Agenda item

            The Committee was reminded that the refurbishment of the City Hall would be completed during the summer and detailed plans were being worked up currently for the decanting of Members and staff back into the building and the consequent knock-on effects on other Council buildings.  The Council had staff in a number of City Centre offices, some of which were owned by the Council and others which were leased.  The general planning approach was to reduce the number of buildings held by the Council and the reopening of the City Hall offered an opportunity to move that approach a step further.  However, there remained a number of uncertainties in so far as the Council was due to consider a major review of the centre of the organisation and, whilst the Review of Public Administration was moving forward rapidly, it would probably be the end of 2009 or early 2010, before there would be clarification on the number of staff transferring and any additional assets which would be made available.  In addition, property was a form of asset which took time to rent, buy or sell or to terminate leases.

            In 2008, the Council had closed leases on a property in Callendar Street and on the Scottish AmicableBuilding.  With the reopening of the City Hall, the opportunity existed to close a lease on the Linenhall Exchange and to vacate one of the Council?owned buildings, Seymour House in Gloucester Street, thus creating a potential asset for disposal.  The Committee was reminded that it had agreed already to the services which would return to the City Hall.  The vacant space created in Adelaide Exchange would be occupied by the Business Improvement Service, which was located currently in the Linenhall Exchange.  In addition, the Human Resources Section, which the Committee had agreed to merge with the Business Improvement Service, could be moved also to Adelaide Exchange, together with the Audit, Governance and Risk Services Unit.

            The Director of Improvement explained that by moving the Human Resources Section from the Cecil Ward Building there would be some reduction in the overcrowding which had been apparent in that building for a number of years and it would create an opportunity for a number of staff of the Parks and Leisure Services Department, who were based in buildings in the Council’s Parks, to move to the Cecil Ward Building where the majority of staff of that Department were located.  That would mean that the Cecil WardBuilding would contain the Development Department, the Parks and Leisure Services Department and approximately half of the Health and Environmental Services Department (the Building Control and Cleansing Sections would remain in Lanyon Place since they had moved only recently).  The main ISB building in Gloucester Street would continue to be operational, although it would be an overall aim to free up that asset also.

            The Director stated that, given the numbers of staff involved in each Section and the uncertainty surrounding the future shape of the organisation, together with the outcome of the Review of Public Administration, these changes represented the most prudent approach which could be taken.  He stated that the Members’ Accommodation Steering Group had considered a number of possibilities and had agreed with the changes recommended.  He pointed out that the decanting and refitting required would not be completed until 2010.  Therefore, further work would need to be undertaken with the aforementioned Group to work out a longer term accommodation solution as more details were received in regard to the Review of Public Administration and in order to determine the most appropriate arrangements for the future.

            The Committee noted the information which had been provided and approved the decanting and relocation of staff as outlined.