Report

Cabinet Office
To:
COUNCILLOR RAY PUDDIFOOT
LEADER OF THE COUNCIL
Location: 3E/05
Ext: 3472
DDI : 01895 250472
My Ref: SEC
COUNCILLOR JONATHAN BIANCO
CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE & BUSINESS
SERVICES
c.c. Councillors Anthony Way and Richard Lewis
Chairmen of Scrutiny and Policy Overview
Committees
c.c. Steve Smith, Facilities Manager
c.c. Christopher Neale, Corporate Director of
Finance
c.c. Conservative, Labour and LibDem Group
Offices, Phase 2
Date: 19 th July 2006
Decision Request Form INDIVIDUAL CABINET MEMBER
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE REQUEST – CIVIC CENTRE MODERNISATION
Attached is a report requesting that a decision be made by you as an individual Cabinet
Member. I can confirm that the decision has been identified in the Forward Plan and it is
therefore in order for you to make a decision. You should take a decision on or after
Thursday 27 th July 2006 in order to meet Constitutional requirements about publication of
decisions that are to be made.
Please indicate your decision on the duplicate memo supplied, and return it to me when you
have made your decision. I will then arrange for the formal notice of decision to be
published. You may wish to discuss the report with the Corporate Director before it is made.
If you do not wish to accept the officers recommendation and the reasons for it, you are
urged to contact the Corporate Director before making this decision.
Please note that your decision may be subject to call-in and will not therefore be
implemented until 5 working days after it has been published.
SUSAN CAME
Cabinet Manager
Title of Report: CAPITAL EXPENDITURE REQUEST – CIVIC CENTRE
MODERNISATION
Decision made:
Reasons for your decision : (e.g. as stated in report)
Alternatives considered and rejected : (e.g. as stated in report)
Signed ………………………………………………………Date……………………..
Leader of the Council / Cabinet Member for Finance and Business Services

APPROVAL FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FROM
CAPITAL BUDGET – CIVIC CENTRE
MODERNISATION
SUMMARY
Contact Officer: Steve Smith
Telephone: 01895 250518
This report requests approval to spend the sum of £123k to modernise Committee
Room and Council Chamber facilities in the Civic Centre.
RECOMMENDATION
That Members agree to the sum of £123k being allocated from the Council’s
Modernisation budget (2006/7) to modernise outdated facilities in the Civic Centre
(CR3,5,6 and 7), which will also include the partitioning of Committee Room 3 and
the replacement of the Council Chamber centre doors with automatic sliding doors.
OPTIONS AVAILABLE
Members can defer the Capital Expenditure outlined in the report but this will mean
the continued use of out of date facilities by staff, Members and external visitors
including members of the community.
COMMENTS OF THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
None sought at this stage.
INFORMATION
Approval was given last financial year to the refurbishment of Committee rooms 4
and 6, which included electronic facilities permanently installed for presentations, to
facilitate meetings within the Civic Centre for Members, staff and hirers. This also
included electronic multimedia facilities e.g. built in LCD projectors, electronic boards
and associated equipment.
The project also included the subdivision of CR4, which was created by providing an
additional entrance to the facility, and installing a sliding partition.
The programme commenced with the modernisation and partitioning of CR4, which
was completed in November 2005, and the modernisation of CR6, which was
completed in March 2006.
It is proposed to continue the modernisation programme in the current year and
modernise and partition CR3 to the same specification as CR4 undertaken in 2005/6
and CR5 to the same specification as CR6. Furthermore it is also proposed to
replace the external doors of CR5, CR6 and CR7, install split air-conditioning in CR7
as there is currently none and replace the doors to the Council Chamber with
PART 1 – MEMBERS, PUBLIC AND PRESS
Cabinet Member report 19 th July 2006 Page 1

modern automatic doors, which will improve access for staff and visitors with
disabilities as part of the Councils commitment to its DDA obligations. The
installation of split air-conditioning will be run independently of the main system,
therefore providing greater flexibility and control over costs.
The breakdown in costs for this project is as follows:
CR3 Modernisation and Partition £65k
CR6 Modernisation £40k
CR5/6/7 Replacement Doors £6k
CR7 Installation of Split Air Conditioning Unit £6k
Council Chamber Replacement Doors £6k
TOTAL £123K
Works have been provisionally programmed to commence in CR3 on 7 th August
2006 subject to funding approval and a detailed PID is currently being developed
which will cover the total project to ensure completion by the end of the financial
year.
Financial Implications
The Capital programme 2006/2007 includes a budget provision of £225k to fund
further modernisation of the Civic Centre. The £123k works proposed to modernise
CR3, CR5, CR6, CR7 and the Council Chamber replacement doors will be met from
within the £225k capital budget, leaving £102k available for other modernisation
projects.
Further proposals to modernise the Council Chamber will be presented to Members
on completion of detailed feasibility currently in progress.
CORPORATE CONSULTATIONS CARRIED OUT
Finance Comments
This report and its financial implications properly reflect both the direct resource
implications on the service concerned and any wider implications on Council
resources as a whole.
Legal Comments
There are no legal implications arising from the report.
Project Office
The PSO has audited the PIDs for refurbishment of the Committee Rooms (to
include redecoration, carpet replacement and lighting improvements, with addition of
presentation facilities) and is satisfied that the appropriate project management
arrangements are in place to ensure that these projects are delivered within time,
cost and to qualify.
PART 1 – MEMBERS, PUBLIC AND PRESS
Cabinet Member report 19 th July 2006 Page 2

Property Comments
Corporate Property have been involved in this project and fully support the upgrading
of this Committee Room.
Background Documents
Cabinet Meeting 23 February 2006 Council budget 2005/6
PART 1 – MEMBERS, PUBLIC AND PRESS
Cabinet Member report 19 th July 2006 Page 3