Issue - items at meetings - Dorchester Office Strategy

To consider a report of the Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Assets & Property. The Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee has been invited to review the report at its meeting on 25 March 2021. (The committee’s comments are to follow).

Appendices 2 and 4-8 (not for publication by virtue of paragraph 3 of schedule 12A, Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended)

Decision

(a) That the principle of consolidating the Council’s office requirements on the County Hall/Colliton Park site as a ‘public service civic hub’ subject to the Council ensuring it takes due regard to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, be agreed;

(b) That the principle of utilizing any surplus space within the County Hall/Colliton Park site for use by third sector and other public sector bodies be agreed and to review the possibility to repurpose and refurbish any such assets currently leased to and in use by them for residential purpose or for disposal;

(c) Agree to retain the Library facility in South Walks House with a Customer Access Point;

(d) That Cabinet reaffirms the principle that we are a member led authority and that local Members should always be consulted on issues affecting their Wards;

(e) That planning permission be sought to repurpose South Walks House and South Annexe for residential use through a process of refurbishing or redeveloping the existing buildings whilst retaining the Library facility in South Walks House and a Customer Access point;

(f) Agree to the Council, whilst planning consent is being sought for the repurposing of South Walks House and South Annexe for residential use, to continue to explore and investigate alternative uses so as to ensure that the Council achieves best commercial (including hotel use), social and economic value prior to bringing forward the final recommendation to Cabinet for approval as to future use.

Reason for the decision

The effective use of the asset base will help enable the Council to meet its social and financial challenges through asset disposals, generation of capital receipts, savings in costs through the reduction, rationalisation and improved efficiency of the estate and more importantly the generation of value through income generation and the repurposing, redirecting and reuse of land and buildings for housing, schools and other essential service needs.

Cabinet considered a report on the rationalisation of the council’s property asset for office accommodation in Dorchester following the reorganisation of local government in Dorset. A number of options had been considered by officers and the changes in technology and access to information were also taken into account.

The Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Assets and Property advised that the Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee had reviewed the Cabinet report at its meeting of 25 March 2021 and had made the following recommendations:

1. Agree to the principle of consolidating the Council’s office

requirements on the County Hall/Colliton Park site as a ‘public service

civic hub’ subject to the Council ensuring that it takes due regard to

the requirements of the Equality Act 2010

2. Agree to the principle of utilising any surplus space within the County

Hall/Colliton Park site for use by third sector and other public sector

bodies and to review the possibility to repurpose and refurbish any

such assets currently leased to and in use by them for residential

purpose or for disposal

3. Agree to retain the Library facility in South Walks House with a

Customer Access Point

4. Reaffirms the principle that we are a member-led authority and that

local Members should always be consulted on issues affecting their

Wards.

5. Agree to the Council seeking planning permission to repurpose South

Walks House and South Annexe for residential use through a process

of refurbishing or redeveloping the existing buildings whilst retaining

the Library facility in South Walks House and a Customer Access

Point.

The Portfolio Holder proposed the above recommendations for approval with the following addition set out as 6 below. Recommendations 1 to 6 were also seconded by Cllr J Haynes.

6. Agree to the Council, whilst planning consent is being sought for the repurposing of South Walks House and South Annexe for residential use, to continue to explore and investigate alternative uses so as to ensure that the Council achieves best commercial (including hotel use), social and economic value prior to bringing forward the final recommendation to Cabinet for approval as to future use.

In response to questions, the Portfolio Holder confirmed that:-

· Local ward Councillors would be kept fully informed of progress;

· The use for government offices was explored with no success;

· When the final recommendations report comes forward it would be made available to Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee before being considered by Cabinet for approval.

Upon being put to the vote recommendations 1-6 were approved.

Decision (unanimous)

(a) That the principle of consolidating the Council’s office requirements on the County Hall/Colliton Park site as a ‘public service civic hub’ subject to the Council ensuring it takes due regard to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, be agreed;

(b) That the principle of utilizing any surplus space within the County Hall/Colliton Park site for use by third sector and other public sector bodies be agreed and to review the possibility to repurpose and refurbish any such ... view the full minutes text for item 124

Meeting: 25/03/2021 - Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee (Item 45)

45 Dorchester Office Strategy PDF 152 KB

The Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee is invited to review the report, ‘Dorchester Office Strategy’, which will be considered by Cabinet on 6 April 2021. Comments made by the committee will be reported to Cabinet.

A copy of the report which will be considered by Cabinet on 6 April 2021 is included on this agenda.

Please note that this report contains a number of exempt appendices.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The committee received and considered a report of the Corporate Director of Property and Assets, which outlined the Council’s proposals for its office estate within Dorchester and how those assets that were considered surplus should be repurposed. It set out for approval, a programme of work with regard to the future use of the Dorchester office portfolio together with a clear action plan with regard to the reshaping and re-purposing of that element of the Estate.

It was noted that the report contained a number of exempt appendices and councillors noted that the committee would need to move into exempt business if there was to be discussion on the contents of these appendices.

A number of points were raised in connection with issues set out in the report, which included reference to the following:

· Energy efficiency of the buildings and funding available in this area

· The need to consider wider issues including the circumstances in other towns in addition to Dorchester, the economy of the towns, staff issues etc.

· Staff travel between Weymouth and Dorchester and links to the climate strategy work

· A point was raised that there was a need for more scrutiny before a decision was taken by Cabinet, however, it was noted that there had been previous consideration by scrutiny including as part of the budget discussions

· The need for consultation with the Dorchester ward councillors before the report was considered by Cabinet and Dorchester Town Council and residents

· Reference was made to a separate work stream to the office strategy work, with regard to the Dorset Workplace. Consultation had been undertaken with managers and service areas and it was noted that the workplace was changing which resulted in the council having more offices than required. The report and recommendations provided a route for further work to be taken forward.

It was proposed by A Canning seconded by M Roe

Each recommendation below was considered and voted upon by roll call:

That Cabinet:

Agree to the principle of consolidating the Council’s office requirements on the County Hall/Colliton Park site as a ‘public service civic hub’ subject to the Council ensuring that it takes due regard to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 Carried
Agree to the principle of utilising any surplus space within the County Hall/Colliton Park site for use by third sector and other public sector bodies and to review the possibility to repurpose and refurbish any such assets currently leased to and in use by them for residential purpose or for disposal Carried
Agree to retain the Library facility in South Walks House with a Customer Access Point Carried
Support Places & Resources Overview Committee establishing a task & finish group with a remit to further investigate the repurposing of South Walks House and South Annexe to include the establishment of a hotel and maximising the number and variety of affordable homes Lost
Request the team working on the new Local Plan prioritise the production of a Dorchester Town Centre masterplan Lost
Reaffirms the ... view the full minutes text for item 45

Issue - meetings

Dorchester Office Strategy

Meeting: 06/04/2021 - Cabinet (Item 124)

Meeting: 25/03/2021 - Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee (Item 45)