Agenda item - Planned Preventative Maintenance Programme 2012-17

(Finance & Economic Development Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-039-2011/12).

(Finance & Economic Development Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached Building Condition Survey alongside the report previously published.

N.B. It is not intended to provide Members with hardcopies of this survey due to the size of this document.

2 copies have been placed in the Members’ Room for Members to examine.

(1) That the Five Year Planned Maintenance Programme 2012-17 for operational and commercial properties be noted;

(2) That the progress with the works approved for 2011/12, both capital and revenue funded, be noted;

(3) That, subject to clarification of the Electrical Load Management entries and as detailed in Appendix 2 of the report, the following levels of expenditure for essential and planned maintenance at the Civic Offices, other operational buildings and commercial property be approved for 2012/13:

(a) Capital expenditure in the sum of £354,000, which represents a saving of £130,000 on the previously agreed budget;

(b) District Development Fund (DDF) expenditure in the sum of £45,000, previously agreed;

(c) Continuing Services Budget (CSB) expenditure in the sum of £118,000, previously agreed; and

(d) Housing Revenue Account (HRA) expenditure in the sum of £7,000, previously agreed;

(4) That the current projected levels of expenditure for essential and planned maintenance at the Civic Offices, other operational buildings and commercial property for the period 2013/14 to 2015/16 be noted;

(5) That the current schedule of essential and planned maintenance at the Civic Offices, other Operational Buildings and Commercial Property be reviewed to avoid excessive expenditure from the General Fund in 2013/14; and

(6) That the Capital and Revenue spending profiles for essential and planned maintenance works at the Civic Offices, other Operational Buildings and Commercial Property for the five-year period 2011/12 to 2015/16 be noted.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance & Economic Development presented a report on the Five Year Planned Maintenance Programme for the Civic Offices, other Operational Buildings and Commercial Property for the period 2012/13 to 2016/17.

The Portfolio Holder reported that the new Five Year Planned Maintenance Programme had been based upon a survey undertaken by the Assistant Director (Building Control) in consultation with Officers from Facilities Management. The proposed programme aimed to maintain all properties to a property condition of ‘Satisfactory’, although Waltham Abbey Swimming Pool, Oakwood Hill Industrial Units 22-27 and 28-39, Pyrles Lane Nursery and Town Mead Depot had all been classified as ‘Poor’ in the recent survey. Energy efficiency at the Civic Offices had continued to improve and the building had now attained an energy rating of ‘D’, which was better than the ‘E’ rating achieved previously. This was the typical rating for a building of this size, and although further works were planned to improve energy efficiency further, it would be increasingly difficult to greatly improve the building’s score.

The Portfolio Holder stated that Appendix 1 of the report detailed progress on the works undertaken during 2011/12, and it was envisaged that the vast majority of the schemes would have been completed by the end of the financial year. Two schemes had been deferred pending strategic decisions regarding the premises concerned, and one scheme had been deferred due to insufficient time to complete the project by the end of the financial year. Appendix 2 of the report detailed the proposed work programme for 20112/13 and the budgetary requirements to fulfil it. Continuing Service Budget provision of £118,000 already existed and this had been considered when calculating the requirement for District Development Funding. There had been a reduction of £130,000 in proposed capital spending from last year’s report as a result of removing a contingency that was not required anymore and the rescheduling of smaller works. Consequently, there was no additional funding required for the proposed work programme for 2012/13.

In respect of Waltham Abbey Swimming Pool and the Industrial Units at Oakwood Hill that had had their property condition downgraded to ‘Poor’, the Portfolio Holder felt that a wider Cabinet discussion and decision was required about the long-term future of both sites. Therefore, if any serious problems arose in the short-term then supplementary finance would be required to address them. It was also highlighted that the conversion of lighting control from a global automatic system to local energy efficient control was an on-going project which would be continued into 2012/13.

In response to further questions from the Members present, the Assistant Director (Facilities Management & Emergency Planning) stated that the figures shown for work to replace the gutters, downpipes and sections of the roofing for 323 House were budget estimates at present. Better value for money might be achieved when tendering for the work and the two items should be performed together. The improvement scheme for the Upshire Road shops had been a long-term project which was now entering its final phase. The figure of £65,000 within the report was an estimate and it was felt that further savings could be achieved before the project finished.

It was pointed out that there was an entry for each year of the programme for Electrical Load Management at the Civic Offices and Officers undertook to clarify this. Subject to clarification of this, the levels of expenditure for 2012/13 were approved. The rest of the Programme was noted by the Cabinet, along with the suggested levels of expenditure in future years. Officers were requested to review the current schedule to avoid excessive expenditure from the General Fund in 2013/14, as the current Plan estimated District Development Fund expenditure to be £143,000 in comparison to £22,000 and £31,000 in the subsequent years.

Decision: