Agenda item

The delivery of the council’s Estates and Accommodation Strategy will enable the organisation to reduce its exposure to a large and inefficient office accommodation estate, whilst at the same time supporting the development of single council identity where staff work in modern and flexible ways, delivering services that are transformed in order to be as customer focused and financially efficient as possible.

The creation of the BCP Council Civic Centre and relocation of the customer service offer to local libraries represents the first phase in the council’s Estates and Accommodation Strategy and comprises the necessary investment in the Bournemouth campus and larger libraries, plus the associated work required to allow for new uses of the legacy Poole and Christchurch civic offices.

In the November 2020 Estates and Accommodation Cabinet report, it stated that the intention was no longer to dispose of the Poole Civic Centre in its entirety but to maintain ownership of the core building to protect the Mayoral connection and to consider alternate uses. The Poole civic building is a 1930s listed building and has played an important part in Poole’s history. BCP Council are committed to retaining it as a Poole asset.

It is proposed that BCP will retain the freehold of the Poole Civic Centre and a ‘vertical slice’ will be remodelled for retention as a civic building in Poole. Consideration has been given as to the best use of this space alongside the Poole Charter Trustees. The Dorset Coroners service has been looking to relocate from Bournemouth Town Hall, and the gravitas and location of the building is a good fit for their needs. The use of the building by the Coroners service alongside the mayoralty function, located in the heart of Poole, presents a viable future for the retained building. The other sections of the Poole Civic Centre and wider campus will be repurposed in due course.  The Poole Charter Trustees and Coroner have been engaged with regarding the proposed layout of this space.

The project budget requested reflects the need to create a fit for purpose space for the Poole Charter Trustees and Coroners service.

RESOLVED that: -

(a)          the retention of the Poole Civic vertical slice and use to accommodate the requirements of the Poole Charter Trustees and Dorset Coroners Service be approved;

(b)          the proposed budget set out in Appendix 2 be approved for Recommendation to Council.

(c)          the provisional scope and delegates to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, final decisions in respect of the footprint of the retained section of the building, within the agreed budget allocation be approved;

(d)          Cabinet authorises the commencement of the procurement process and delegates authority to award contracts to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader and appropriate senior officers as appropriate, in accordance with delegated authorities and the council’s financial regulations; and

(e)          consideration be given to how use of the retained section of the building by community groups can best be accommodated outside of Coroner and Mayoralty hours, making appropriate and reasonable adjustments to the current proposal where necessary while accepting this use is secondary to Coroner and Mayoralty use.

RECOMMENDED that: -

(a)          Council approve the budget set out in Appendix 2.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder(s): Leader of the Council

 Environment, Waste and Cleansing

Reason

To maintain the civic presence in the historic Poole civic centre. To approve the budget and procurement approach required to successfully establish the ‘vertical slice’ of Poole civic centre for use by the Poole Charter Trustees and Dorset Coroners service.

The Leader of the Council presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that the delivery of the council’s Estates and Accommodation Strategy will enable the organisation to reduce its exposure to a large and inefficient office accommodation estate, whilst at the same time supporting the development of single council identity where staff work in modern and flexible ways, delivering services that are transformed in order to be as customer focused and financially efficient as possible.

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that the creation of the BCP Council Civic Centre and relocation of the customer service offer to local libraries represents the first phase in the council’s Estates and Accommodation Strategy and comprises the necessary investment in the Bournemouth campus and larger libraries, plus the associated work required to allow for new uses of the legacy Poole and Christchurch civic offices.

Cabinet was reminded that in the November 2020 Estates and Accommodation Cabinet report, it stated that the intention was no longer to dispose of the Poole Civic Centre in its entirety but to maintain ownership of the core building to protect the Mayoral connection and to consider alternate uses. The Poole civic building is a 1930s listed building and has played an important part in Poole’s history. BCP Council are committed to retaining it as a Poole asset.

Further to this Cabinet was informed that it is proposed that BCP will retain the freehold of the Poole Civic Centre and a ‘vertical slice’ will be remodelled for retention as a civic building in Poole, and that consideration has been given as to the best use of this space alongside the Poole Charter Trustees. Cabinet was further informed that the Dorset Coroners service has been looking to relocate from Bournemouth Town Hall, and the gravitas and location of the building is a good fit for their needs. The use of the building by the Coroners service alongside the mayoralty function, located in the heart of Poole, presents a viable future for the retained building.

In addition, Cabinet was advised that the other sections of the Poole Civic Centre and wider campus will be repurposed in due course, and that the Poole Charter Trustees and Coroner have been engaged with regarding the proposed layout of this space.

Cabinet was further informed that the project budget requested reflects the need to create a fit for purpose space for the Poole Charter Trustees and Coroners service.

The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board addressed the Cabinet advising that at their recent meeting the Board had comprehensively discussed the report and proposed the following recommendation in respect of this item:

The Overview and Scrutiny Board recommends that Cabinet considers how use of the retained section of the building by community groups can best be accommodated outside of Coroner and Mayoralty hours, making appropriate and reasonable adjustments to the current proposal where necessary while accepting this use is secondary to Coroner and Mayoralty use.

Councillor Hadley addressed the Cabinet stressing the importance of maintaining the historic core of the building and of ensuring that any refurbishment or building works looked at ways in which sustainable energy can be utilised.

Councillor Butler addressed the Cabinet stressing the importance of considering the use of any vacant space to bring in rent and of considering all options in order to make the best use of the building.

In relation to this the Leader of the Council stressed that options were still available to be considered with regards to certain areas of use for the building but that disposing of the building was not one of them, and that by not disposing of this asset the Council was ensuring it had a future.

RESOLVED that: -

a)            the retention of the Poole Civic vertical slice and use to accommodate the requirements of the Poole Charter Trustees and Dorset Coroners Service be approved;

b)            the proposed budget set out in Appendix 2 be approved for Recommendation to Council.

c)            the provisional scope and delegates to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, final decisions in respect of the footprint of the retained section of the building, within the agreed budget allocation be approved;

d)            Cabinet authorises the commencement of the procurement process and delegates authority to award contracts to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader and appropriate senior officers as appropriate, in accordance with delegated authorities and the council’s financial regulations; and

e)            consideration be given to how use of the retained section of the building by community groups can best be accommodated outside of Coroner and Mayoralty hours, making appropriate and reasonable adjustments to the current proposal where necessary while accepting this use is secondary to Coroner and Mayoralty use.

RECOMMENDED that: -

(a)          Council approve the budget set out in Appendix 2.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder(s): Leader of the Council

 Environment, Waste and Cleansing