Agenda item

This Interim Report provides background information on the previously proposed Hungate site for the Council’s office accommodation and provides details of the information gathered to date. Members are asked to identify what additional witnesses, if any, they would like to meet, and to identify what further information they require.

Members considered an interim report, which provided background information on the previously proposed Hungate site for the Council’s office accommodation and provided a summary of the information gathered to date.  

The Scrutiny Officer advised Members that she had put in a request, under the Freedom of Information Act, to English Heritage for the information that Members had requested but that this had not yet been received.

Members discussed in detail information which had been gathered and recorded at the informal information gathering session on 26^th November 2008 at which Members had spoken to relevant City of York Council officers and the Regional Director of English Heritage. The Assistant Director of Property Services and the Accommodation Project Director answered Members queries and clarified information in relation to specific issues. Members agreed to a number of amendments to the information contained in the report.

Members discussed the budget history for the accommodation project which was attached to the agenda as Annex A and queried a figure relating to risk and contingency for the current position in November 2008. Officers answered Members queries and agreed to provide revised figures for the next meeting.

Members asked the Scrutiny Officer to send another request to English Heritage to ask for clarification on what they meant by their use of the term “notes of minutes” and to request any other documents they have relating to their involvement in the Hungate project including internal documents, e-mails, file minutes etc.

Members considered the objectives for the review to determine whether any further witnesses needed to be called or whether any additional information was required. Members thought it would be useful to meet with other key senior officers who were on the Project Board and agreed that they would like to speak to the Director of Resources in respect of the budget and also the Director of City Strategy in to determine his views on the designs. They also thought it would be beneficial to speak to the Chief Executive to gain his views on the management of the project. It was agreed that a second informal information gathering session would be held prior to the next formal meeting of the Committee and the Chief Executive, Director of City Strategy and Director of Resources would be requested to attend this session.

In order to be able to identify whether the consultation process was conducted properly and whether due consideration was given to the responses received when deciding how to proceed (Objective 3), Members requested a summary of consultation that had taken place including timescales and responses.

Officers agreed to provide drawings and designs to the Committee as evidence of incremental changes to the design of the building as a result of consultation.

Members agreed that a further additional meeting after the next meeting, scheduled for 12 January 2009, would be required in order to discuss the information gathered from officers at the next information gathering session and agreed that this would take place at 5pm on Tuesday 27^th January.

RESOLVED:

(i)         That the report be noted and the amendments and additional information agreed be included in a further report. ¹

(ii)        That a further private informal information gathering session be arranged to take place at 5.00pm on Monday 12^th January 2009 prior to the formal Committee meeting at 6.00pm and the following witnesses be called to attend this session:-

·        Chief Executive

·        Director of Resources

·        Director of City Strategy ²

(iii)       That the following further information be requested:

·        Further evidence from English Heritage

·        A revised version of the budget history which clearly identifies the elements of budget that are now fully committed.

·        Drawings and designs to show evidence of the design changes

·        A summary of the consultation that has taken place throughout the project including timescales and responses. ³

(iiii)      That a further meeting be arranged for Tuesday 27^th January 2009 at 5.00pm.⁴

REASON:     

To progress this review in line with the timeframe agreed for the review and to ensure compliance with scrutiny procedures, protocols and work plans.