddings. It was confirmed that the Council still intended to adopt a process of flexible working. It was mentioned by the Director of HR that an employee could legally apply for flexible working.
Thomas Carver said that the feedback from staff received by the Departmental Representatives was almost unanimously positive, but mentioned that the CivicCentre had fulfilled a key corporate parenting function for ‘our children looked after’ and care leavers which should be taken into account when planning for the move.Thomas Carver raised the benefits of the recently opened ‘Our House’. The Director advised that the intention was that the ‘Our House’ provision would be relocated into an alternative local option;
RESOLVED that the update on the Accommodation Strategy be noted.