Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item 7

Error! Bookmark not defined.Finance and General Purposes Committee

15/03/200526 April 2005

Error! Bookmark not defined.Asset Management Working Group meeting 11 March 2005

Report by the Chief Officer

Contact: David Howells Tel: 02380 626834 [email protected]

1

Headquarters Development Phase 2

Relocation of Vehicle Workshops - Draft Business Case

1.1

A meeting of the Asset Management Working Group (AMWG) was convened on 11 March 2005 specifically to consider a draft business case for the relocation of the Vehicle Workshops from its site at Winnall, Winchester to the Headquarters site in Eastleigh. However, two days prior to the meeting taking place, the Performance Review Committee (PRC) - in considering the outcome of the Best Value Review of Workshops - resolved to defer for twelve months making a decision on whether the vehicle maintenance function should remain in-house. Instead, the PRC approved the implementation of a number of recommendations aimed at improving current managerial and operational practices at Workshops including several that will enable the production of more meaningful management information. By progressing these improvements it was felt that they would enable the PRC to make a better informed decision about the vehicle maintenance function next year.

1.2

The Draft Business Case had been prepared and circulated in advance of the PRC meeting and - in order not to delay the decision-making process - was based on the assumption that the Best Value Review would conclude that the Vehicle Workshops would be retained in-house. The resolution of the PRC effectively meant that the business case to develop Phase 2 at the same time as Phase 1 could not be pursued. Members of the AMWG expressed their disappointment that the Business Case could not now be presented for consideration to this meeting of the Finance and General Purposes Committee (which had been given delegated authority to deal with the decision of whether to allow Phase 2 to proceed in 2005/06).

1.3

It was recognised that the AMWG and the Finance and General Purposes Committee may well have to return to considering the Business Case again in twelve months time if the PRC subsequently decide to retain the vehicle workshops facility in-house. With that in mind, the AMWG decided to allow the draft business case to be presented. The Group was reminded that: when considered in isolation, it would be difficult to justify the cost of relocating the Authority's vehicle workshops from its present site to the Headquarters site in Eastleigh. However, when examined in the wider context of current and potential needs arising from the Integrated Risk Management Plan, significant modernisation benefits and opportunities could be realised in the provision of emergency cover and in the utilisation and condition of the Authority's built-estate in the Winchester and Eastleigh area. It was anticipated that for an eventual estimated net capital cost of £2.8millon, the Authority can achieve a new vehicle workshops and a new fire station at Winchester capable of delivering an improved levels of emergency cover in a more cost-effective way.

1.4

It was acknowledged that the deferment of the decision would at least enable the business case to be further developed and it was noted that; in any event, the potential saving of combining the two phases in a single building contract had been re-assessed by the project quantity surveyor from an original £270,000 to £140,000.

1.5

An update on other issues impacting on the Headquarters Development Scheme was given including:

· Latest proposals by the ODPM to establish a civil protection (New Dimension) training facility to support the allocation of the Incident Response Vehicles. In this context it was noted that the potential for a contribution (grant) by the ODPM towards the cost of vehicle garaging may now be switched to fund, instead, a hard standing compound that would include the training building.

· The development brief for neighbouring Manor Bakeries site.

Recommendations:

(1) That, in the light of the outcome of the Performance Review Committee's consideration of the Best Value Review of Vehicle Workshops, the need to defer consideration of the business case to support Phase 2 of the Headquarters Development be noted.

(2) That the Committee notes the proposal by the ODPM to provide and fund a practical training facility and vehicle compound to support the capability and capacity of the Service to fulfil its expanded responsibilities for dealing with civil protection incidents; and delegates authority to the Chief Officer to conduct negotiations with the ODPM to ensure that the facilities are provided making optimum use of the Authority's land and property assets.

2

Lyndhurst Fire Station - former office annexe

2.1

The AMWG was informed that Forestry Commission - which owns land adjoining the western boundary of the fire station site - had expressed an interest in acquiring a strip of HFRA land in order to facilitate access to a proposed small housing development scheme. It was explained that the former (now redundant and derelict) office annexe stands on the strip of land in question.

2.2

The Group had previously been made aware that it was intended that the building should be demolished and the land surfaced and incorporated into the drill yard of the fire station. A preliminary offer for the land has been made and the Group confirmed that negotiations should continue with a view to disposing of the land to the Forestry Commission. It was agreed that an appropriate recommendation would be put to this meeting of the Finance and General Purposes Committee that the parcel of land in question be formally declared surplus to the Authority's operational requirements.

Recommendation:

That the parcel of land (hatched on the attached plan) be declared surplus to the Authority's current and long-term requirements; and that the Chief Officer (in conjunction with the Authority's professional estates advisers) be given delegated authority to negotiate its disposal to the Forestry Commission on terms that are in the Authority's best operational and financial interests.

3

Other property matters

3.1

The AMWG also received verbal updates on progress on the following schemes:

_ Disposal of former (domestic) garages at Gosport Fire Station

_ Waterlooville and Havant Fire Stations

_ Proposed redevelopment of Cosham Fire Station

4

Equality Impact Assessment

4.1

There are no significant issues contained in this report to draw to the attention of the Committee and the proposals within this report are considered compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

Background Information (Section 100D of Local Government Act 1972)

The following documents disclose the facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of the report:

None

Note: The list excludes: (1) published works; and (2) documents that disclose exempt or confidential information defined in the Act.