Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence and notification of any substitutes present

Apologies for absence had been received from Mr D Smyth.

Mr I Chittenden was present in place of Mrs T Dean, MBE.

In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, Members are requested to declare any interests at the start of the meeting. Members are reminded to specify the agenda item number to which it refers and the nature of the interest being declared

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider and approve the minutes as a correct record

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 14 December 2015 are correctly recorded and they be signed by the Chairman. There were no matters arising.

To consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services on the proposed decision. as set out in the report.

1.            The Cabinet Member, Mr Cooke, introduced the report and advised the Committee that the proposed refurbishments could be financed within the existing budget.  Mrs Spore added that the two sites concerned in the report made up the final phase of the New Ways of Working programme, and the refurbishment would ensure that both premises were fit for purpose. 

2.            A view was expressed from the Committee that the quality of the office accommodation at both sites was poor.

3.            RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, to award two building contracts to undertake the New Ways of Working programme at the Avenue of Remembrance, Sittingbourne, and St Peter’s House, Broadstairs, and to delegate authority to the Director of Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, to finalise terms and enter into the necessary agreements, be endorsed.

The Chairman advised the Committee that each of the remaining items of business included exempt information and could not be considered fully without reference to that information. He proposed the motion to exclude the press and public for the rest of the meeting. 

RESOLVED that, under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

(OPEN ACCESS TO MINUTES)

To consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services on the proposed decision. as set out in the report.

Mrs E Luxton, Operational Portfolio Manager, was in attendance for this item.

1.            Mrs Spore and Mrs Luxton introduced the report and explained that the County Council was obliged under legislation to transfer the freehold of the built areas of the school to the Rochester Diocesan Board of Education, and that it would lease back the Children’s Centre property from the Board.

2.            RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, to enter into a new lease for the West Kingsdown Children’s Centre, and for the Director of Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, to finalise terms and complete the transaction, be endorsed.

To consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services on the proposed decision. as set out in the report.

Mr R Lemerle, Disposals Surveyor, was in attendance for this item.

1.            The Cabinet Member, Mr Cooke, introduced the report and set out the background to the current proposal. Mr Lemerle responded to comments and questions from Members, as follows:-

a)    detailed checks had been made of the track record and reputation of any company bidding to purchase and develop the site, so the County Council could satisfy itself that any such company was reliable and financially sound; and

b)    a Section 106 agreement had been negotiated with Sevenoaks District Council, to release the site from its former designation as open space, with the condition that 0.5 hectare remain as open space.  The District Council had allocated the released site for residential development.

2.            RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, to sell the property and to delegate authority to the Director of Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, to finalise the selected purchaser and terms of the proposed sale, be endorsed.

1.            The Chairman suggested that a retrospective report be made to each meeting of the Sub-Committee on the outcomes of property disposals, to illustrate what had been achieved as a result of each. So the report could include a full appraisal of outcomes and performance, it would be exempt from publication and would be considered in the closed part of the meeting. This suggestion met with the general agreement of those present.

To consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services on the proposed decision. as set out in the report.

Mr S Dodd, Disposal, Acquisition and Development Surveyor, was in attendance for this item.

1.            The Cabinet Member, Mr Cooke, introduced the report and set out the background to the current proposal. Mr Dodd responded to comments and questions from Members, as follows:-

a)    the site proposed for disposal was adjacent to, but not part of, land which had recently been awarded village green status, so was available to be built on; and

b)  the site was identified for housing in the Local Plan.    

2.         RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services;

a)  to sell the property, in line with the heads of terms agreed with a preferred bidder; and 

b)    in the event of the deal with the preferred bidder proving abortive, for any reason, to delegate authority to the Director of Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, to select a new purchaser from the underbidders and agree terms of the proposed sale in line with Section 123 requirements,

be endorsed.

To consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services on the proposed decision. as set out in the report.

Mr J Grimes, Estates Surveyor, was in attendance for this item.

1.            The Cabinet Member, Mr Cooke, introduced the report and explained that the proposed decision was linked to the Special Schools Review, although that review would not impact on the proposed new lease arrangements. Mrs Spore added that the new joint County Council and Health Service facility, for which the new lease was proposed, would provide health services for children at the new combined Special Educational Needs school and in the surrounding area.

2.            The new facility and the proposed new lease were welcomed.

3.            RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services,  to enter into a new lease at the Foxwood and Highview SEN School on Park Farm Road, Folkestone, and for the Director of Infrastructure, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, to finalise terms and complete the transaction, be endorsed.

To consider a report on the performance of the three Total Facilities Management contractors, in Mid, West and East Kent, since the last review.

1.            Mr Fettes introduced the report and presented a series of slides which set out additional performance data for the Total Facilities Management contracts across Kent, which added to the summaries of performance included in the restricted part of the report. This information included the deductions made in contract payments for performance below target level, data on statutory compliance and health and safety compliance levels and the volume of call centre activity. Key points highlighted were as follows:

a)   there had been no reportable health and safety incidents so far in the contract period, a good achievement across a contract of such a size; and

b)   a campaign to encourage all staff to log calls and give feedback on service received would support good service delivery and allow longer-term service planning.

2.            Mr Fettes and Mrs Spore responded to comments and questions from Members, as follows:

a)    Mr Fettes was thanked for his honest appraisal of contract performance, which it had not been possible to obtain from data collected for previous contracts. The sanction of financial penalties for poor performance was welcomed;

b)    Mr Fettes clarified that the statutory risk assessments undertaken at premises related to issues such as gas and electrical safety certification and checking for the presence of asbestos. Mrs Spore assured Members that there had been no health and safety incidents or insurance risk to the County Council;

c)    assessment and recording of non-statutory issues, for example, of general daily functions such as cleaning and security, included planned and unplanned activity such as routine and reactive maintenance. To achieve service excellence depended on good monitoring of both statutory and non-statutory issues;

d)    Mr Cooke added that performance monitoring of the Total Facilities Management contracts had highlighted the benefits to the County Council of having engaged more than one provider, as the ability to compare the performance of the three providers would encourage each to raise their game; and

e)    the improvement in performance evidenced in the current contracts, and the related reduction in the number of payment deductions needing to be made, was welcomed. The ability to monitor performance regularly allowed increased transparency.

3.             RESOLVED that the current performance of the Total Facilities Management contractors, and the existing County Council contract governance in place to manage and monitor the performance of the Total Facilities Management contracts, be noted.