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SOUTHEND ON SEA BOROUGH COUNCIL

ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN

MARCH 2008

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INTRODUCTION

By Nigel Holdcroft, Leader of the Council and Rob Tinlin, Chief Executive & Town Clerk

The Council is rapidly improving a wide range of its services, underpinned by improved corporate management of its resources. At the same time, we are leading significant regeneration and change, particularly in the Town Centre, to improve the economy of Southend. Good asset management, the way we use our land and property, is essential to success in both these areas. This Asset Management Plan therefore plays an important role in setting out our standards and expectations over the next few years. The Plan supports our vision for a safe, clean, healthy and prosperous Southend, and our ambitions for excellent services. It sets out clearly our ambitions and the values which will inform the way we work. It also explains our commitment to partnership, and our recognition that we cannot achieve regeneration without a wide range of partners working together. To achieve our ambitions, the Asset Management Plan requires a demanding timetable. We are pleased to say that we have identified additional resources to kick-off this important work, which itself will release much needed capital to invest in improved services. The Asset Management Plan continues to make an important contribution to our improving Council. Nigel Holdcroft Rob Tinlin Leader of the Council Chief Executive & Town Clerk

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Asset Management Plan sits within a complex policy and strategy context, which reflects the government and local ambitions for service delivery and growth. It underpins the Council's vision of a safe, clean, healthy and prosperous Southend, and is one of several corporate resource-management strategies which are supporting the Council's drive for excellence. The AMP continues the theme of the three core ambitions of the original plan which reflect the Council's corporate priorities; the ambitions are:

• Excellent service delivery • Regeneration of Southend Borough • Underpinning the Council's budget

These ambitions will be realised by the efficient and proactive ownership and stewardship of land, buildings and infrastructure. This will be informed by values of:

• Community leadership • Reputation • Environmental stewardship • Equity • Community safety • Sound financial management

The Plan divides all the Council's assets into five investment blocks. These are

• Operational assets • Commercial assets • Regeneration assets • Aspirational assets • Infrastructure required to deliver the Plan, notably ICT

Some assets sit within specific policy and legislative frameworks, or are important by virtue of specific features of Southend. These are housing, highways and transport assets, schools and children centres, car parks, listed buildings and designated areas, and the sea defences and cliffs. This AMP brings asset-related decision making (on acquisition and disposal) together with the procedures guiding investment through the Capital Programme. The structure maintains a Project Initiation & Development Group (PI&DG) which reviews all asset proposals and has delegated powers to decide on schemes costing the Council less than £100K. The Commercial Estates Group oversees the management of non-operational assets, including managing performance on rates of return and receipts. Both these groups advise the Capital Strategy &

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Asset Management Group (CS&AMG) which evaluates the business cases on larger projects, and makes recommendations to the Capital Board. The CS&AMG also develops and agrees the Disposals Strategy and monitors performance. The Capital Board, chaired by the Leader, continues to ensure that the programme is in accordance with corporate priorities before recommendations are made to Cabinet. A series of performance indicators have been identified and targets are being developed which will be stretching for the Council, moving the organisation towards top quartile for asset management. These include national indicators on condition, environmental and financial performance and backlogs, beside local indicators on customer and stakeholder satisfaction. Additional resources have been identified to deliver the AMP, some of which is self-funded through significant improvements in management of the commercial estate. Other resources have come from the LPSA reward grant or are identified in the MTFS to facilitate improvements. There are ten key policy recommendations in the Asset Management Plan which are:

1. To adopt the revised Asset Management Plan 2. To establish baselines and embed Performance Indicators and targets

through the new Asset Management System 3. To agree financial targets for asset management in 2008/09 and adopt

a three year plan in line with the MTFS and Capital Strategy. 4. Support the ICT strategy and recognise the links with this AMP 5. Maintain the links with the Housing Strategy and support corporate and

partnership working with RSLs 6. Ensure agreed and realistic project timetables for the E-AMP and the

Transport AMP 7. Develop and agree a Disposals Strategy 8. Agree to the creation of an annual property plan which guides the

detail of decision 9. Enhance the Asset Register to deliver high-quality management and

support investment in the quality and management of data. 10. Support regeneration across the Borough

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CONTENTS Section Title Page No. Introduction 2 Executive Summary 3 Contents 5 Glossary 6 1 Ambitions and Values for the Asset Management Plan 9 2 Policy and strategy context 17 3 Investment Blocks for the AMP

25 4 Process for AMP decision making 30 5 Scoresheet for Evaluating Decisions on Acquisition and

Disposal 34

6 What success will look like: performance indicators for asset management

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7 Summary of Policy Recommendations 42 8 Key Strategic Framework for Southend Council 47 Appendix 1 Asset Management Equalities Impact Assessment 51 Appendix 2 Response to PKF Initial Review of Strategic Documents 69 *Annexe A Latest asset register (separate spreadsheet) * A copy of the Fixed Asset Register is held by Accountancy Services (Tel: 215036). As this is a huge document no hard copies are available.

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GLOSSARY

Abbreviation Meaning Comment A&R Assets & Resources The lead team for implementation of this

AMP ACS Adult & Community Services A department of the Council ALMO Arms length management

organisation Manages the Council's housing stock

AMS Asset Management System The embryonic software procured to hold, interrogate and report property and asset data and performance.

AMP Asset Management Plan This document AT Asset Management Team

BSF Building Schools for the Future The first major rebuild in Southend is at Belfairs school

C&L Children & Lifelong Learning A department of the Council CAMP Central Area Masterplan CCTV Closed Circuit Television Based in Queensway House for the town

centre CEG Commercial Estates Group

CMT Corporate Management Team The Chief Officer team responsible for managing the Council

Coprop Association of Chief Corporate Property Officers in Local Government

SSBC is not a member but should consider joining. Group Manager for Asset Management elected as a member in December 2007.

CPA Comprehensive Performance Assessment

CS&AMG Capital Strategy & Asset Management Group

Decision making and advisory body in asset related decision making process within Council

DCA Department of Constitutional Affairs

Govt. department responsible for the law courts

DCLG Department of Communities & Local Government

Relevant govt. department for Thames Gateway

DCMS Department of Culture, Media & Sport

Sponsoring department for potential lottery investment e.g. in pool or new museum.

DDA Disability Discrimination Act DfES Department for Education &

Skills

DfT Department for Transport DPD Development Plan Document

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E-AMP Education AMP, covering schools and children's centres

EEDA East of England Development Agency

EP English Partnerships EST Essex, Southend & Thurrock

Connexions Service

ETE Enterprise, Tourism & Environment

A department of the Council

GIS Geographical Information Systems

GM Group Manager Third tier officers in the Council HAR Head of Assets & Resources HHR&C Head of Human Resources &

Communications

HIP Housing Investment Programme HoS Head of Service Second tier officers in the Council HPI Head of Performance &

Improvement

HSSA Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix

ICT Information & Communications Technology

IDeA Improvement & Development Agency for local government

IPF Investment Property Forum Hosts the national PI information produced by NaPPMI, the performance network supported by Coprop (amongst others) at www.ipf.org.uk

KLOE Key Line of Enquiry (fundamental part of CPA)

See Annexe B

LLPG Local Land & Property Gazetteer LSG Local Street Gazetteer LSP Local Strategic Partnership In Southend, called Southend Together LTP Local Transport Plan NSG National Street Gazetteer OS Ordnance Survey PCT Primary Care Trust Covers South Essex PI Performance Indicator PID Project Initiation Document

PIG Project Initiation & Development Group

First level of asset related decision making within Council

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ProMAF The Council's project management structure

Ramsar Site A site designated as a protected wetland of international importance

RSL Renaissance Southend Limited Differentiated by context or specifically identified

RSLs Registered Social Landlords SAVS Southend Area Voluntary

Services The Council of Voluntary Services for Southend

SCP Sustainable Communities Plan The govt. plan for the growth areas, including the Thames Gateway

SCyP Sustainable Community Plan The Community Strategy of Southend Together, the town's LSP

SEEC South East Essex College SEH South Essex Homes The ALMO in Southend SOCITM Society of Chief Information

Technology Managers

SPD Supplementary Planning Document

SS Support Services A department of the Council SBC Southend on Sea Borough

Council

SNN Street Naming & Numbering SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest SUDS Sustainable Urban Drainage

Systems

TAMP Transport Asset Management Plan

TES Technical & Environmental Services

Old department of the Council pre 2006 restructuring

TGSE Thames Gateway South Essex TGSEP Thames Gateway South Essex

Partnership

UPRN Unique Property Reference Number

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SECTION 1 AMBITIONS AND VALUES GUIDING THE ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN

This section sets out the underpinning approach to the Council's management and use of its assets. It describes:

• Why the Council keeps its assets, and its ambitions for the estate • The values which guide the Council's management of the assets • The Councils approach to partnership in management of assets, and

identification of key partners • The potential impact of transforming public services through investment in

knowledge management and communications technology

WHY THE COUNCIL KEEPS ITS ASSETS The Council has embedded a vision of a safe, clean, healthy and prosperous Southend, and the ambition of excellence in its own activities. The Asset Management Plan is a key part of the complex set of policies that guide the work of the Council in achieving this vision. The interaction of strategies is set out in more detail in Section 2, and the principles and process for decision making are at sections 4 and 5. The AMP needs to assess why the Council has assets – buildings, land and infrastructure such as highways - at all, and what it aims to do with them. In supporting the vision, the Council holds assets for three reasons:

• to support the efficient and effective service delivery of the Council as it strives for excellence

• to support the regeneration of the town and enable Southend to achieve its objectives ,

• to underpin its capital programme and revenue budget

VALUES UNDERPINNING THE WAY THE COUNCIL MANAGES ITS ASSETS Within each service block there are specific ambitions and commitments which will guide proposals for the disposal or acquisition of assets; they are also closely related to the Council's Capital Strategy, essentially the way in which the Council invests in its estate. Asset management proposals must support the ambition of a clean, safe, healthy and prosperous Southend. This vision is supported by the Council's corporate priorities, which in turn drive the six values which will inform all asset-related proposals. The relationship to the Corporate Priorities can be mapped as:

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Table 1.1 Corporate Priorities supported by the AMP Corporate Priority Supported by AMP Value Reducing crime, disorder, anti-social behaviour and fear of crime

Promoting community safety in design, management, maintenance and ownership

Further reducing waste and increasing recycling

Environmental ownership and stewardship will include effective waste management in the Council's assets

Being more effective in meeting the needs of vulnerable adults and older people

Equity and community safety both support specific opportunities to improve outcomes for this vulnerable group

Enhancing the prosperity and cultural wellbeing of Southend

Fundamental drivers for this AMP, reflected in the ambitions are regeneration and prosperity

Enabling well-planned quality housing and developments

Community leadership, reputation, equity and safety are all drivers for satisfaction. Satisfaction measures are specifically included in the AMP PIs

Improving outcomes for vulnerable children

Community safety and Equity both support specific opportunities to improve outcomes for this, and other vulnerable groups

Creating a safe and attractive street scene

To promote safe clean and prosperous environments and introduce a sense of pride to the public realm.

