Agenda item

The Director of Finance submits a report showing the position of the capital programme for 2019/20 as at the end of Period 3.  The Committee is recommended to consider the overall position presented within this report and make any observations it sees fit.

The Director of Finance submitted a report showing the position of the capital programme for 2019/20 as at the end of Period 3.  The Director reminded Members that this was a rolling programme, it being unusual for a capital project to start and finish in the same year.

Members’ attention was drawn to the Red rating for the Haymarket House Car Parks and Lifts project.  The Director of Finance advised the Committee that there had been some delay to this project due the original contractor going in to voluntary administration.  A new contractor had just been appointed.

The project consisted of a number of schemes and the contractor that had entered administration had been appointed for hotel development.  This did not affect the Council financially, as this work was being funded by the owners of the Haymarket.  The Car Parks scheme was progressing well. 

The Committee welcomed the progress that was being made with the projects identified in the report, but noted that the forecast completion date for the Jewry Wall Museum Improvements project now was March 2021.  The City Mayor confirmed that the Green rating previously reported was for the first element of the project.  Consideration was now being given to whether it would be more economical to finish the project as one scheme, or to continue it in phases.

In response to a question, the Director of Finance explained that the Finance System project related to the Council’s accounting system.  A new provider had been procured, due to the ending of the previous contract, but the new system had failed to meet the Council’s needs.  The project rating had now moved from Red to Green, as it had been possible to negotiate a new contract with the existing supplier.

It was noted that the Goscote House Demolition project was rated as Red as the difficulties of the scheme in relation to the site emerged.  The method of demolition was restricted due to the compact nature of the site, so it would have to be dismantled layer by layer, making this a very complex project.

The St Leonard’s Tower Block Lift project was rated as Amber, due to complexities in gaining agreements to the work being done, as some of the residents in the block were tenants and some were leaseholders.  However, progress was being made towards being able to undertake this work.

The Committee queried whether modelling was still being done on the Leicester North West Major Transport Scheme.  The Director of Finance advised that this referred to two schemes.  The element relating to work being done on Blackbird Road / Ravensbridge Drive was nearing completion, but Leicestershire County Council was back on site at Anstey Lane / A6 to undertake further modelling.  The City Mayor also advised that work still needed to be done to shape the scheme in the “five ways junction” / Woodgate area.

It also was queried why Waterside Primary School was included in the list of projects substantially completed, when the school was not nearing completion.  The Director of finance advised that the project in the list referred to the feasibility study for the school, which was now substantially complete, but did not refer to the building of the school.

AGRRED:

That the position presented within the report be noted.

Councillor Porter left the meeting during consideration of this item