Issue - meetings

To receive a report by the Projects and Assets Manager seeking approval for the scheme’s contract – to follow.

authorised the Head of Resources, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Strategic Economic Development and Legal, to enter into a contract with Cambridgeshire County Council for the construction phase for the Loves Farm Community Building scheme, subject to the final tender figure being within budget and to agree the content of the leases with the County Council and the Community Group.

By way of a report by the Project and Assets Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Cabinet was acquainted with details of a scheme to provide a community building at Loves Farm, St Neots on land owned by the District Council. 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 proposal would create essential community facilities as well as accommodation for a pre-school group.  The building will be owned by the District Council and sub-let to a local Community Group and to the County Council who will govern the pre-school.  Although fully supportive of the scheme, Executive Councillors have raised concerns that the final tender figure for the scheme may be significantly higher than that budgeted.  Having confirmed that no additional funding would be made available, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  that the Head of Resources, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Strategic Economic Development and Legal, be authorised to enter into a contract with Cambridgeshire County Council for the construction phase for the Loves Farm Community Building scheme, subject to the final tender figure being within budget; and

(b)  that the Head of Resources, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Strategic Economic Development and Legal, be authorised to agree the content of the leases with the County Council and the Community Group.

The Chairman announced that he proposed to admit the following item as a matter of urgency in accordance with Section 100B (4b) of the Local Government Act 1972 to enable the Cabinet to consider the matter at its meeting on 17th July 2014 so that the building programme could commence.

In accordance with Section 16 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules contained in the Council’s Constitution, the Chairman also reported that he had agreed to the inclusion of the report as an urgent item of business on the Cabinet Agenda for 17th July 2014.

The Panel gave consideration to a joint report by the Projects and Assets Manager and the Community Health Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) seeking authorisation to proceed with the development of a joint community building and pre-school playgroup in Loves Farm, St Neots. Members were informed that the design for the building was nearly complete and the tender from the County Council’s approved contractor was expected by the end of July 2014. To enable the construction to commence, approval was now being sought to delegate the acceptance of the tender price to the Head of Resources) provided that the tender price was within budget. A copy of the final design was circulated to Members at the meeting.

Having noted that the building would be owned by the District Council and sub-let in two distinct parts, Members reiterated their previous recommendation that the Council should seek to minimise the risk that might arise if the local community group was unsuccessful in generating sufficient income from the facility.

In terms of the construction of the facility, the Panel discussed the procurement process and the procedure, which had resulted in the situation whereby a single tender was awaited for approval. Members were assured that the process was one that the County Council usually employed for construction projects. They were informed that the District Council would be working with the Community Group to finalise the external works and that the Community Group had applied for grant funding to augment the current plans.

RESOLVED

that the Cabinet be recommended to –

(a)  delegate responsibility to the Head of Resources (after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Strategic, Economic Development and Legal) to enter into the contract with the County Council for the construction phase if the tender price is within the available budget; and

(b)  delegate responsibility to the Head of Resources (after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Strategic Economic Development and Legal) to agree the leases with the County Council and the Community Group.