Improving community engagement, participation and satisfaction

Creating the AMP with clear PIs is an important step in this priority. Reviewing office accommodation and knowledge management are also opportunities for enhancing performance

The AMP and its delivery also support the three cross cutting themes of:

• Becoming a higher performing organisation • Minimising the impact on the natural environment • Reducing the inequalities of people living in Southend.

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The six core AMP values have been identified in the consultative process of preparing the Asset Management Plan as articulating the specific property-related issues where the asset base can and should be managed in way which drives delivery of the core priorities.

• Community leadership: The Council will ensure that its use of assets supports and strengthens its partnerships across all sectors and enhances its community leadership

• Reputation: the Council will manage its assets in a way which promotes and enhances the reputation of Southend as a good place to live, work or visit, and supports the Council's ambitions for excellence

• Environmental stewardship and minimising carbon use/emissions: where an asset is repaired or improved the Council will invest in the most environmentally advanced technology available at the time.

• Equity, particularly in access to services and employment: the Council will work to ensure that all its assets are fully accessible both for customers of services and actual or potential employees

• Community safety: the Council will manage its assets in ways which both promote community safety and enhance the public's experience of safety.

• Sound financial management of assets: the Council will ensure that the way in which it manages its assets is itself financially transparent, flexible and effective. This explicitly includes the Council's policy of nil-cost transfer of land to registered social landlords for affordable housing and in some cases, transfer of assets to the community in line with the Quirk recommendations and government expectations.

ASSET MANAGEMENT IN PARTNERSHIP THE IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIPS The Council cannot manage its entire asset base in order to achieve its ambitions without working in partnership. This includes the delivery of services in partnership, for example with the health or law enforcement sectors, the voluntary and community organisations in the town, and with the private sector. The clear direction of travel, set by customer demands, government policy and financial effectiveness, is for increased integration and joint working. For example, the Council aims to have integrated services with the PCT by March 2009, and important issues still to be resolved in relation to property, such as ongoing liabilities for repairs and maintenance.

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WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS? There are strong examples of partnership relating to property which inform and illustrate this AMP:

• Joint use of assets, for example with the Police in managing the CCTV and the PCT in co-delivery. Effective joint working with schools in managing that estate is also crucial.

• Partnerships with the private sector underpin key areas of asset management, in particular the relationship with Atkins which is crucial to improving and maintaining the highways and developing the Transport Asset Management Plan

• Joint working to invest in and improve listed assets in ways which enhance reputation, for example the partnership with Metal, EEDA and the Arts Council to refurbish Chalkwell Hall, and the re-opening of the Palace Theatre in partnership with HQ Theatres Ltd.

• Good examples of strategic acquisitions brought forward by close working between SBC, RSL and EEDA.

• Joint working with Swan Housing, Circle Anglia and other RSLs to deliver affordable housing schemes within the borough.

• Close collaboration on the production of the Town Centre Area Action Plan and Central Area Masterplan. The Central Area Masterplan cannot be delivered without proactive and creative management of the Council's asset base and hence effective partnership between Renaissance Southend and the Council.

PROMOTING SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP The examples and research supporting this AMP identify a number of issues which underpin successful asset-related partnerships. These may vary in importance between sectors, e.g. relating to the scale of organisations, but underpin successful approaches to asset transfer, co-delivery, contract partnering, joint ventures and other models which potentially involve acquisition, disposal, co-management or development of the Council's assets. These expectations apply as much to the Council itself as to its partners. Thus the Council's expectations of asset-related partnerships include:

• a measurable improvement in delivering stronger and more sustainable communities

• improved (enhanced or better value) services, particularly to vulnerable sections of the community

• that the organisation(s) involved can show capacity, both pre- and post- transfer/disposal to manage the asset

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• that deliverable and acceptable proposals, particularly financial provision, are in place for maintenance and management

• an entrepreneurial approach to business development and asset use (particularly relevant to the third sector)

• that the partners have a clear understanding of each other's objectives and agendas

• that partners have understood each other's constraints, whether legal, financial or policy driven

• that there is explicit trust between the relevant organisations, and this is institutional, i.e. not dependent on a small number of key individuals

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND TRANSFORMING LOCAL GOVERNMENT This section discusses the relationship between knowledge management, communications technologies and the AMP in some detail, as the two strategic sets of decisions (on ICT and use of assets) are inextricably linked as therefore are the AMP and the ICT Strategy. The conclusions of this section for the AMP are reflected throughout this document. Paragraphs below consider:

• the policy and technological context • links between the AMP and ICT • Network strategy • Knowledge management and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

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RELATIONSHIP TO THE AMP Diagram 1.1: Links between the AMP and knowledge management and communications technology.

There are three ways in which effective use of knowledge management and communications technology provide important support to the AMP, illustrated at Diagram 1.1 above. Of these, network capacity and knowledge management are particularly important to decisions regarding assets and future investment. The Council is required to systemise significant amounts of property related information, not restricted to its own assets. This includes:

• The Land and Property Gazetteer – at the time of writing this is reaching the final stages in terms of data synchronisation and is due to move from the test system to the fully live system during March 2008. The Custodian Role has been identified as required by government. There is still work to do to develop linkages to all relevant data sources although the data sits on a Uniform platform within the CAPS software so will therefore link to

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the Asset Register once that is set up on the system. This is targeted for April 2008.

• The Street Gazetteer, is very successfully run by Atkins for SBC Traffic Management and has won a National Street Gazetteer award.

• The availability of mapped information for consultation by members of the public, such as planning applications (for which the Council has the licence but has not yet developed the technical capacity). The data is available for internal use through the eye-maps system but considerable further development is needed for this information to be publicly accessible. Limited data is available on the intranet for public viewing through the Council’s excellent contact centre.

• The good practice standards (implicit in the Council's ambitions for excellence) of interactive on-line capacity, for example relating to school admissions, roadworks and public transport or choice-based lettings.

Diagram 1.2 below sets out the Council's requirements of a GIS system, which is being developed to use feeder information from a wide range of systems and supply clear Unique Property Reference Numbers for use in all services. It will also provide a platform for compliance with government requirements, good-practice interactivity with the public and support strategic decision making. Developing a strategically specified and managed GIS system is enabling a 'clean-up' of existing systems to enable common use. This must be corporately sponsored and managed, with input from all potential users and client services, and managed through the relevant corporate structures to CMT.

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DIAGRAM 1.2: THE USES AND CONTRIBUTION OF CORPORATE GIS

SECTION 1

Settlements Area govt Wards Populations Deprivation

GIS

Socio-economic data

Property data

Asset register Condition Maintenance Perf. Indicators Life Cycle Costs Suitability

DDA

Strategic Data

Strategies Plans Programmes Processes

Projects Data

Briefs Programmes Designs Records

CONTRACTS DATA

Cleansing Highways & Property Maintenance Peripatetic care

Spatial Planning

Development control Strategic planning Option appraisal Consultation

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SECTION TWO

THE POLICY AND STRATEGY CONTEXT

The Council's Asset Management Plan sits within a matrix of strategies, which define and support the Council's objectives and provide the monitoring data which evaluates performance and supports further decision making. This section should be read in tandem with Section 1, which considers the partnerships necessary for success, and sections 4 and 5 which reinforce the decision making and performance management approach. In this section, this constellation of material is divided into:

• External relationships – i.e. those related documents and strategies which either represent non-resource management activities in the Council or are created by other agencies

• Internal relationships – i.e. the internal corporate and resource management strategies of the Council

• Delivery

EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS Several parts of the AMP refer to key relationships and potential partnerships which will drive consideration of asset management, notably:

• Documents related to strategic planning • Frameworks and plans produced by the urban regeneration company • Expectations of government and regulatory agencies • Asset and property related ambitions of partners and the LSP • Contractual and other partnership relationships and opportunities • Market interest or market failure

These contextual elements also interconnect with each other. All land related development in the town is of course regulated by the planning framework. In the town centre and other regeneration areas, the ambitions of RSL bear considerable weight. The market represents a significant pressure on certain assets; the Council is also committed, through government-driven growth and regeneration, to stimulating the market where appropriate. These relationships affecting the AMP are set out in Diagram 2.1.

