Agenda item

To provide Members with the opportunity to undertake pre-scrutiny on the Corporate Asset Management Plan 2024-2030

Minutes:

The Service Director Democratic Services and Communications advised that Members were invited to undertake pre-scrutiny on the Cabinet report which set out recommendations on the new draft Corporate Asset Management Plan 2024-2030. Members were advised that the draft Plan provides a vision for the strategic management of the Council’s property assets and sets out draft objectives and priorities for the next 6 years.

 

Members queried whether any further rationalisation could be considered through a review of the office accommodation strategy and the hybrid working model approach adopted across the Council. This comment was made by Members having recently considered the Medium-Term Financial Plan of the Council. Members were pleased to hear of the ‘challenge process’ used when reviewing the office accommodation strategy and consideration of lived experiences to inform the way forward.

 

Members recognised the benefits brought through the Community Asset Transfer process and welcomed its continuation.  However, Members had concerns regarding the process itself, which could often be a challenge for local volunteers and sought assurance that where possible further support and training would be provided to such volunteers.

 

Members welcomed objective 2 of the Plan in respect of Maximising Community resilience and spoke of good examples and positive experiences witnessed with the Llys Cadwyn building in Pontypridd.  Members promoted the need to replicate any learning across other town centres in the County Borough. The Head of Legal – Property and Estates advised that the Council will continue to look for properties suitable to support Town Centre Regeneration which is part of the action plan.

 

Members of the Committee spoke of the Council’s greatest ‘asset’, its staff, and sought assurance that the needs of staff were always at the front when setting the vision for any hybrid approach to working or office accommodation review. The Head of Legal – Property and Estates advised Members that the impacts on staff are taken into account which is covered in the Council’s Office Accommodation Strategy and Asset Management Plan.  Service areas are consulted annually on the suitability of their office accommodation to ensure they have suitable space to deliver fit for purpose services.  Members were also reassured to hear that should staff wish to attend offices to work, accommodation will be provided for them, and there is no requirement for staff to work from home if they prefer to attend their offices. 

 

Members queried whether the plan incorporated sites for those presented as homeless and welcomed news of the work being undertaken through a feasibility study in this area.

 

Members were concerned that the plan did not have robust data against the KPIs referenced within the plan.  Officers explained that this was the starting point and such information would be available going forward.

 

Members highlighted the stakeholders engaged and queried whether sufficient representation from schools was proportionate, considering the number of school assets involved. Members were reassured that the 21st Century Team as a property portfolio holding Service Area would be represented at the Corporate Asset Management Board when a surplus school asset was being considered.  

 

Members sought reassurance that the inclusion and location of EV charging points was appropriately placed and managed when made available at any new site. The Director of Corporate Estates explained that a new back office system for payment for use of the EV Charging points had been installed and was being rolled out to schools. The Director also agreed to check the two schools mentioned and respond to Cllr Evans outside of the meeting.   

 

RESOLVED to:

 

  1. Form a view on the draft Corporate Asset Management Plan 2024-2030 and determine whether it sets out:

 

a)A clear vision for the strategic management of the Council’s property assets

 

b)The right objectives for the management of the Council’s property assets, namely

 

• Effective Asset and Estate Management.

• Maximise Regeneration and Community Resilience.

• Reduce the environmental impact of the estate.

• Develop an Efficient and appropriate estate.

 

Authorise the Service Director Democratic Services and Communications to provide feedback to Cabinet on behalf of Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Supporting documents: