Agenda item

The Service Lead Place, Assets and Commercialisation provided clarification and response to questions from Members in relation to the service plan for the service for 2022-23.

The service plan for the coming year included:

·        Contributing to the Strategic Leisure Review and future strategy;

·        Supporting the Council’s Public Toilet Review by delivering building and refurbishment work, and advising on options for the disposal of surplus public convenience stock;

·        Working to improve energy efficiency of the Council’s property assets in order to reduce the Council’s carbon footprint, and the appointment of a specialist energy consultant to review the current building asset stock and make recommendations;

·        Supporting a review of town centre economy and prosperity through work with consultants on the Axe Valley project and the Devon Place Board;

·        Considering how the regeneration of the Queen’s Drive site and other place making opportunities across Exmouth can support economic recovery and prosperity;

·        Preparation of a new Investment Fund Framework to support an interventionist approach to economic recovery and wider prosperity ambitions;

·        Managing the Community Asset Transfer processes to support communities through the transfer of appropriate community assets to towns and villages;

·        Delivery of a further 3% increase in total rent roll from let property;

·        Delivery of £3.25 million of capital works and £250k of maintenance reserve works.

The Portfolio Holder for Climate Action and Emergencies remarked positively on the plans to improve energy efficiency and commented that employing a consultant to advise on the portfolio would pay dividends in the longer term.

Clarification and responses included:

·        In response to a question about the process which leads to the registration of Assets of Community Value, the Strategic Lead Governance and Licensing reported that whilst it was possible for Members to be first decision makers, review must be undertaken by an officer; difficulties could arise in the event that a Member decision is overturned by an officer, upon review.  It was countered that Members fully understood that officers must use their professional judgement and, following discussion, it was proposed to recommend a review of the process;

·        In clarification concerning the Community Asset Transfer procedure, the Service Lead Place, Assets and Commercialisation stated that learnings had been taken from the Beer pilot which indicated there was significant input required from other services (e.g. StreetScene, car parking) with resourcing implications for those service areas;

·        A Member observed that there were inconsistencies in commercial rents within the district and asked how the decision for a 3% rent increase had been taken.  It was clarified that the 3% increase was a target across the portfolio as a whole and this was reviewed annually to determine where the market is;

·        Concerning preparation for a new Investment Fund Framework, a Member asked what size of the budget it would require and whether this had been added to the list of priorities.  The Service Lead Place, Assets and Commercialisation responded that the Investment Fund would be through borrowing via the Public Works Loan Board, and paying back the cost of the borrowing would have implications for the capital budget.  The size of the fund would need to be dictated by what is in the framework and what Members are hoping to achieve.

·        Responding to a question about how many of the Council’s commercial buildings have solar panels, and whether there were plans to extend that for further roll out, the Service Lead Place, Assets and Commercialisation reported that there were solar PV panels on only a small handful of buildings and, through the energy consultant, a range of solutions would be considered some of which use newer technology.

Recommended to Cabinet by the Overview and Scrutiny Committees that the Service Plan 2022-23 for the Place, Assets and Commercialisation service be adopted, subject to:

·        A review of the process that leads to the registration of Assets of Community Value.