The Bromley Council Executive met on Wednesday 22 May 2024 to discuss the provisional final accounts for the 2023/24 financial year, approve the procurement of a specialist stop smoking service, and agree to the refurbishment and lease of the Bromley Health & Wellbeing Centre at Churchill Court. The meeting also addressed the CRM replacement capital project, noting the completion of the software implementation and website redesign, and approved the realignment of underspend to fund phase two enhancements.

Provisional Final Accounts 2023/24

The Executive considered the provisional outturn for the 2023/24 financial year, which indicated no overall net movement in general fund balances. Key decisions included approving requests for carry forwards totalling £888k (net) to the Central Contingency, agreeing changes to the central contingency sum, recommending to Council the drawdown of £2,670k from the Business Rates Risk Reserve, agreeing the transfer of £469k to the LBB owned affordable housing reserve, and recommending to Council a reduction in contribution of £6,319k from the Collection Fund surplus. The provisional outturn showed significant variations across portfolios, with Children, Education & Families experiencing a £6,907k overspend and Renewal, Recreation & Housing a £5,603k overspend, while Public Protection & Enforcement and Environment & Community saw underspends. The report also highlighted potential impacts on future years, with significant pressures identified in Housing and Children's Social Care.

Procurement of a Specialist Stop Smoking Service

The Executive approved the commencement of a tender process for a Specialist Stop Smoking Service. This four-year contract, beginning on 1st April 2025, will have an estimated annual value of £472,889, with an estimated whole-life value of £1,891,556. The funding will be a combination of the substantive Public Health Grant (£200k annually) and a ring-fenced Stop Smoking Grant from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) (£272,889 annually until 2029), which will be adjusted based on Bromley's estimated smoking prevalence. Authority was delegated to the Chief Officer, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder, to draw down and authorise the annual allocation of the DHSC grant and to vary the contract scope and value accordingly. The procurement will follow the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) 2023, with a competitive process and a weighting of 60% for price and 40% for quality and innovation.

Bromley Health & Wellbeing Centre, Churchill Court - Refurbishment, Lease & Contract Award

The Executive approved the award of a contract for the works to create a new Health and Wellbeing Centre (HWBC) at Churchill Court. This decision follows the Council's purchase of the freehold of Churchill Court in July 2023, with a view to relocating Council offices and disposing of the Civic Centre site. The HWBC will be located on the first floor of Phase Four of Churchill Court and will be leased to the Dysart Surgery for 25 years. The capital budget for the project will be jointly resourced by the London Borough of Bromley (LBB) and the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB). The Council's capital contribution is detailed in the Part 2 report. Delegated authority was approved for the Director of Housing, Planning, Property and Regeneration, in consultation with other relevant officers and the Portfolio Holder, to finalise commercial and financial arrangements. Delegated authority was also given to the Assistant Director of Legal Services to enter into all necessary legal documentation. The project is expected to be completed by January 2025.

CRM Replacement Capital Project - CRM & Website Redesign Closure Report and Website Phase 2 Options

The Executive noted the completion of the CRM software implementation and website redesign upgrade project, which came in under budget with a remaining value of £270k allocated to the programme. Members approved the realignment of this £270k underspend to fund Phase 2 website 'My Account' enhancement initiatives, including personalisation and single sign-on. This work will be undertaken by the Council's existing provider, Liberata, through the CCN process. Delegated authority was approved for the Assistant Director of Customer Services to spend the £270k budget, covering technology purchases and ongoing support contracts, procured via variation agreements to existing contracts. The project achieved its objectives of upgrading the CRM system, redesigning the public-facing website, and migrating the hosting solution to Jadu's platform, resulting in cost reductions, enhanced security, and improved customer experience.

Executive Appointments 2024/25

The Leader of the Council announced the Members appointed to various Portfolio Holder and executive assistant roles for the 2024/25 municipal year. Councillor Kate Lymer was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Executive, and Councillor Gemma Turrell was appointed Executive Assistant (Environment). The appointments to the Health and Wellbeing Board for 2024/25 were also noted.

Consideration of Other Issues Referred from the Executive, Resources and Contracts Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee

There were no additional items referred from the Executive, Resources and Contracts Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee.

Exempt Business

The Executive resolved to exclude the press and public during the consideration of exempt items, including exempt minutes from previous meetings and Part 2 reports relating to the CRM Replacement Capital Project and the Bromley Health & Wellbeing Centre refurbishment. The Executive noted the Part 2 information for these items and approved the recommendations where applicable.