Issue - meetings

Report of the Executive Manager - Transformation

The Executive Manager – Transformation provided a report outlining the Council’s Asset Management Strategy in supporting the Councils Corporate aims and objectives. The Executive Manager – Transformation explained the Council’s diverse portfolio of assets, ranging from community assets such as community centres, parks and open spaces, through to commercial and investment property, providing an income to the Council and accommodation for small local businesses. 

The Executive Manager – Transformation continued to explain that the Council’s Asset Management Strategy seeks to align the asset portfolio with the needs of the organisation. The Council’s Corporate objectives express the aims and goals of the Council and the Strategy sets out how the land and building portfolio aligned with this. Sitting under the Asset Management Strategy is the Asset Management Plan, which sets out the detail of how the Council manages its land and building assets over a five year plan. Details of the Management Strategy, Action Plan and List of Council Owned Assets were provided in Appendix A, B and C attached to the report.

The Group asked specific questions in relation to corporate priorities and whether the information provided in appendix A, the Asset Management Strategy, could be strengthened to reference the environment and ‘quality of life’. The group provided the example of allotments and explained that as an asset, allotments don’t necessarily provide a great income for the council, but their provision can improve the lives of their users and the community. Councillor Edyvean – Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Business and Transformation explained that allotments may fall in a number of categories headlining the Asset Management Strategy when delivered in the right places, and advised that allotment uptake is high across the Borough. He agreed that some of the information tabled could be strengthened to provide more weight and reference to the environment and ‘quality of life’.

The Group asked whether at a future meeting of Governance Scrutiny further information could be reported in respect of the Action Plan with financial value/cost added in a separate column, including what projects have been completed and how the objectives were met. The Chairman suggested that a report and update of the Plan is brought back for scrutiny in 6 months’ time.

It was RESOLVED that:

a.    The report and appendices are noted and any changes will be reviewed by Cabinet

b.    The Group approved the structure set out to manage the Council’s assets