Issue - meetings

To receive a report of the meeting of the District Council Headquarters and other Office Accommodation Members’ Advisory Group held on 18^th February 2005.

[A copy of the Executives Briefing Paper is appended separately to the agenda].

(The comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Panels will follow).

1. Agreed to undertake further detailed investigations into the issues listed in paragraph 8.4 and the options referred to in recommendations d and e of the report by the Head of Environment & Transport to the Members Advisory Group.

2. Authorised the release of £74,000 in 2005/06 in respect of the cost of further investigations referred to above.

3. Agreed not to consider further the option with regard to the refurbishment of Pathfinder House and Castle Hill House.

4. Having regard to the observations of the Overview and Scrutiny Panels, agreed to authorise further work to be undertaken to identify the availability of edge-of town centre sites in Huntingdon and to test competitively the cost of these and other options.

5. Agreed  to consider at a future meeting a report detailing the options referred to in resolutions i and iv for testing competitively.

6. Agreed to invite full Council at its meeting on 13^th April 2005 to note progress to date.

7. Agreed to report further to Council in September 2005 on the selection of a final preferred scheme and its implications for the Medium Term Plan.

8. Agreed to undertake investigations into the potential availability of external funding for buildings that achieve a high Environment Assessment Rating for the Building Research Establishment.

The Cabinet received the report of the meeting of the District Council Headquarters and other Office Accommodation Members’ Advisory Group held on 18th February 2005 and considered the Group’s recommendations in relation to the steps to be taken to procure suitable headquarters and depot premises for use by the Council.

Having also been acquainted with the outcomes of discussions by the Overview and Scrutiny Panels on the matter, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(i) that further detailed investigation be undertaken into the issues outlined in paragraph 8.4 and the options referred to in recommendations (d) and (e) of the report by the Head of Environment and Transport appended to the report of the Members Advisory Group;

(ii) that £74,000 be released in 2005/06 in respect of the cost of further investigations referred to in (i) above;

(iii) that no further consideration be given to the option with regard to the refurbishment of Pathfinder House and Castle Hill House;

(iv) that, having regard to the observations of the Overview and Scrutiny Panels, further work be authorised to identify the availability of edge-of-Town Centre sites in Huntingdon and to test competitively the cost of these and other options;

(v) that consideration be given at a future meeting to a report detailing the options referred to in recommendations (i) and  (iv) above for testing competitively;

(vi) that full Council be invited at its meeting on 13th April 2005 to note progress made to date;

(vii) that a further report be submitted to Council in September 2005 on the selection of a final preferred scheme and its implications for the Medium Term Plan; and

(vii) that investigations be undertaken into the potential availability of external funding for buildings that achieve a high Environment Assessment Rating for the Building Research Establishment.