Agenda item

Councillor Cowan stated that this substantial new proposal followed a previous one where the developer demolished the local cinema before telling the Council they were no longer able to meet the contract to deliver homes. The Council had now achieved a better contract that would deliver 204 homes, with 52% affordable housing, which would change the nature of the Town Hall to a Civic Campus for many purposes, at no cost to the Council. Councillor Cowan congratulated Jo Rowland, the Strategic Director for Growth and Place, and her team for achieving this major tribute.

RESOLVED:

1.1.       To approve the Strategic Outline Business Case for delivery of the West King Street Renewal Programme attached at Appendix 1 in the exempt part of the Cabinet agenda;

1.2.        To approve a budget of £1.7 million to fund the client-side West King Street Renewal and Town Hall refurbishment programme delivery team for the period April 2019 to March 2023, to be funded from capital or revenue reserves, and delegate final confirmation of funding to the Strategic Director for Finance and Governance in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance and Commercial Services;

1.3.        To waive Contract Standing Order (CSO) 3 the CSO 8 for a procurement strategy to be approved for contracts over £100,000 for the two contracts (i) and (ii) below on the grounds that this is in the Council’s overall interests due to there being insufficient time to obtain approval for the Procurement Strategy, and delegate authority to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Member for the Economy and the Arts, to approve the award of the following services contracts, following CSO and EU procurement rules-compliant appointment exercises:

i.      a client-side West King Street Renewal and Town Hall refurbishment programme delivery team; and

ii.     services required to enable the relocation of Council services from the Town Hall site to alternative temporary or permanent locations (including move management and clearance services and CCTV network relocation services);

1.4.        To approve an additional budget as set out in recommendation 2.4 in the exempt report, to fund the decant programme (i.e. the declutter of existing office accommodation, preparing staff, planning and undertaking physical moves), the staff resources required to effectively deliver the decant programme and the increased revenue costs of moving to decant accommodation for up to five years during the development period, to be funded from revenue reserves, and delegate final confirmation of reserves funding to be determined by the Strategic Director for Finance and Governance in consultation with the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Finance and Commercial Services.

1.5.        In relation to the procurement of furniture and fit out works for the decant properties, to waive in accordance with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 3:

i.      the requirement of CSO 8 for a procurement strategy to be approved for contracts over £100K, and  

ii.     the requirement of CSO 10 to seek competitive tenders,

in both cases on the basis that this is in the Council’s overall interests due to there being insufficient time to obtain approval for the Procurement Strategy or carry out a full tender exercise, and to delegate authority to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Member for the Economy and the Arts, to approve the award of these contracts to the landlords of the final proposed decant properties.

1.6.        To approve a property lease in Hammersmith up to the value as identified in recommendation 2.6 of the exempt report. This value includes associated facilities management costs to enable the relocation of specialist 24-hour services (CCTV, Careline, Borough Emergency Control Centre) and Parking Wardens from the Town Hall site, to be funded from reserves, and delegate final confirmation of funding to the Strategic Director for Finance and Governance in consultation with the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Finance and Commercial Services.

1.7.        That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director, Growth and Place in consultation with the Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services to negotiate and finalise any legal documents necessary to enter into the agreements for the decant properties.

1.8.        To delegate authority to the Strategic Director, Growth and Place in consultation with the Strategic Director for Finance and Governance, as recommended by the Head of Asset Strategy and Property Portfolio, to negotiate and enter into contractual arrangements for the disposal of land at the Bradmore Park Road Children’s Centre, subject to the Council obtaining best consideration, and acquisition of the Quakers Meeting House within the site, for delivery by the JV of new accommodation for the Quakers.

1.9.        To authorise the disposal of land at the former Bradmore Park Road Children’s Centre pursuant to section 233 Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

1.10.     To opt to tax the Council land, shown in the plan attached at Appendix 2, for VAT subject to meeting option to tax conditions;