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DIAGRAM 2.1: EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS AFFECTING THE AMP

SBC AMPand supporting

documents

In developing this Asset Management Plan, the Council continues to have regard to these connections, which are referenced explicitly where appropriate. The recently adopted Core Strategy and the Council’s endorsement of the principles of the CAMP provide frameworks and enable further development of the AMP. The Department for Communities and Local Government has asked local regeneration partnerships to work with Local Authorities to provide temporary stand alone documents that could inform the local development frameworks and direct departmental spending in the Thames Gateway: a) non-statutory local regeneration frameworks that set out the key strategic goals and actions needed

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to deliver the regeneration and development of their areas; b) local project frameworks which set out the projects needed to support the master plans. As a consequence the Regeneration Framework created by Renaissance Southend is a non-statutory document which informs the Local Development Framework of Southend-on-Sea. CORPORATE AND INTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS The Council's Asset Management Plan, as in any large organisation, is one of a number of corporate and resource management strategies which are also closely interlinked. The decision making structure (see section four) illustrates how service plans and annual Director's Reviews of their assets will drive decision making. For the AMP and Capital Strategy as a whole, and the relationship both to corporate planning and the Council's financial strategy, the relationships are as in Diagram 2.2:

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DIAGRAM 2.2: CORPORATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN

BUDGET, SERVICE PLANS AND AMP

This diagram also highlights the importance of timing. At the time of writing, the Council has completed its service planning for 2008-2011 and is embedding a programme of three year service planning, complementing the three year MTFS. This three year approach will enable more mature asset and capital planning. As the relevant timetables become clear for future years, the Head of Assets & Resources, together with the Head of Performance and Improvement, will be able to establish the annual timetable for Directors Reviews, performance

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monitoring and asset management proposals which inform the capital programme. In addition, the AMP is one of a range of corporate resource strategies which inform the management of the Council. These include:

• The medium-term financial strategy and annual budget • Workforce strategies related to (amongst other things), flexible working,

ICT, equality and diversity, and recruitment and retention • Risk management strategies, e.g. concerning the achievement of Decent

Homes, the likelihood of cliff slips and the asset implications of the waste management strategy

• Performance management, including identifying those elements of performance which underpin achievement of core priorities such as promoting the prosperity of Southend

The Corporate AMP (this document) has a range of specific 'supporting documents', described in more detail in section 1. These are either statutory or have government drivers, or are recognised in this AMP to address issues specific to Southend. These are set out in Diagram 2.3

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DIAGRAM 2.3: SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS TO THE AMP

SUPPORTINGDOCUMENTS

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DELIVERY The Council recognises that any plan or strategy is only good if there is tangible delivery, which in turn relies both on management action and appropriate investment of resources. Performance must also be monitored to support continuous improvement and effective decision-making for the future. This latter point is important in Southend, where a number of large asset management decisions (e.g. the use of the 'eastern wedge' on Victoria Avenue or the creation of a high-quality museum) will influence the nature and success of the town for decades. This can be illustrated by the chain at Diagram 2.4 which sets out the progress from priorities to delivery. This should be read alongside the decision making structure in section 4 and the performance indicators in section 6. The decision making process envisages an annual property plan, which is not itself a separate document, but the compilation of:

• The Asset Register, subject to periodic and timetabled reviews of condition and suitability, conducted either annually or on a timescale agreed and resourced between the Head of Assets & Resources and the Group Manager (Property Services) which reflects the age, condition and value of the asset

• Up to date and complete property terrier information linked to the asset register via GIS (initially an enhancement of the information at Annexe A)

• Directors' Annual Reviews of future plans, suitability and sufficiency of assets conducted along the good practice lines set out in section 3

• Disposals strategy, acquisition proposals and targets for the commercial, regeneration and aspirational investment blocks

• Performance Indicators data showing the performance of assets against targets (see section 6) for individual assets and the portfolio as a whole

• Annual analysis of customer satisfaction (using PIs and other consultation outcomes) and stakeholder understanding

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DIAGRAM 2.4: FROM PRIORITIES TO DELIVERY

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SECTION THREE

INVESTMENT BLOCKS FOR THE AMP Through the adoption of the original AMP in June 2007, the Council has adopted a strategy of dividing its property and related assets into five principal blocks. These blocks exist to guide investment in the asset base, and expectations of performance. This structure has been adopted to support the way in which the Council's assets support excellent service delivery, regeneration and sound financial management. In developing the capital programme, it is expected that all investment in assets will show which investment block is involved, any anticipated rate of return and what the expected service or regeneration outcomes will be and the AMS is being tailored to accommodate this information. This will enable monitoring of investment against the council's objectives for its asset base. The investment blocks are shown below:

Diagram 3.1: Investment Blocks for the Asset Management Plan

All assets and potential assets sit within one (and at a given time only one) of these blocks. As a result of decisions within the context of this plan, they will move from one category to another, enabling progress on investment, disposal or acquisition. There are then five sub-categories of asset which sit within particular policy drivers. However, whether or not a property belongs in one of those five categories, all assets sit within one of the four blocks, or are part of the information and communications infrastructure.

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Note: these divisions are not necessarily related to ownership. The Council rents buildings from which it delivers services, which are operational assets. It may choose to strategically acquire assets because they sit within the Regeneration Framework. The fully developed Asset Register will, through direct links and integration as far as possible with the Asset Management Software clearly define current ownership, including leaseholders. FIVE BLOCKS OF ASSETS This AMP proposes an annual review of all major assets informing an operational Property Plan. This is described at more detail in section 7, and will include considering, for all assets:

• Strategic position in relation to corporate objectives and the specific ambitions and values of the AMP

• Considering whole life/life cycle costs of assets • Optimising use of benefits by balancing competing demands • Supporting the management of the capital programme (as investment in

assets) by a clear assessment of need These reviews in turn will feed into the Performance Indicators for Asset Management as at section 6. Proposed PIs are partially derived from those developed by Coprop, in partnership with a range of other public sector property management bodies, which stand as good practice in the field. A key first action for the Council in this revised Plan is to establish targets for the Council's asset base against which to measure performance and to enable the reporting of this information through the management and synchronisation of data and the setting up of the AMS. FIVE SUB-CATEGORIES There are certain types of assets owned by the Council (mostly but not exclusively operational) which have their own substantive and complex policy frameworks. Although these will all fall within one of the four blocks above, they are subject to their own statutory/policy regimes and opportunities. Note that not every asset falls into one of these five sub-categories. The sub-categories are:

• Schools and children's centres • Residential housing and related assets within the Housing Revenue

Account • Highways and transport related assets including transport infrastructure • Listed buildings and designated conservation areas (either held by the

Council or considered through the Authority’s planning process)

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• Cliffs and sea defences The three specific AMPs (schools, housing and transport) and the proposed clarified programme for the sea defences are shown as supporting documents to this corporate AMP in section 2. The management structure proposed for the AMP (see section 4) is intended to ensure that these categories are properly included in thinking about corporate asset management and capital investment. This itself reflects the Council's organisational development strategy and highlights the importance of cross-Council thinking on a wide range of strategic issues. HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORT The Council is expected to produce a Transport Asset Management Plan during the life of the second Local Transport Plan (LTP2), and progress will be assessed by DfT in considering capital allocations. The structure and content are closely dictated by the Department for Transport. The Council's contracting partners for transport, Atkins, have been commissioned to prepare the TAMP under the guidance of a small officer steering group. The TAMP covers all the highways assets – roads, pavements, footpaths, bridges – for which the Council is responsible as Highways Authority. It must clearly link to and support the Councils Local Transport Plan. A draft TAMP has been prepared, which is due for completion in 2008/09 (subject to budget and consultation). This is much the same situation as other authorities across England and in the Eastern region in particular. This will always be a live document requiring annual updates to manage changes in available data, updates to backlog and lifecycle costs and updates to the risk register. Four specific challenges will need to be overcome to deliver the TAMP in ways which meet DfT and Council objectives: • Establishing clean and manageable data about the highways asset. At

present, although a lot of work has gone into the related Land & Property Gazetteer and the National Street Gazetteer, they are not currently synchronised to meet the long term requirements of a TAMP. The Enterprise, Tourism & Environment Department has procured an ICT system to support the TAMP. The highways asset is particularly complex; for example establishing conditions of road edges, drainage and paving is difficult if cars are parked along the road, but a close, visual inspection of all areas is prohibitively expensive.

• Creating and maintaining staff capacity to prepare and maintain the TAMP, whether within Atkins or the Council. This is essential if the TAMP is to be meaningful and kept current; in turn future maintenance funding will depend on identifying the investment gap revealed by proper asset management. There is significant national competition for highways engineers as well as

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people capable of the strategic thinking that the Council needs to maintain and enhance its transport assets.

• Ensuring the TAMP results in an achievable and realistic investment programme; there is little value in generating a wish list of proposals which neither the Council nor the government can fund.

• Making the policy links with the Council's objectives, the LTP and this corporate asset management plan. Transport represents a particularly complex policy environment in which a wide range of competing expectations and priorities must be balanced. For example, the perceived requirements of the town centre economy may conflict with the desire to reduce carbon emissions from private transport. It is therefore particularly important that the TAMP is properly evidence based, using for example, customer satisfaction surveys, lessons from good practice elsewhere, the proposed Town Centre movement study and other relevant materials.

LISTED BUILDINGS & OTHER CONSERVATION DESIGNATIONS The Council has a significant stock of listed buildings, quite a few of which are educational establishments, but also including Prittlewell Priory, Southend Museum, Chalkwell Hall and, of course, the Pier. Each of these assets will be the subject of consideration within the Property Plan and relevant Service Plans. Many of them are high profile, subject to intense public interest and consultation. These assets are of particular importance in their own right. Collectively they also play an important role in supporting the reputation of Southend and the community leadership role of the Council. Southend does not enjoy such a rich architectural heritage that it can afford to lose any outstanding buildings. When considering sites that affect listed buildings (such as the 'eastern wedge' of Victoria Avenue) and competition for investment, the particular importance of these assets in supporting the values of this Asset Management Plan need to be taken into account. (This is reflected at section 5.) The Council also owns or is responsible for large areas of foreshore and inter-tidal zone subject to high level environmental designations. The entire coastal zone is a Protected Species Area, there are SSSIs and RAMSAR sites, all reflecting the importance of the Thames Estuary for a range of maritime species and many bird migrations. Again, these sites are directly relevant to the value of environmental stewardship, and their particular importance is taken into account both in the Core Strategy and related documents, and in considering ways of taking asset related decisions.

