Agenda item

A report by the Executive Director of Economy, Infrastructure and Environment, providing a status position on the Capital Programme as at end of December 2018.

The Committee is asked to review, comment on and make any relevant recommendations for action to the Cabinet Member in relation to the quarterly performance report of the capital programme.

86.1  The Committee considered a report by the Executive Director of Economy, Infrastructure and Environment (copy appended to the signed minutes).

86.2  The Capital Programme Manager introduced the report and summarised key information, noting that half of the pipeline projects are in delivery and half are completed. Officers now have a full year of capital programme performance data which will provide a baseline for analysis in future years.

86.3  The Committee made comments in relation to the Capital Programme Performance report including those that follow. It:

·         Expressed disappointment that the Aldingbourne and Hunston solar farms were found to be not viable, queried how much has been spent on these solar farm schemes inclusive of officer time, and expressed a desire that alternative solar farms be considered elsewhere. The Executive Director of Economy, Infrastructure and Environment will provide the details of spend for the projects. The viability studies undertaken for these sites highlighted grid capacity and site size constraints that made the projects not viable to be taken forward for delivery. The Halewick Lane, Sompting scheme is next online and currently pending planning permission. The Leader commented that solar farms are beneficial and profitable, however sites do need to be assessed for suitability and therefore costs to speculate are minimised as much as possible. Further potential sites are being identified as part of the wider programme.

·         Expressed concern regarding delays to the Manor Green Primary school project due to a slow market response to the tender, and queried why the market didn’t respond as expected and how much extra cost the Council has incurred as a result. The Capital Programme Manager explained the team wish to understand more about this issue and will be looking into this in due course. Full cost information will be available when the Full Business Case is produced.

·         Queried whether the reduction in required places at St Mary’s RC Primary School in Bognor Regis could have been foreseen, and whether it is possible to plan future school place requirements more effectively. The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources clarified that limited budget funds must be directed towards need and, whilst officers can predict a best estimate for application numbers, by nature these works are reactive to place pressure and need. 

·         Expressed concern that a press release was made regarding the One Public Estate project in East Street Littlehampton and then withdrawn, and urged caution in issuing press releases until the business case is accepted. The Leader commented that the press release was withdrawn due to early Purdah restrictions in relation to the District Council elections.

·         Commented in relation to the Clympwick Bridge project that the A259 is already heavily congested and expressed concern that the complexity of the works may require a bridge closure which could exacerbate problems at the A27 Arundel. The Executive Director of Economy, Infrastructure and Environment noted this feedback and confirmed this will be considered by Highways as part of the programme.

·         Noted that half of the 2018/19 projects in the Pipeline are still awaiting work on the full business cases, and queried whether the Capital Programme team have sufficient resources to begin work on these projects. The Executive Director of Economy, Infrastructure and Environment confirmed the team does not have sufficient staff resource, however this is being managed by drawing on the resources of the Council’s multi-disciplinary consultant Faithful and Gould. The team has an expertise gap which the partner is also covering, and design and feasibility for the projects are now being accelerated.

86.4  Resolved:

1)   That the Committee request extra cost information, to include officer time, be provided in relation to the solar farm projects deemed not viable;

2)   That the Committee welcomes a review of why there was a slow market response in relation to the Manor Green Primary school project;

3)   That the Committee urges caution in issuing communications regarding One Public Estate projects; and

4)   That the Committee highlights the need for Capital Project resources in order to carry forward 2018/19 projects.