Agenda item

This report provides key updates on progress of the Strategic Asset Management and Property Improvement Plan 2023-28 (SAMPIP 2023-28) and the associated action plans (Appendix 1), which capture the recommendations from previous internal and external audit reports

Mr Jonathan Kirby, Head of Asset Management, introduced the report.

The meeting heard that:

?     Within the body of the report, under sections 3.5, 3.6 (where the governance charts could be found), these had been taken from the Strategic Asset Management Plan, which had been attached as one of the appendices. This provided some further detail within the Strategic Asset Management Plan on page 45 of the agenda papers. The property governance structure had also been referenced within the body of the report. Within that, paragraph 8.2 discussed governance and the improvements that had been implemented. Some of the boards that had been implemented including the Capital Property Board (CPB).

?     It would be possible to share the terms of reference of those boards so that the Audit Committee would be able to inspect them.

?     All property related decisions before they were submitted for any Cabinet recommendation had to go through the CPSG and CPB Board. which was the middle part of the structure. This was part of what was implemented in 2019/20.

?     A description of the Boards could be submitted to the Audit Committee.

?     The Property Performance Matrix was about identifying working with service areas. This assessment took place from usage information that the Council had from services, condition information on a building and the strategic need the Council referred to in terms of the Council's corporate plan. This allowed the Council to examine closely and assess if there was a deficit within a particular area against the needs of what a service would outline. The assessment would highlight a particular need for an area that was lacking resources. The work would also be done with key members of staff.

?     If a building was being underutilised and not meeting the objectives of the Council, it was important to be able to have a conversation with the people occupying them and see how progression could be made.

?     In terms of leases, a soft lease reading exercise was being done to identify what the responsibilities the Council had under the terms of those leases. The Council had a digital system that was referenced in a document called      “technology forge”. The team would be looking to procure a new system. This allowed the Council to have a digital approach to be able to monitor what works were taking place, what the responsibilities under the lease were.

?     In relation to the governance, this would feed into any part of the constitution and decision making that related to property. This was something that, through the Constitutional Working Group, any recommendations would be taken as to how that would involve councillors and the wider community in general. There was a very specific area under the constitution which discussed the decision making process.

?     Live data would be available on an annual basis that detailed usage, user groups, outlined performance, building condition (which linked through to what repairs should be done by tenants) and long-term future investment.

?     The meeting noted that the Constitutional Working Group was between joint political parties.

?     The Council had successfully recruited around 30 individuals since it had launched the capital projects property restructure in 2022. This still only provided up to about 35% capacity of the overall structure. It had been a very challenging market, but the Council may well start to become more attractive in terms of roles within property expertise. The Council had a core number of officers and a “grow our own program” which was being done within the team. Two apprentices had joined so far as a result.

The Chair felt it was positive to have graduate-style roots for individuals to be able to start apprenticeship programs. The Council had educational institutions such as Cornell and Haringey College and it was nice to have that kind of a relationship and provide opportunities for people to get into an apprenticeship or internship, especially for local residents.

A report on the Meanwhile Use and the Co-Location use would circulated to the Committee when it became available.

RESOLVED:

1.      To note the SAMPIP 2023- 28 to help inform the next annual update to Cabinet in June 2024.

2.      To note the Corporate Property Model, the Property Governance Structure, the Property Performance Matrix and the SAMPIP action plans.