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SEA DEFENCES AND CLIFFS Southend-on-Sea has 13.6km of coastal defences. It also has a significant frontage of cliffs, where the land slopes at significantly higher gradients than the natural 'at-rest' position of the glacial clay. The cliffs have been an identified risk area for the Council, particularly since the large slip at the bandstand, and the measures taken to address the identified movements in Leigh. The sea-defences and cliffs have not been considered a specific element of the Council's assets, or featured in the capital programme. They are not separately or comprehensively included in the Council's current asset register. The issues of investment and related risks have not historically fed into a capital programme proposal for the Council to consider. It is therefore proposed, as an important element of the project plan, that the Council use an element of its cliff-related capital reserve (to be recovered in future years) to

• Ensure the proper inclusion of sea defences and cliffs in the asset register • Develop a programme of capital works which can be evaluated and

considered for funding in the capital programme which at a minimum meets the requirements of planned maintenance at existing levels of sea protection

• Recognises the specific resources available for certain sections, notably the commuted sums for protection at the Old Ranges and Defra support for Jubilee Beach

Annexe E provides more detail on the issues involved, giving the context of this proposal.

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SECTION FOUR

DECISION MAKING ON THE ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN

The process of decision making on the capital programme (investment in property) is inextricably linked with decisions needed on disposal and acquisition of land and property. Both elements of the overall management of assets are driven by the commitments to service excellence, regeneration and sound financial management. The Council has developed and implemented a Capital Strategy. There has been close consultation in preparing these documents. This AMP uses the same structure of decision making and this has been introduced and is working well. The original AMP was adopted at the end of June 2007 and envisaged a review following the first complete budget round. The set of arrangements will therefore be reviewed in 2009, after one complete budget round, to determine whether it is fit for purpose. The decision making structure is set out in Diagram 4.1, and a flow chart showing the decision making is at Diagram 4.2. The approach to decision making must show certain attributes. The table shows those attributes and where these are tested in the system.

Table 4.1: Analysis of AMP management arrangements

Attribute

Management arrangement

Relation to the Council's priorities and ambitions for its assets

Must be shown in PID and amplified in Business Case. Overall context and programme tested by Capital Board. Entire process links MTFS, Capital strategy and asset management

Relation to service delivery and ambitions for excellence

PID and Business Case must show clear relation to service plans. Annual Directors Review to ensure service ambitions drive asset planning. Portfolio holders required to sign off asset proposals.

Accountability and auditability for the use of public assets

Adoption of ProMaf; proper and minuted decision making structure has been adopted whereby Capital Board minutes are reported to Cabinet.

Transparency of process This AMP is a public document. Cabinet, Scrutiny and Council are public meetings.

Confidentiality arrangements which protect the Council's commercial interests

CEG a confidential meeting and proper use of Part II agenda to protect the Council. Aspirational assets block confidential.

Appropriate participation and involvement by elected members, all sections of the Council, partners and

Elected members involved at project initiation, CEG, Capital Board and Cabinet. Relevant sections participate (in corporate roles) at PIG

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stakeholders and CS&AMG. Scoring by PIG and Business Case will directly test consultation and partnering opportunities

Timeliness, including rapid decision making if necessary

The process has been developed to ensure that the budget making process is properly informed from October onwards. Constitutional arrangements to enable faster decision making remain in place.

Appropriate documentation and expectations of process relevant to the scale of decision involved

Lighter touch process for those elements subject to other member process and govt. oversight (housing, highways, schools); decisions delegated on basis of PID for under £100K and wholly self-funded schemes.

Adherence to the Council's adopted project management system ProMaf

It is a requirement of all projects that they are managed within ProMaf, from PID onwards.

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Diagram 4.1: Decision chart for asset management plan & capital strategy (also refer to section 7)

HoSA&R; GM- Assets; HoSETR; Head of P&T. Chair:

Director ETE

HoS; GM-Assets; Director ETE Chair: Dir. of SS

CEx (Chair), Leader, Resources Portfolio holder, s151, MO, Dir

SS

CommercialEstatesGroup

PortfolioHolder

(Resources),HoA&R,

Member ofAsset Team

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Diagram 4.2: Flow chart showing decisions on assets

Over £250kor acquisition

Disposalunder £250k

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SECTION FIVE:

A SCORESHEET FOR EVALUATING DECISIONS ON ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL

BACKGROUND TO USE OF THE SCORE SHEET This AMP adopts a scoresheet approach to guide decision making on acquisition and disposal of assets. This will apply to all assets, in all investment blocks. The scoresheet will be used by:

• Commercial Estates Group in considering all disposals, including those of value under £250k, and considering their recommendations on acquisitions

• PIG in reviewing proposals for acquisitions and disposals, including those under £100k

• CS&AMG in considering larger scale projects, as part of the Business Case required

• CS&AMG in developing the broader disposals strategy The Asset Decision Scoresheet will be completed by the lead officer on the project, who will in normal circumstances be the officer responsible for its last or anticipated operational use. If, for example, Adult & Community Services decides to close a day centre, the proposal to close and sell the building would normally come from that department, with advice from Assets & Resources, and demonstrating due regard to other service aspirations and corporate priorities. If PIG refers the proposal to CS&AMG, the scoring should be reviewed as the Business Case is developed, and may change during that process. This Scoresheet will be seen alongside the companion Capital Project Scoring Sheet which has been put in place for assessing investments within the capital programme. The intention of these complementary documents (which are different to reflect the ongoing project management expectations of an investment proposal) is to guide decision making, and provide evidence of analysis prior to decision making. They are not intended to dictate outcomes nor over-rule either emergency (e.g. health and safety) decisions or other strategic considerations.

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SECTION 6

WHAT SUCCESS WILL LOOK LIKE: PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR THE ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Council recognises the need to embed a performance management framework for the performance of its assets, to ensure that the portfolio is being used in the most effective ways to support the Council's priorities and investment has been made to procure and set up the AMS to manage this reporting. This will include annual reporting of progress on the Asset Management Plan together with increased quarterly reporting on the capital programme. Improved performance monitoring will be achieved by:

• Clear statement of expected outcomes over a rolling three year cycle, with a five year horizon for larger asset-related activities

• Establishing and developing the AMS • Adoption of the national performance indicators for asset management

plus local performance indicators which support the Council's priorities • Establishment of targets for the property plan

This section identifies

• Outcomes for the Asset Management Plan from June 2007 to February 2008, three year outcomes and five year outcomes.

• Performance indicators for the AMP and Property Plan • The high priority of establishing the AMS and targets for performance

in 2008.

OUTCOMES FOR THE ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN The outcomes for the Plan must recognise the position from which the Council started, including a ragged information base and incomplete performance information on all property. Performance against these outcomes will be the subject of an annual report to members.

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The progress made against each of the Year One Outcomes is set out in the table below: Ref. Outcome Progress 1 Clear system of decision making

on acquisition and disposal of assets which informs the Council's strategic objectives, budget and capital programme, reviewed in 2008 to ensure structure is effective

This system has been set up by the establishment of the following boards: Project Initiation and Development Group, The Capital Strategy and Asset Management Group and the Capital Board.

2 Adoption of an AMP which reflects the Council's priorities enabling effective and accountable use of assets

The AMP was adopted on 20th June 2007 by the Cabinet.

3 Baseline in place for all property performance indicators enabling by the end of the first year adoption of a clear Property Plan with stretching and realistic targets for each asset and investment block, incorporating a simple monitoring system such as the one used at Herts CC

The Asset Management Team has recently procured Asset Management Software which will enable the Council’s property data to be effectively stored, maintained and analysed leading to the clear reporting of its efficiencies in different areas. The system is expected to go live in April 2008 following a testing and data migration phase.

4 Asset register updated and amended to reflect the requirements and ambitions of the AMP

The Asset related data has been cleansed and merged with the Asset Register and LLPG by the Asset Management Team ready to be exported in to the new software. More work will be required once the data is migrated but this is good progress towards the 1st April go-live date.

5 Adoption and programmed implementation of a knowledge management strategy for assets (including the LLPG), based on a GIS solution, which as far as possible utilises and codifies existing data to provide a Council-wide, readily accessible compilation of property data, based on a corporate system of unique property referencing

The system is an additional module of the CAPS Uniform system which is already used within the Council. Once the test phase is completed, it will provide excellent, secure linkages between the Asset Management, Asset Register, Planning, Building Control, LLPG, GIS, Property Services, Schools and other data held for the Council’s Asset base. It also offers excellent opportunities for the migration of additional data from other departments thus improving the Council’s technical data and enabling better analysis and Council-wide knowledge transfer. System, staff and data development will be needed to

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integrate all this data. 6 Agreed Disposals Strategy for

those assets which do not produce an adequate rate of return, are not in use for service delivery and have no prospective future in support regeneration (which will be a confidential document)

The Asset Management team is analysing the Asset Base. There are many less significant sites which could be made available for disposal but the current focus is on the sequencing and maximisation (in regeneration terms) of its key town centre and Regeneration Assets.

7 Achievement of level 2 of the CPA KLOE

5/8 KLOEs achieved with the remaining 3 partly achieved and being developed.

8 Establishment of viable, transparent and fit for purpose trading account for Property Services (and inter alia ICT)

This will be evaluated in 2008-09

9 Completed options appraisal of the Council's office accommodation strategy and agreed strategy for the future

Short Term Strategy is progressing to realise efficiency savings which are incorporated in to the 2008/9 budget. The Longer Term Strategy was presented to Cabinet on 15th January 2008.

