Issue - meetings

To receive a report by the Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships & Project) summarising the draft Cambridgeshire Public Sector Asset Management Strategy.

Supported the Making Assets Count Programme and establishment of a Huntingdonshire Making Assets Count Board and endorsed the Cambridgeshire Public Sector Asset Management Strategy.

By way of a report by the Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships and Projects) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet were acquainted with the background to the Making Assets Count Programme and Cambridgeshire Public Sector Asset Management Strategy. The report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Economic Well-Being) whose comments were relayed to the Cabinet.

Members were advised that the Programme aimed to deliver high quality and effective management of public sector assets in Cambridgeshire. An essential part of this was the development of an Asset Management Strategy, bringing together public sector organisations across Cambridgeshire to develop a joined-up approach to the management and use of their property assets.

Having noted the benefits of sharing assets, proposals to establish a Project Board in each of the district areas and the terms of reference for the proposed Huntingdonshire Board, the Cabinet 

RESOLVED

(a)  that the contents of the report now submitted be noted;

(b)  that the Making Assets Count Programme and the establishment of a Huntingdonshire Making Assets Count Board be supported; and

(c)  that the Cambridgeshire Public Sector Asset Management Strategy be endorsed.

To consider a report by the Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships & Projects).

(Councillor J A Gray, Executive Councillor for Resources, was in attendance for this item).

With the assistance of a report by the Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships and Projects) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel received an update on proposals to prepare a Cambridgeshire Public Sector Asset Management Strategy and establish a Making Assets Count Board for Huntingdonshire.

By way of introduction, the Managing Director (CPP) explained that the Asset Management Strategy had been devised to enable all public sector organisations in the Cambridgeshire area to develop a joined-up approach to the management and use of their property assets. Sharing facilities with other public sector partners had the potential to generate significant financial benefits through reduced costs and enhanced returns and work had already been undertaken to capture details of local public sector assets in a database. He went on to explain that it was now proposed to establish a Project Board in each of the District areas to focus on specific projects where there appeared to be potential for sharing accommodation and improving service delivery. Members’ attention was drawn to the terms of reference for the Huntingdonshire Board and those projects which had been identified as a priority. These included Huntingdon Town Centre, Huntingdon Operations Centre, St Neots Town Centre, Training Facilities and the development of community hubs for service delivery at Yaxley, Ramsey and Sawtry.

Members welcomed the principle of joined up asset management. However, given that the proposal was expected to yield financial benefits, they suggested that the report should contain performance targets. It was also suggested that the project should have a more broadly defined commercial objective and that further consideration should be given to the Huntingdonshire Board’s aims and objectives. In addition, Members queried whether there was any potential to involve the voluntary sector in these proposals. They were informed that there was likely to be some cross over with the voluntary sector support project and with ongoing efforts to let parts of the Council’s Headquarters to other organisations.

Discussion then ensued on a range of issues including the need to ensure that decisions made in the current economic climate did not prejudice any future decisions about office accommodation, how to ensure that the District Council achieved the best value from the Huntingdonshire Board and the impact on the local economy if public sector organisations were to lease fewer properties. Members noted that whilst there had been little interest from the commercial sector in renting space in the Council’s headquarters, it was hoped that the Making Assets Count initiative would lead to parts of the Council’s buildings being occupied by other organisations.

In response to a question by Councillor T V Rogers regarding potential future changes to the structure of local government, the Panel was informed that the local authority property portfolio would be flexible to suit the circumstances of the time and the local area. Members suggested that this should take into account the potential  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42