Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Environment and Finance & Governance and the Director of Environment and Community Services submitted a report for the Executive’s consideration. The purpose of the report was to provide information on the current arrangement for allocated capital funds in the Council ‘Built Asset Portfolio’ and request an additional £5,195,650 of capital funding be allocated to enable essential investment to be undertaken to the assets.

The submitted report outlined four requests for investment in Resolution House, the Town Hall, the Municipal Buildings and Central Library:

·         Resolution House - The cost advice to replace the cladding and associated building services to the workshops was estimated at £1,500,000 to £2,000,000. Table 1, below paragraph 6 of the submitted report, advised on the estimated costs to each local authority, on the assumption that the principles of the custodian agreement were applied. 

·         Resolution House - The site was the Council’s main operational depot and required the installation of a passenger lift to allow a means of accessible access to the first and second floors of the main office block.

·         Municipal Building and Town Hall - The condition of the slate tiled roof, associated lead flashing and stonework was well documented, with the conclusion that major investment was required over the coming years to minimise further deterioration to one of the town’s heritage assets. In addition, works to the internal building elements, fire compartmentation, and fire detection systems were required.

·         Central Library - The introduction of a ground floor accessible toilet and baby change planned to provide a much needed facility to allow a wider demographic of the community to visit and utilise the resources within the library.

OPTIONS

Structural reports had confirmed that capital investment was required to address the existing condition of the Town Hall, Municipal Buildings and Resolution House. Any further delay to action those recommendations would have increased the risk of a building element failing and could have resulted in a breach of Health and Safety Legalisation, putting the Council at risk of legal action being taking.

ORDERED

That capital funding for works to the Town Hall, Municipal Buildings, Resolution House, and Central Library be approved to ensure the ongoing condition of the assets for future operational and community use.

REASON

To ensure that those assets were structurally stable and remained suitable for operational and community use.