10 Effective communications strategy in place regarding the Council's asset management for Members, staff and partners

The Communication Strategy will be worked up by the end of the first year.

11 Completed or agreed and achievable project plans in place for renewed E-AMP, HIP, new TAMP and new project plan for sea defences and cliffs, with adequate resources identified for delivery

To be actioned in Phase 2.

12 Relevant daughter documents in place, notably statement on third sector asset transfer

To be actioned in phase 2.

13 Strategy clarified for leased community centres and future investment and enhancement, including meeting DDA requirements

Investment in the DDA requirements at the centres is identified in the Capital Programme with spend programmed for the first quarter of 2008. Workshops are to be set up in Q1and 2 2008 with the Community Centre Management Committees, Members, Asset Management and Economic Development officers with representations from SAVS anticipated to ensure support and understanding of the relevant lease, community, political, business and funding issues.

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14 Agreement to financial strategy, sequencing and procurement strategy for Council sites identified for potential development in the Central Area Masterplan

The Car Parking Strategy, Central Area Masterplan and Regeneration Framework outline the sequencing and development potential of several key sites.

The progress made against each of the Year Three High Level Outcomes is set out in the table below:

Ref. Outcome Progress 1 Asset Register fully in place and

updated with performance indicators, rates of return etc as a full constituent of the annual property plan (see recommendations 8 and 9 in section 7)

This information will flow from the development of the new Asset Management System.

2 Knowledge management strategy fully implemented and both property information and GIS mainstreamed in decision making

This information will flow from the development of the new Asset Management System.

3 Decision making processes on asset management and capital programming now fully integrated and transparent

This system is set up and running with decisions of the Capital Board being reported to the Cabinet for ratification either by SO.46 or by way of formal reports.

4 Effective involvement of partners and stakeholders

The Council’s Asset Management Team is working closely with Renaissance Southend, HMCS, PCT, several Housing Associations and many local and national property businesses and companies already and is continually developing these relationships.

5 Use of customer satisfaction processes embedded in property plan, including customer surveys informing work of Property and Assets teams

An EIA for Asset Management is attached at Appendix 1 of the AMP which outlines the development of a feedback and equality and diversity form to be sent out following significant property events such as a new letting or a rent review so that the service can be improved following the comments received.

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6 Achievement of highest level in

Corporate Area Assessment (the anticipated successor to level 4 of the CPA KLOE)

Details not yet released.

7 Implementation of Council's office accommodation strategy.

This process has been started as outlined elsewhere in this report.

8 Established annual review system that incorporates entire asset base

First annual review to be undertaken by June 2008.

9 Annual reviews ensure well understood maintenance expectations reflected in budget, including, where appropriate equity, environmental and safety enhancements

First annual review to be undertaken by June 2008.

10 All daughter documents and specific asset management plans in place and subject to regular review

To be actioned in phase 2.

11 Implementation of Council's asset plan for key strategic town centre sites operating effectively with appropriate partners

. Target date end July 2008.

12 Development of clear asset related plans for other key regeneration areas, notably the Airport, industrial sites and Shoebury

Area Action Plans and SPDs are in hand.

It is too early to report on the Five Year High Level Outcomes at present although some initial progress has been made towards some of these. Property related performance indicators including the baseline yields for the asset sectors are to be established following the implementation of the Asset Management System which will enable the periodic measurement and reporting of these figures. FIVE YEAR OUTCOMES

• Continuing successful implementation of decision making, stakeholder and partnership participation, customer surveys, and annual reviews

• Maintenance of level Comprehensive Area Assessment performance • Office accommodation implementation at or nearing its end • Achievement of stretching targets for property performance indicators • Continuing high-profile and successful development of the Central Area • Successful and well-managed regeneration in other identified areas • A satisfactory review of this AMP preparing the Council for the next

phase of asset management

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PROPERTY RELATED PERFORMANCE INDICATORS AMP PI 1 – Condition

• To measure the condition of the asset for its current use • To show severity and extent of maintenance problems • To assist development of detailed information on required

maintenance, including financial expectations • Show year-on-year changes in maintenance requirements

It should be noted that at the time of writing there is a considerable identified backlog where the asset is at serious risk of imminent failure and requiring urgent works and the restructuring of the Property Services Team is partly to enable this to be accurately assessed, budgeted for and programmed. The information will also be integrated in to the AMS as it is developed.

AMP PI 2 – Environmental Stewardship

• to encourage efficient use of assets over time and year-on-year improvements in energy efficiency

• to encourage the enhancement of habitats that promote biodiversity

AMP PI 3 – Suitability surveys

• to encourage carrying out suitability surveys to identify how assets support and contribute to the delivery of the Council's objectives: i.e. are they fit for purpose

AMP PI 4 – Accessibility

• To monitor progress in providing buildings to people with disabilities Note that although national practice only includes public access buildings in this indicator, it is proposed to include all operational buildings to address the Council's DDA responsibilities as an employer. AMP PI 5 Rate of return on commercial portfolio

• to demonstrate the success of the commercial portfolio in supporting the Council's objectives in underpinning the Council's budget

• to ensure accountability for investment decisions and illustrating the financial consequences of acquisition, holding and disposal of assets

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AMP PI 6 – Strategic Management costs

• to measure the cost and efficiency of property services provision • to ensure that additional staff are generating expected income

AMP PI 7 Customer & stakeholder satisfaction

• to ensure that external customers and members of the public are satisfied with the management of operational assets

• to ensure that internal customers are satisfied with the management of assets

• to assess partner involvement in key decisions and understanding of the Council's asset management plan

ESTABLISHMENT OF TARGETS FOR THE ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN The workplan and high level targets include establishing a proper baseline of current performance and clear targets for the future. This is a key task for the Head of Assets and Resources and the Group Manager (Property Services) in 2008), supported by the Head of Performance and Improvement. In setting targets the Council is mindful of three specific requirements:

• that objectives are stretching but realisable • the Council's ambitions of excellence, to be in upper quartile of delivery • the inter-relationship of targets with other service plans and corporate

plans

These will be reflected in developing the targets for performance measurement in asset management.

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SECTION 7

SUMMARY OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 1 To maintain an Asset Management Plan which:

• Identifies the five investment blocks within which all assets are

categorised • Maintains three ambitions and six core values which will inform

all asset –related decisions of acquisition, disposal or investment

• Further develops a management and decision-making structure which reflects these ambitions, involves members, service managers and partners, and continues to enable transparent and flexible decision making

• Ensures a close, cyclical relationship between the capital programme and asset management

2 Enable the AMS to report to Performance Indicators and targets which:

• Use national performance indicators where available in order to ensure

proper comparison and challenge • Enable the setting of clear baselines to measure performance • Reflect the Council's priorities and values • Incorporate and renew the financial targets identified below

3 Agree financial targets for asset management in 2008/09:

• Following the appointment of an additional surveyor in the

Assets Team and in the restructuring of Property Services • Achievement of £3m capital receipts in the year • Improvement in the revenue stream by £200K in the year, which

will be netted off against the cost of the two surveyors • Maintenance of a clear budget for the AMP by the Head of

Assets and Resources which sets out available and potential resources against maintenance, investment and strategic demands

• Establishment of a viable and transparent Trading Account for Property Services

• Establishment of a viable and transparent Trading Account for ICT

4 Maintain and develop the ICT strategy which supports this AMP by

• A robust networking strategy to fully enable flexible working • The adoption of a corporate GIS strategy to manage the data

requirements of asset management, including the creation of a specialist dedicated post within ICT to manage the project

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• The maintenance of the 'Custodian' role for the LLPG and Street Gazetteer

• The full adoption of a council wide system of Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) which is adopted through all feeder systems

• Further investigate making the Civic Centre a WiFi broadband enabled building as part of the ICT Strategy.

5 Ensure agreed and realistic project timetables for the E-AMP and the

Transport AMP which

• Ensure policy fit with this corporate AMP • Enable appropriate decisions to be taken • Give sufficient staffing and policy support for delivery of statutory

requirements 6 Maintain good links with the Housing Strategy, particularly to support partnership working with RSLs to deliver effective affordable housing projects.

7 Develop and agree a Disposals Strategy. 8 Formally adopt the Equalities Impact Assessment attached at Appendix 1. 9 Agree to the creation of an annual Property Plan which comprises:

• An annual Director's Review of service asset establishing forward planning

• Reviews condition and performance indicators of properties • A fully updated Asset Register (see below) • Customer and stakeholder satisfaction indicators • The disposals strategy • Annual and biannual reviews described in the Plan

10 Continue to invest in and enhance the Asset Register, based on preceding steps, which:

• Develops the data on all assets linked to their investment blocks and, where appropriate, sub-categories

• Maintains links to the LLPG and ensures a unique reference number to every asset

• Shows lease data to enable rental projections and targets • Shows the backlog of required maintenance • Shows its status against PIs pf environmental stewardship and

equity • Reflects the ambitions and plans of service managers • Shows which manager in the organisation has lead responsibility for

the asset • Indicates any relevant and recent public or stakeholder consultation • Is readily available to all relevant staff

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• Enables the Customer Contact Centre maximum access to support public information (e.g. through GIS)

THE ANNUAL REVIEW PROCESS AND PROPERTY PLAN Asset management planning relies on good information about

