Issue - meetings

This report seeks to update Members on recent observations made in respect of facilities at the Guildhall and the possibility of a case for future investment.

(i)                 That Option 2 be approved and the Corporate Landlord be asked to consider investment options for the Guildhall, in response to the report, as part of the administrative accommodation review.  Since the accommodation review had yet to look at long term options for the Guildhall, a report be brought back to the Executive Member for Corporate Services and Advisory Panel within 3 months, which concentrates on short term options which have a “pay back” by 2011.  The long term options for the Guildhall complex be considered as a part of the accommodation review.

Members received a report which sought to update them on recent observations made in respect of facilities at the Guildhall and the possibility of a case for future investment.

The Food and Drink Festival had used the Guildhall for a number of events in September 2005 and as a result of this the Director of the Festival, on behalf of York Hospitality Association, had written to the Chief Executive making a number of observations regarding the facilities at the hall and putting forward a case for investment.  These observations were set out in Annex A of the report.

The report presented two options for consideration:

·        Option 1 – To decide that no future investment in the Guildhall was appropriate;

·        Option 2 – To ask the Corporate Landlord to consider investment options for the Guildhall, in response to the report, as part of the administrative accommodation review.

As the accommodation review had yet to look at long term options for the Guildhall, Members proposed that a report be brought back to the Executive Member for Corporate Services and Advisory Panel within 3 months, which concentrated on short term options which had a “pay back” by 2011.  The long term options for the Guildhall complex would then be considered as a part of the accommodation review.  Members emphasised that the “pay back” should not be restricted to financial pay back, but could also cover non-financial matters, and officers advised that the report could also consider options which could be funded from available budgets.  Officers indicated that short term options would probably relate to issues such as hearing loops, panel partitions and tables, whilst long term options would cover issues relating to heating, power supply and toilet facilities.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

(i)         That Option 2 be approved and the Corporate Landlord be asked to consider investment options for the Guildhall, in response to the report, as part of the administrative accommodation review.  Since the accommodation review had yet to look at long term options for the Guildhall, a report be brought back to the Executive Member for Corporate Services and Advisory Panel within 3 months, which concentrates on short term options which have a “pay back” by 2011.  The long term options for the Guildhall complex be considered as a part of the accommodation review.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:To ensure future development is sound and good value.