Purpose

Cabinet to:
-       
approve budget for further design development to
RIBA stage 3, procurement of a contractor and delivery of
works.
-       
delegate authority to Strategic Director of
Neighbourhoods and Environment in consultation with Strategic
Director of Resources to award the works contract
 

Content

Cabinet:

(1)     
approved a total capital budget of up to
£10.3m for development of the scheme and refurbishment works
for the Depot.  The
financing cost of the scheme results in additional revenue costs of
£678,000p.a. which will be included in the Medium-Term
Financial Strategy (MTFS) refresh later in the
year;

(2)     
noted that the above budget does not include capital delivery costs
for the new commercial units, which will be subject to a separate
business case and Cabinet report;

 

(3)      delegated
Authority to the Corporate Director Property and Delivery in
consultation with the Strategic Director Neighbourhoods and
Environment, the Strategic Director – Resources, the Deputy
Leader - Climate and Air Quality and the Deputy
Leader - Housing and Regeneration, to proceed
with any design development and then procure and award the contract
for the preferred layout of the depot refurbishment works;
and

 

(4)      noted that
the Corporate Director Property and Delivery, in consultation with
the Strategic Director Neighbourhoods and Environment will
carry out further commercial options development and
bring back a report to a future Cabinet for decision as a
Return-on-Investment opportunity.

 

OPTIONS & ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

‘Do Nothing’ – A fit-for-purpose,
modern Depot facility is urgently required due to health and safety
concerns and the need for EV charging infrastructure.  A £2.3m investment in temporary
buildings and refurbishment works to clear a maintenance backlog of
c£1m at Low Hall Depot in 2019 and 2020 have extended the
facility’s operational life by 5 years. However, a similar
quantum of investment will be required in 2025 and at periodic
intervals going forward.

The Council did consider alternative development of
the site such as redeveloping the site to deliver commercial or
residential on the surplus land.  Both
these options were considered cost prohibitive.

The refurbishment of the depot
would not preclude redevelopment of the depot site coming forward
at a later stage.