• The Council's objectives and strategies, contained in this AMP • The proposed future use of the asset • The suitability and sufficiency of the asset for its present and planned

use • The condition of an asset, giving rise to a known and managed

programme of repair and investment • The performance of the asset against criteria of environmental

efficiency and accessibility This information must be current and readily available with a process for updating. The Annual Review and Property Plan is the Council's approach to ensuring that this information is relevant and up-to-date. The Council has a good understanding of the condition, suitability and sufficiency of a considerable proportion of its asset base through annual reviews and good historical knowledge. The strongest knowledge base is in housing and schools, where either there has been a strong programme of annual/biannual surveys, or in structures of particular concern, such as the Pier. It now needs to work to synchronise this data with the Asset Register and the LLPG information to eliminate the risk of duplication and enable a central system for interrogation and reporting. The Property Plan will not be a separate document, but will be the compilation of:

• The Asset Register, subject to periodic and timetabled reviews of condition and suitability, conducted either annually or on a timescale agreed and resourced between the Head of Assets & Resources and the Group Manager (Property Services) which reflects the age, condition and value of the asset

• Up to date and complete property terrier, deed packet and leasehold information linked to the asset register via GIS

• Directors' Annual Reviews of future plans, suitability and sufficiency of assets conducted along the good practice lines set out in section 3

• Disposals strategy, acquisition proposals and targets for the commercial, regeneration and aspirational investment blocks

• Performance Indicators data showing the performance of assets against targets (see section 6) for individual assets and the portfolio as a whole

• Annual analysis of customer satisfaction (using BVPIs and other consultation outcomes) and stakeholder understanding

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The Property Plan will be prepared in 2008 in tandem with the accommodation strategy for operational buildings and reviewed each year, to ensure that all information is up to date. This will be led by the Head of Assets & Resources and will be conducted at the right time to inform the budget making process and management of the three year rolling capital programme. The relationships between the different elements of the Property Plan are set out below:

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Diagram 7.1: Role and content of property plan

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SECTION EIGHT

KEY STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR SOUTHEND COUNCIL The Council’s approach to its key strategic sites is informed by its core priorities and the ambitions of this AMP - it must continue to address the challenges of excellent service delivery, maximising the Council's financial stability, and enabling regeneration. The delivery of the Council's ambitions for the Borough in a way which makes the best use of the financial and regeneration opportunities represented by the sites it owns is an extremely challenging agenda. In considering proposals and associated actions plan, the Council must be mindful of the resource, staffing implications and management demands. THE REGENERATION AND PLANNING CONTEXT Successful regeneration will depend upon

• Enlarging the economic footprint of the area. • An active economic development programme supporting existing and

potential businesses and nurturing local entrepreneurs. • Supporting the further and higher education hub in the centre of town. • Rebranding and marketing Southend.

All of these depend on the maximisation of opportunities within the restricted land availability. Three documents in particular will be crucial in determining the consideration of these sites:

• The Car Parking Strategy • The Area Action Plan for the Town Centre • The Issues & Options report

All of these are in consultation at the time of writing. These identify progress that has already been made, including

• The new college/university campus adjacent to the High Street • Public realm improvements in the High Street • The Travel Centre • Remodelling of Pier Hill and the Cliff Gardens to improve connectivity

and raise profile • The sale to EP of the Alexandra and Clarence Road Car Parks for

development. • Chalkwell Hall Metal project • Strategic acquisition of properties adjacent to Seaway car park. • Garons’ Park

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Of particular relevance to this AMP, are the policies aimed at:

• Providing for sufficient employment land in the best suited locations. • Ensuring that the availability of sustainable residential accommodation

across all tenures (including private, affordable and social) matches the demands that will arise as a result of economic improvement and job creation.

• Protecting the urban character. • Taking account of transport issues.

The AMP also has regard to Renaissance Southend's Central Area Masterplan (CAMP) and the Council has endorsed the principles of this document. The highways are also an important asset in the area because of the need to maintain and develop connectivity across the Borough but have not been included in this list as in general the Council would not intend to dispose of them. However, as now, if for a particular proposal it became appropriate to review the ownership or run of the highway then this would be considered in the context of the Council's transport and regeneration objectives. The following key objectives must be borne in mind:

• Underlying principles for the Council's use of its assets, including the way in which the Council uses its receipts

• The requirement for 100% replacement of parking provision • The Council's priority sites • Consideration of sequencing and timetabling of other sites • Discussion of issues of procurement and partnership around the sites.

The AMP and CAMP support these key objectives, and the flow chart at Diagram 8.1 shows the route to development of the key sites in the town centre:

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DIAGRAM 8.1: EXAMPLE FLOW CHART OF REQUIREMENTS TO ACHIEVE SITE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN PLANNED REGENERATION

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IMMEDIACY/IMPORTANCE ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC SITES The Council has a number of sites which will be key to the regeneration of the Borough of Southend and further sites have also been acquired with a view to enlarging key holdings when opportunities arise. The sequence of delivery must remain liquid as it will be determined by the strength of various market sectors and by the willingness and ambition of the Council and Renaissance Southend’s partners both in terms of funding and delivery. The Council may release sites, as demand and need develops, in such a way as to maximise the use of these sites and ensure that the highest potential is delivered in terms of the regeneration of the Borough. The Council’s priorities are not site specific at the time of writing but include projects such as:

• The provision of a new public swimming pool facility. • The development and implementation of its own accommodation

strategy. • Supporting the University and the development of the cultural hub

surrounding it. • Sharing assets and property with partners where such activity

encourages economic growth and regeneration and provides opportunity for improved efficiencies.

• Meeting the needs of under supported market sectors or those which are unlikely to be provided by private developers.

As these priorities are brought forward, the sequencing ambitions and funding for further projects will be developed. The Council will continue to work closely with private and public partners to generate the maximum achievable benefit to the Borough in all possible ways but especially in terms of regeneration, inclusion and community enhancement. The actual sequencing of strategic sites will be largely determined by the market, though the Council has, and will continue to act through land assembly and other measures where it perceives there are market failures or where some initial investment is required in order to encourage inward investment.

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Appendix 1

Equalities Impact Assessment

For Asset Management

Assets & Resources

Directorate of Support Services

January 2008

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Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Equality Impact Assessment – Asset Management – Commercial Portfolio

What is it? The purpose of an Equality Impact Assessment is to improve the work of Council services by making sure they

1. do not discriminate against any sections of the community 2. as far as possible, minimise any negative consequences 3. maximise opportunities for promoting equality.

It is a way of making sure that teams think carefully about the likely impact of their service upon service users across projects, policies, strategies and service delivery. You are encouraged to consider to the full range of formal and informal decisions made in your service area. Equality Impact Assessment is now built into Cabinet and Scrutiny processes. Equality Impact Assessment challenges the assumption that policies or services affect everyone in the same way. The assessment will give you an opportunity to detect adverse impacts and make sure that different groups are served equally by the policy. The different groups are:

• Age – younger and older people Sex (men and women) • Race Sexual Orientation • Disability Religion/faith/belief

The processes The assessment consists of eight processes as follows:

a) Identifying the aims of the policy, project or service and how it is implemented b) Scoping and setting out hypotheses about how the service might have differential impact c) Looking at data sources/data collection d) Assessment of the impact e) Looking at ways to minimise or remove the impact f) Formal consultation g) Deciding your approach, action plan and future monitoring h) Publishing your report and impact assessment on the intranet

You should use these processes to inform your thinking and completion of the template.

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The principles In doing this we are embracing the following principles:

• we should be actively looking for negative or adverse impacts (‘ looking under the stones’) • we will use these as an opportunity to redesign services to meet user needs • we will use these as an opportunity to change the way we think individually and as an organisation about different equality groups (making equality

‘mainstream’) Impacts A negative or adverse impact is where current policy or practice could disadvantage a section of the community. This disadvantage may be differential, having a greater impact on some groups than others; the disadvantage may be an unintended consequence of current policy or practice.

Example: A policy that the Council will only accept complaints in writing could have a negative impact on people with learning disabilities, people who do not use English as their first language and sign language users.

Positive impact: Where a change has a beneficial impact on a certain section of the community possibly as an unintended consequence of the work

Example : A reduction in waiting times for buses at night could have a positive impact on women, because of what is known about women’s greater concerns for personal safety at night. (However it would also have a positive impact on other groups).

Full impact assessment? If you do an initial review and do not identify any adverse impacts then you should do limited/proportionate (internal and external) consultation to test your findings across all of the equality strands. If consultation responses agree with you, then the assessment can finish at this point. It has been ‘screened’ for impacts and none are found. If you find adverse impacts, or the initial consultation does not agree with you, you should proceed to a full impact assessment involving more formal consultation and involvement exercises with the affected groups. Action plans The process should have highlighted actions you need to or wish to take to improve aspects of your service, so it is unlikely that any impact assessment (whether it stops at screening or progresses to full) will not have an action plan.

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Publication All equality impact assessments must be published on the intranet. E-mail your completed impact assessment to Beverley Nash (Strategy and Performance) Please refer to the more detailed note ‘Equality Impact Assessments’, which gives handy hints and prompt questions for each process.

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Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Valuing Diversity

Equality Impact Assessment The Equality Impact Assessment should cover issues relating to race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion/belief and age. Responsibility and Ownership

Service Area: Asset Management - Commercial Estate – Assets and Resources – Support Services Directorate Lead Officer: Alan Richards – Group Manager Asset Management Team : Martin Hone Head of Assets and Resources, Alan Richards – Group Manager Asset Management

Stage 1: Scoping and setting hypotheses A. Setting your hypothesis: The first stage is to reflect on the current policy/services/functions, the information you have and to make a

hypothesis of the issues to be addressed. What do you think are the main issues relating to equalities in your service/policy area?

Current policy/ services have a

positive impact

Current policy/ services have a

negative impact

Not known

Please tick appropriate column

1. Summarise the evidence to support your view 2. Summarise any barriers to access that may

have an impact (e.g. language, physical access)

Areas that need improvement

Age Consider younger and older people

� No detailed evidence has been collected to enable an effective evaluation to take place. Employee and Borough demographic data can be

Obtain details of suppliers’ and agents’ Equality and Diversity statements and/or policies as available.

