Hampshire County Council Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel Meeting

Apologies were received from Councillor Adrian Collett and Councillor Keith House attended the meeting as the Liberal Democrat substitute.

Members were mindful that where they believed they had a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in any matter considered at the meeting they must declare that interest at the time of the relevant debate and, having regard to the circumstances described in Part 3, Paragraph 1.5 of the County Council's Members' Code of Conduct, leave the meeting while the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with Paragraph 1.6 of the Code.  Furthermore Members were mindful that where they believed they had a Personal interest in a matter being considered at the meeting they considered whether such interest should be declared, and having regard to Part 5, Paragraph 5 of the Code, considered whether it was appropriate to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with the Code.

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 April 2022 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

There were no deputations on this occasion.

The Chairman advised on the recent awards announced at the last Full Council meeting, including Hampshire Property Services receiving a regional award from the Royal Institute of British Architects for Barton Farm Primary School in Winchester.

The Panel considered a report of the Director of Culture, Communities and Business Services regarding Hampshire’s built estate.

In presenting the report, Members were made aware that the County Council was nearing to the end of the current programme of decarbonisation work, funded by grants totalling £29.3million from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with 474 projects across the schools and corporate estate being progressed.

It was noted that the impact of market conditions continued to affect the County Council’s Repairs and Maintenance Programmes on the built estate, which was being carefully managed by the department.

RESOLVED:

That the Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel recommends that the Executive Member for Commercial Strategy, Estates and Property:

a)    Notes the confirmed funding allocations for the 2022/23 repairs and maintenance programmes for the corporate and schools’ estates and approves the revised high level budget allocations.

b)    Notes that the detailed programmes of works within each budget allocation will be approved by the Director of Culture, Communities and Business Services under Chief Officer financial delegations.

c)    Approves the provision of £963,500 of additional Schools Condition Allocation (SCA) funding for the planned “SCOLA” recladding project at Nightingale Primary School, identified in the 2022/23 CCBS capital programme, giving a revised total scheme value of £2,478,000 as set out in paragraph 28 and in the project appraisal within Appendix 3.

d)    Notes that the bid for Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) funding to develop the pilot heat decarbonisation project at Heatherside Junior School was unsuccessful and therefore to continue to progress the pilot, £425,000 of 2022/23 Schools Condition Allocation (SCA) funding will be approved under Chief Officer Delegation as set out in paragraph 31 and in the project appraisal within Appendix 3.

e)    Notes that the programme of work delivered via the PSDS completes at the end of June.

f)     Notes the update on the construction industry market conditions and associated impacts on work being delivered across the County Council’s built estate.

The Panel considered a report of the Director of Culture, Communities and Business summarising the financial and business performance of the three self-funding business units within the Culture, Communities and Business Services Department (CCBS) for the 2021/22 financial year.

Members noted the performance of all three business units continued to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic during the year, alhough much less than in

the previous financial year.

RESOLVED:

That the Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel recommend to the Executive Member for Commercial Strategy, Estates and Property that:

The 2021/22 annual report and accounts for the Business Services Group be approved.

RESOLVED:

The press and public were excluded from the meeting during the following item of business, as it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during this item there would have been disclosure to them of exempt information within Paragraph 3 of Part I Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, and further that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons set out in the report.

The Panel considered an exempt report from the Director of Culture, Communities and Business Services regarding Property Services asset decisions.

Members were informed of the details of various transactions across the estate, including acquisitions. The Panel was supportive of the proposals within the report.

RESOLVED

That the Buildings, Land and Procurement Panel recommends that the Executive Member for Commercial Strategy, Estates and Property:

a)    approves the asset transactions set out in the schedule at Appendix 1.

b)    approves the Director Culture, Communities and Business Services be authorised to settle the detailed terms and conditions.