Purpose

Seeking Cabinet's approval of the Residential Children’s Home Project: Capital, Revenue and Land Appropriation Approval Full Business Case.

Decision

·       Cabinet approved the proposal to build and operate a new 6-bed in-house residential children’s home.

·       Cabinet approved an additional £2,760,000 capital budget allocation for the project in the Council’s general fund capital programme for the period 2024/25–2025/26 to enable delivery of new residential children’s home, including £400k for land appropriation, to be met from the unallocated General Fund capital programme budget.

·       Cabinet approved the appropriation of land at exempt Appendix 2 of the submitted report from the Housing Revenue Account to the General Fund, subject to consent from the Secretary of State (SoS) for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

·       Cabinet delegated authority to the Executive Director of Regeneration, Housing and Environmental Services to undertake the necessary legal processes to deliver the appropriation.

·       Cabinet delegated authority to the Executive Director of Regeneration, Housing and Environmental Services for all associated activities required to deliver the construction and fit out, including the appointment of professional consultants and the entering into contracts. 

·       Cabinet noted the contributions to the One Hounslow Financial Strategy closing the budget gap strategy, as detailed in the Financial Benefits section, which would be managed through the annual budget setting process.