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Current policy/ services have a

positive impact

Current policy/ services have a

negative impact

Not known

Please tick appropriate column

1. Summarise the evidence to support your view 2. Summarise any barriers to access that may

have an impact (e.g. language, physical access)

Areas that need improvement

considered to establish baselines for comparison Virtually all available property is marketed in a fully public market place either through local commercial agents or auction houses to ensure fully transparent marketing and selling practices which include all those actively searching for property. I do not believe that there are barriers in terms of age which prevent anyone accessing information regarding vacant premises or accessing the Asset Management Team when required. Usual references are required for lettings and it is possible that balanced decisions may favour established businesses with a track record but each property and application is considered on its own merits. This factor may indirectly make some property less available to young people but more as a result of their financial standing than their age.

Gender Consider from point

� No detailed evidence has been identified from current interventions to enable an effective evaluation to take place.

Obtain details of suppliers’ and agents’ Equality and Diversity statements and/or policies as available.

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Current policy/ services have a

positive impact

Current policy/ services have a

negative impact

Not known

Please tick appropriate column

1. Summarise the evidence to support your view 2. Summarise any barriers to access that may

have an impact (e.g. language, physical access)

Areas that need improvement

of view of women and men

Employee and Borough demographic data can be considered to establish baselines for comparison. Virtually all available property is marketed in a fully public market place either through local commercial agents or auction houses to ensure fully transparent marketing and selling practices which include all those actively searching for property.

Race Consider Asian, Asian British, Black, Black British, Chinese, Mixed heritage, White

� No detailed evidence has been identified from current interventions to enable an effective evaluation to take place. Employee and Borough demographic data can be considered to establish baselines for comparison. Virtually all available property is marketed in a fully public market place either through local commercial agents or auction houses to ensure fully transparent marketing and selling practices which include all those actively searching for property.

Obtain details of suppliers’ and agents’ Equality and Diversity statements and/or policies as available.

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Current policy/ services have a

positive impact

Current policy/ services have a

negative impact

Not known

Please tick appropriate column

1. Summarise the evidence to support your view 2. Summarise any barriers to access that may

have an impact (e.g. language, physical access)

Areas that need improvement

British, other white ethnic groups, e.g. eastern European, travellers

Religion/ Belief Consider people of different faith groups including non-believers

� No detailed evidence has been identified from current interventions to enable an effective evaluation to take place. Virtually all available property is marketed in a fully public market place either through local commercial agents or auction houses to ensure fully transparent marketing and selling practices which include all those actively searching for property.

Obtain details of suppliers’ and agents’ Equality and Diversity statements and/or policies as available.

Disability Consider physical and sensory impairment,

� No detailed evidence has been identified from current interventions to enable an effective evaluation to take place. Employee and Borough demographic data can be

Obtain details of suppliers’ and agents’ Equality and Diversity statements and/or policies as available The Council is aiming to achieve 100%

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Current policy/ services have a

positive impact

Current policy/ services have a

negative impact

Not known

Please tick appropriate column

1. Summarise the evidence to support your view 2. Summarise any barriers to access that may

have an impact (e.g. language, physical access)

Areas that need improvement

learning disabilities, people with mental health issues

considered to establish baselines for comparison. Virtually all available property is marketed in a fully public market place either through local commercial agents or auction houses to ensure fully transparent marketing and selling practices which include all those actively searching for property. The responsibility for compliance with all relevant legislation is addressed contractually through the lease agreements and this responsibility lies with the tenants in virtually all cases. The DDA applies differently to commercial buildings than to Operational, public service providing buildings. Where property is available for sale, details are always made available in the most useful format internally and consultation with local agents should demonstrate that the information is available in various ways to ensure inclusion. This may include written (in various languages), verbally explained, on the Internet or by physical viewing.

accessibility for operational buildings. The Disability Discrimination Act places statutory duties on private tenants.

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Current policy/ services have a

positive impact

Current policy/ services have a

negative impact

Not known

Please tick appropriate column

1. Summarise the evidence to support your view 2. Summarise any barriers to access that may

have an impact (e.g. language, physical access)

Areas that need improvement

Sexual orientation Consider lesbian, gay men, bisexual and transgender issues

� No detailed evidence has been identified from current interventions to enable an effective evaluation to take place. Virtually all available property is marketed in a fully public market place either through local commercial agents or auction houses to ensure fully transparent marketing and selling practices which include all those actively searching for property.

Obtain details of suppliers’ and agents’ Equality and Diversity statements and/or policies as available

Note: An adverse impact does not necessarily require action to be taken. Actions must remain in proportion with the benefits that could be achieved and resources available to complete them. If adverse impacts are identified and actions for improvement are not proportionate, the reasons for not taking action should be detailed and open to challenge.

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B. What do stakeholders/peers think of the preliminary view? Stakeholders: Tenants of Council property – No consultation currently undertaken – no formal complaints received in relation to any form discrimination. Purchasers of Council property - No consultation currently undertaken – no complaints received in relation to discrimination although there is sometimes conflict between the Council’s statutory obligations to obtain best consideration (in accordance with s.123 of the Local Government Act 1972) in respect of all property transactions and the expectations of some minority (usually religious) groups that land should be transferred at low, or nil value. - Property available to let is usually passed to the most appropriate local or national agent to ensure thorough, widespread and fair marketing. - Where suitable, most property sales are undertaken via public auction to ensure complete transparency, ensure fairness and inclusion and maximise value. Internal Departmental Corporate Directors – For the purposes of this EIA, it is assumed that operational property (including schools) is dealt with through the EIA’s for the services which use it therefore this assessment relates to the Corporate Commercial Estate and General Fund properties only. No consultation has been undertaken with Corporate Directors in respect the equality and diversity considerations surrounding the letting, management and sale of properties within this portfolio. Portfolio Holders - For the purposes of this EIA, it is assumed that operational property (including schools) is dealt with through the EIA’s for the services which use it therefore this assessment relates to the Corporate Commercial Estate and General Fund properties only. No consultation has been undertaken with members in respect the equality and diversity considerations surrounding the letting, management and sale of properties within this portfolio. Peers – The view within the Asset Management team is that the portfolio is managed, let and sold in a transparent and fair way which ensures that all tenants and purchasers are treated in a fair and consistent way ensuring that communication is understood in both directions, correct and thorough. A strategy and framework for dealing with property disposals should be developed in accordance with the emerging Asset Management Plan which includes equality and diversity considerations and a framework to explore the possibility of a disposal at under value if appropriate. This should include a clear list of supporting information which will be required and a synopsis of the Council’s responsibly in particular, in terms of s.123 of the Local Government Act 1972 and supporting legislation. This will form part of a ‘Guidance on dealing with the Council’ brochure for potential

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B. What do stakeholders/peers think of the preliminary view? purchasers/tenants/developers which is being developed.

In developing your views on the service you should ask a number of stakeholders or people who might offer a challenge to the views you have developed. Who might do this? � Representatives from local communities � Representatives from local or national interest groups from the voluntary sector � Black/disabled/women’s staff groups

C. Assessing the preliminary evidence: what are your initial conclusions about your service currently and what additional information do you need for Stage 2 of the assessment to test your hypothesis and make recommendations for improvement? The initial conclusion is that the Council’s portfolio is managed fairly and to date, the Asset Management team has not had any problems relating to the conveyance of relevant information or the availability of services. Although there is no supporting information, the tenant base is known to include a diverse range of individuals and companies, many of whom represent the groups addressed in this EIA.

Consider the following:

� What should be the scope of Stage 2 of the assessment? � Is any additional data needed? � How does this service link to other services areas and other Impact Assessments?

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Stage 2: Information gathering and evaluation A Policies and Plans

Key policies and plans for your area

Extent to which the aims and

practices are consistent with the

Council’s Equality

Policy Grade 1-5 (1 low, 5 high)

Are there ways in which the key policies, plans and procedures for your services could conflict with equality of opportunity or equal service provision? If so what are these?

Assets and Resources Service Plan 5

Asset Management Plan 5

Team Plan TBC

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B Legal Compliance

Are your services legally compliant with statutory duties in the relevant equality legislation? If you suspect there are areas of non-compliance you should (a) check with Legal Services and (b) ensure these are incorporated into your action plan. Race: To the best of our knowledge. Gender: To the best of our knowledge. Disability: To the best of our knowledge. Sexual orientation: To the best of our knowledge. Religion/belief: To the best of our knowledge. Age: To the best of our knowledge. C Impact of procedures on particular groups Using any additional data gathered as a result of your Stage 1 evaluation, summarise the evidence of the way the policies/procedures impact on specific groups (for example consider complaints, various forms of feedback, service monitoring reports e.g. take-up levels, contract monitoring reports, outcome of consultation exercises) Although there is no supporting information, the tenant base is known to include a diverse range of individuals and companies, many of whom represent the groups addressed in this EIA. It is not considered constructive to gather information from this relatively small group as the response rates are expected to be very low and therefore insufficient data collected to be useful. Are there any other unmet needs/requirements that can be identified that affect specific groups?

