Agenda item

The Director of Delivery, Communications and Political Governance submits a report providing an overview of the Using Buildings Better (UBB) programme.  The Commission is recommended to note the report and comment as appropriate.

The Director of Delivery, Communications and Political Governance submitted a report providing an overview of the Using Buildings Better (UBB) programme, noting that:

·           The programme had been running since the end of 2015;

·           The Chief Operating Officer chaired the UBB Programme Board.  All directors were members of that Board;

·           Decisions were taken on individual work streams within the UBB programme as needed;

·           Before any decisions were taken, consideration was given to the impacts of those decisions.  The Corporate Equalities Lead officer advised when a full Equality Impact Assessment was needed;

·           The UBB programme did not include schools, but it was recognised that they could be affected by decisions taken under the programme;

·           The Council’s commercial portfolio, (approximately 250 buildings), also was not included in the programme;

·           It was hoped that the programme would lead to an improved customer experience, improve the Council’s carbon emissions and provide financial savings;

·           Consultation was underway on Transforming Neighbourhood Services (TNS) in the north-east of the city.  When this was completed, one area of the city remained to be considered under the TNS programme;

·           Channel Shift was included in the UBB programme, as this would help assess whether there was a need to keep customer service access points in any buildings;

·           There currently were 23 Children, Young People and Family Centres in the city.  Remodelling Early Help targeted services could include delivering some of these services, currently delivered at the 23 Centres, from other Council buildings, so this also was included in the TNS programme;

·           Consideration was being given to moving some Adult Social care staff to the office accommodation in Beaumont Leys Library in Beaumont Way;

·           Consideration was being given to the most appropriate service model(s) for the Council’s depots, workshops and stores, in order to identify the best future use of these premises.  No target had been set for reducing the number by a certain amount but, as set out in the report, financial savings were being sought through the UBB programme;

·           Disposal of the eight depots identified in the report would have little or no impact on staffing, as they were not staffing bases.  No staff would be lost as a result of the disposal of these premises;

·           Public consultation had not been carried out on the disposal of the eight depots identified in the report, as they were not open to the public and their disposal should not affect service delivery;

·           Following consultation with Youth Services officers, further consideration needed to be given to the future use of two buildings that were key to their activities;

·           In the West area, further work was needed under the TNS programme on the proposed community asset transfers of the Manor House Neighbourhood Centre and Braunstone Grove Community Centre; and

·           The disposal of surplus assets was a reactive work stream, which responded to decisions taken in other work streams of the UBB programme.

Some concern was expressed that young people had not been invited to a discussion on the impact of the closure of buildings under the TNS programme that they used.  The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services undertook to look in to this, as it was understood that youth services staff and young people were being involved in briefing sessions.

AGREED:

1)    That the Director of Communications, Delivery and Political governance be asked to:

a)    circulate Equality Impact Assessments produced under the Using Buildings Better programme to members of the Commission;

b)    provide details of the use of buildings being reviewed following discussion with Youth Services officers to Councillor Hunter; and

c)    continue to provide reports on Channel Shift and the Using Buildings Better programme to the Commission;

2)    That a report on the legacy of the Transforming Neighbourhood Services programme be presented to the Commission in one year’s time, in the meantime, the Commission to continue to receive reports on that programme as it progresses; and

3)    That, in view of the wide ranging implications of the work being done under the Using Buildings Better programme, the Director of Communications, Delivery and Political governance be asked to liaise with the Chair of the Overview Select Committee, so see if he would like this report to be considered by that Committee.