Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Head of Development on the business case for a Building Control Shared Service.

The Cabinet agreed to -

(a)  form a shared Building Control Service between South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire District Councils with South Cambridgeshire acting as Lead Authority for the current phase of the implementation;

(b)  authorise the Corporate Director (Delivery) after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Planning & Housing Strategy, to implement a Building Control Shared Service between South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire District Councils;

(c)  note the intention to use the Transformation Challenge Award to fund the short term costs necessary to implement the shared Building Control Service as determined by the Shared Service Board;

(d)  agree the approach described in Option 1 of Appendix A of the report - to underpin the further development of a Building Control Shared Service between South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire District Councils;

(e)  to take appropriate action to progress a business case with Cambridge City Council and an eventual shared Building Control Service involving all three partners with a view to reporting to all Councils in Spring 2015; and

(f)  authorise South Cambridgeshire District Council to act as lead authority and to attend the Shadow Regional Board for Building Control on behalf of Huntingdonshire District and Cambridge City Councils in order to explore the potential for a regional partnership on the understanding that any such future organisational arrangements be mutually agreed by both South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire District Councils (and also Cambridge City Council if they are involved in the Shared Service).

Further to Minute No 34 of the meeting held on 17th July 2014, a report by the Head of Development was submitted (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) regarding progress achieved towards an agreement with South Cambridgeshire District Council on the implementation of a shared service arrangement for the Building Control function.  Members also considered the potential to extend the shared service arrangement to Cambridge City Council.

In presenting the case for Option 1, the proposal for a shared service between Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire District Councils, the Executive Councillor highlighted the estimated saving of £100,000 which could result by bringing the two services together and the opportunity that existed, by strengthening the quality and resilience of the service, to generate additional income of approximately £60,000 per annum.  It was accepted, however, that the full business case for the proposal and that involving Cambridge City Council needed to be further developed with detailed budgetary implications for presentation to the Cabinet in March 2015. 

Having commended the views of the Overview & Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well Being) and noted their support for the proposal, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  that the formation of a shared Building Control Service between South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire District Councils with South Cambridgeshire acting as Lead Authority for this phase of the implementation be agreed;

(b)  that the Corporate Director (Delivery) be authorised, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Planning & Housing Strategy, to implement a Building Control Shared Service between South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire District Councils;

(c)  that the intention to use the Transformation Challenge Award to fund the short term costs necessary to implement the shared Building Control Service as determined by the Shared Service Board be noted;

(d)  that the approach described in Option 1 of Appendix A to the report now submitted - to underpin the further development of a Building Control Shared Service between South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire District Councils be agreed;

(e)  that appropriate action be taken to progress a business case with Cambridge City Council and an eventual shared Building Control Service involving all three partners with a view to reporting to all Councils in Spring 2015; and

(f)  that South Cambridgeshire District Council be authorised to act as lead authority and to attend the Shadow Regional Board for Building Control on behalf of Huntingdonshire District and Cambridge City Councils in order to explore the potential for a regional partnership on the understanding that any such future organisational arrangements be mutually agreed by both South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire District Councils (and also Cambridge City Council if they are involved in the Shared Service).

To consider a report by the Head of Development on the business case for a Building Control Shared Service.

(Councillors J D Ablewhite, Executive Leader, and D Dew, Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning and Housing, were in attendance for the discussion on this item).

By means of a report by the Head of Development (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel gave consideration to a proposal to form a shared Building Control service between Huntingdonshire and South Cambridgeshire District Councils.  Councillor D B Dew, Executive Councillor for Strategic Housing and Planning, confirmed that the option of adopting South Norfolk District Council’s IT solution had been thoroughly investigated but was not currently being taken forward.

Members received assurances that service standards would be maintained and that the evidence that supported the business plan to generate an additional £60,000 per annum in income was robust. It was further clarified that the net benefit of the savings and additional income referred to in paragraph 4.1 of Appendix A would be shared between the partners.

Having welcomed the opportunities the shared service could provide for employees in terms of career progression, the Panel recommended the Cabinet to approve the recommendations contained in this report. In addition, it was recommended that, to promote good governance, scrutiny arrangements were developed for the shared service.

RESOLVED

  that the Cabinet be recommended to approve the recommendations contained in the report by the Head of Devlopment.