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Are your services legally compliant with statutory duties in the relevant equality legislation? If you suspect there are areas of non-compliance you should (a) check with Legal Services and (b) ensure these are incorporated into your action plan. A framework for property disposal should be developed in accordance with the Asset Management Plan An application form could be developed which includes an equality and diversity questionnaire so that information is gathered as a matter of course through lettings and disposals. This form could be made available through the website for online completion or printing. The Website can be updated with generic information regarding sales and lettings, processes. What can be done to improve access to/take up of services? (Consider for example provision of information in community languages, provision of some men only and women only sessions, provide discounting for residents on low incomes, target recruitment publicity to better reach under-represented groups, positive action schemes to encourage greater recruitment of under-represented groups, including work placement schemes for school leavers, further consultation with local people) Consultation with property agents used to ensure that information is freely available to all. Look in to the demand, need, benefits, disadvantages and cost of providing leases or other property contracts in different languages and the potential misinterpretations which may arise both from doing so and not doing so – consultation with Head of Legal and Demographic Services

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Stage 3: Action planning

What recommendations are made on the basis of the conclusions and comments? Should we: � Take any forms of immediate action? � Develop equality objectives and targets based on conclusions? � Initiate further research by collecting further data? Objectives for improvement Monitoring Arrangements Responsible By When Are these measurable? How will these be incorporated into monitoring of

management information

Race: The Asset Management Team do not consider it constructive to do so.

N/A

Alan Richards N/A

Gender: The Asset Management Team do not consider it constructive to do so.

N/A

Alan Richards N/A

Disability: The Asset Management Team do not consider it constructive to do so.

N/A

Alan Richards N/A

Sexual orientation: The Asset Management Team do not consider it constructive to do so.

N/A

Alan Richards N/A

Religion/belief: The Asset Management Team do not consider it constructive to do so.

N/A

Alan Richards N/A

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What recommendations are made on the basis of the conclusions and comments? Should we: � Take any forms of immediate action? � Develop equality objectives and targets based on conclusions? � Initiate further research by collecting further data? Objectives for improvement Monitoring Arrangements Responsible By When Are these measurable? How will these be incorporated into monitoring of

management information

Age: The Asset Management Team do not consider it constructive to do so.

N/A

Alan Richards N/A

Other general service delivery: Ensure that the team and all suppliers/agents are aware of the Council’s aims and objectives and understand that they offer an extension of the Council’s services. Draft a feedback form to be sent out following key property events including lease renewals, rent reviews, sales, developments and lease terminations and collate feedback to improve service and assess whether further work is needed to reach hard to reach groups.

Collate details of suppliers’ equality and diversity policies/statements. Collate details of suppliers’ equality and diversity policies/statements each time fees and charges are revised. Compile information following key events and analyse annually as feedback will be infrequent.

Alan Richards Alan Richards Alan Richards

December 2007 December 2007 April 2008

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What recommendations are made on the basis of the conclusions and comments? Should we: � Take any forms of immediate action? � Develop equality objectives and targets based on conclusions? � Initiate further research by collecting further data? Objectives for improvement Monitoring Arrangements Responsible By When Are these measurable? How will these be incorporated into monitoring of

management information

Impact Assessment Team Leader: Signature: Name: Alan Richards Date: 21st January 2008 Quality assured by Assistant Director/Head of Service as an accurate and appropriate impact assessment and action plan: Signature: Name: Martin Hone Date: 21st January 2008 E-mail your completed impact assessment to Beverley Nash (Strategy and Performance) for publication on the intranet and council website.

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Appendix 2

Initial Review of Strategic Documents The Initial Medium Term Financial Strategy and High level Asset Management Plan have been reviewed for Southend on Sea Borough Council. The purpose of the review was to ensure that these documents were compliant with the Use of Resources KLoE criteria. It is important to note that the documents will not achieve a level 3 score until it can be demonstrated that they are embedded. High Level Asset Management Plan (HLAMP):

The council manages its asset base KLOE level 2 Included within

plan: Areas of improvement: Asset Management Comment

The council has an up-to-date corporate capital strategy linked to its corporate objectives and medium-term financial strategy.

The Council has a Capital strategy which documents the Council's objectives (but does not explicitly detail how the schemes identified deliver against those objectives).

Neither the Capital Strategy nor the Medium Term Financial Strategy specify the impact on the MTFS of delivery of the Capital Strategy (either in the form of savings generated through invest-to-save, or additional revenue funding required to maintain the enhanced asset base).

The MSFT deals with these points. In addition, the Council has introduced capital programme forms which explicitly detail how schemes will deliver against priorities and set out from the start the detailed capital and revenue implications, phasing and ownership to inform the capital programme. These have been completed for all capital projects and will be available on the intranet pages shortly with guidance on their completion.

The council has an up-to-date asset management plan that details existing asset management arrangements and outcomes, and planned action to improve corporate asset use.

The Council's current AMP is badged as a “High Level Asset Management Plan” which is really a strategy document which explains "how to" create an AMP. The document needs to be tailored further to the Council's current position and plans for the assets for the future.

The AMP is badged as a “High Level Asset Management Plan” implying that there should be a more detailed document supporting it. The HLAMP also includes the following elements that demonstrate that the Council needs to undertake further work to properly implement the asset management arrangements: 1) the key policy recommendations in the HLAMP (p4 and section 7) include a range of issues that are fundamental to strong asset management – have these been implemented yet? 2) the Year 1 High Level Outcomes (p35) indicate that much detailed work had yet to be done at the time of producing the HLAMP – has this been undertaken yet? 3) Establishment of targets for the AMP (p38) is specified as a key

The AMP has been revised to reflect the position some 8 months from adoption of the plan. The AMP is a functional document which informs the way the Council plans and manages the use of its assets and although it refers to parent, sister and daughter documents, the plan is sufficiently detailed that it is not envisaged that a more detailed plan is prepared. The original plan was badged ‘High Level’ because it is a strategic document. The revised plan is also a strategic document and while ancillary facilitating documents like the capital programme and disposal score sheets are required, a more detailed plan is not considered constructive and is likely to be over prescriptive and illiquid. 1) All of the 9 key recommendations either have been implemented or are actively in development. Much rides on the successful

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task for the Head of Resources and Group Manager (Property Services) during 2007/08 – has this been completed yet? Further areas where the current document could be enhanced to become more specific are as follows: 1) The AMP needs to share the Council's key priorities and show links to other strategies. 2) The plan should set out progress to date and show examples of where the Council have performed well. Case studies can be useful ways of demonstrating this. 3) The plan should contain some detailed performance data; asset indicators and financials. 4) The plan should detail the management arrangements for updating the AMP.

implementation of the AMS System to enable the enhancement of the asset register and the setting and reporting of performance management information. The focus this year has been on the procurement of a suitable system and the development, cleansing and integration of quality of data. 2) Progress against year 1 and 3 targets is reported in the revised AMP. 3) Targets related to the PI’s outlined in the AMP and methods of monitoring them are being integrated in to the AMS as it is set up. Key target is for the AMS to go live on 1st April 2008 and the focus has been here. 1) The AMP shares the Council’s priorities and outlines links to many other strategies. 2) The revised AMP does this. 3) The plan will contain performance data, asset indicators and financial information as the means of reporting this is developed and this is a key priority which is integrated to the development of the AMS. 4) The AMP is reviewed annually to include changes in circumstance, corporate priorities, and progress. This is reported to Cabinet.

The Council maintains an up to date asset register

The documents reviewed state that further work is required on the asset register to bring it up to date – has this work been undertaken?

The Council’s asset register is up to date and maintained. At the time of writing, the new Asset Management System is being installed and set up and this will hold full and live information about all the Council’s property related assets, linking that data through to the Planning, Building Control, LLPG, condition surveys, valuations, lease data, terrier information, deed packet details, responsive repairs and other related elements of data as part of one integrated system. This is a huge task which is underway.

The Council has a designated corporate property function

The documents reviewed state that the Council was planning to consolidate “the strategic function within Assets and Resources – the delivery function is with relevant departments within clear standards which are being developed. Responsibility charting is in progress to map out

As part of the major restructuring, the Asset Management and Facilities Management teams have been brought together under the directorate of Support Services although they fall under different Heads of Service. These teams are supported in technical terms by Property Services and there is a good working

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relative accountabilities.” Has the standards being developed and the charting of accountabilities been completed?

relationship between Asset Management and Property Services. Property Services is being restructured at the time of writing to ensure proper focus in the necessary areas of work is supported.

The Council’s arrangements for reporting to Members are sufficient to ensure that they fulfil their responsibility in relation to the council’s land and buildings portfolio at both a strategic and service level

No evidence of this taking place identified in the documents reviewed (although this may well be documented elsewhere)

The AMP adopted in June 2007 clearly sets out the structure of the PIDG, CSAMG and Capital Board and these groups are now formed and meeting regularly with members present at the appropriate times. The Capital Board includes the portfolio holder for resources and the Leader of the Council and makes sure that and required consultation with ward or other members has been properly considered and actioned as necessary. The Capital Board minutes are reported to Cabinet and available for all members’ perusal.

The Council has an annual programme of planned maintenance based on a rolling programme of property surveys

No evidence of this taking place identified in the documents reviewed (although this may well be documented elsewhere)

This forms an integral part of the capital programme. The interim GM for Property Services has been brought in to deliver the capital programme and to put in place all necessary surveys and build any planned maintenance which has not already been picked up in to the programme. The survey detail and cost estimates will be integrated into the AMS.

The Council has assessed the level of backlog maintenance

The level of backlog maintenance is referred to in the AMP as £25m (p37), although there is no detail as to the assets this applies to (although this may well be documented elsewhere).

The capital programme sets out the Council’s commitment to investment in its asset base and this programme has undergone complete reconstruction as part of the Capital Strategy which is reflected in the MTFS. The GM Property Services is putting in place a rolling programme of surveys for operational buildings which will inform the Asset Register, the capital programme and the preparation of the short and long term accommodation strategies.

The Council’s capital programme gives priority to potential capital projects based on a formal, objective approval process

The AMP describes the process of approving capital projects, which appears appropriate. However we have yet to see the underlying documentation supporting the arrangements described.

The CSAMG and Capital Board have adopted forms for the capital programme to formally assess all projects. Existing projects have been put through this test and it is intended that once this has been completed, the forms together with guidance on their completion and the scheduled meetings will be available on the intranet. All new capital projects will be subjected to this process before being phased in to the capital programme.