Decisions

Following the decision undertaken by the Cabinet member for Adults and Health in June 2020 (AH05 20/21), the Interim Executive Director for Adults and Health is asked to agree to the commencement of the appointment of the contract relating to the provision for the redevelopment of Glebelands, Laurels and Rowans Adult day centres in West Sussex for delivery of work for May 2021. This relates to capital programme works to the value of £4.587m.

A tender process started in April 2020 with the first stage, a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire sent out to contractors on the 11 May 2020. The PQQ is a pre-tender exercise which will be undertaken to determine quality of contractors prior to inviting tender.  Ten submissions were received by the closing date of the 22 May and the top 6 submissions with the highest scores were put forward to the second stage of the tender process. The second stage tenders have been sent out with a return date of 24 July.

The Interim Executive Director of Adults and Health will be asked to agree the award of the contract to the lowest submitted tender.

The Interim Executive Director Adults and Health has approved the award of contract to Chessmur Building Contractors for a period of 8 months and 0 days for the value of £4,180,998.75. The contract is to commence on the 17th September 2020 with the expected completion date for the works, 14th May 2021.

Woodlands Meed is a Special School and College for 2-19 year olds in Burgess Hill providing for about 100 15-19 year old pupils. It is significantly below the provision of area based on the Department for Education’s Building Bulletin 104. The permanent structures whilst in an acceptable condition are not of sufficient size or capable of adaptation to meet the requirements of BB104. The modular buildings are nearing the end of their life and will need to be replaced.

On 26^th May 2020 Cabinet approved the gross allocation of £20m to rebuild the college on the college’s existing playing field (Decision reference (CAB03 20/21)).

As the project has progressed and on the completion of the feasibility study it has become clear that, whilst not insurmountable, various issues pose challenges to the delivery of a new building on the playing field site due to constraints and location.

In regular discussions about these challenges between the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills and the college’s governors and head teacher a request was made for the Council to consider alternative sites without compromising the commitment to deliver the new building by May 2023.

Following a review a site with the potential to be developed for a new school has been identified on vacant County Council land in Burgess Hill off Jane Murray Way (JMW) in Burgess Hill and the potential benefits of using this site have been discussed and agreed with the governors and head teacher.

To establish whether a less constrained and impactful build could be achieved as discussed and agreed with the governors it is proposed that a parallel feasibility study be undertaken on the JMW site for a new building to replace the current Woodlands Meed College whilst not affecting the published programme.

(1)  The Cabinet Member for Finance has approved the release of up to £0.1m from the feasibility budget for additional feasibility work for Woodlands Meed College rebuild, and

(2)  the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills has approved the commissioning of a feasibility study on an alternative site at Jane Murray Way Burgess Hill for the rebuild of Woodlands Meed College whilst continuing with the project for a new building on the College’s playing field site

Following consideration of the report, Cabinet resolved to approve the following:

1.   The addition of the Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group to the County Council’s Outside Bodies list

2.   The appointment of Cllr Roger Elkins to the Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group for the remainder of the County Council term (May 2021).

The call-in deadline is 24 September 2020.

The Cabinet will be asked to approve detailed proposals and funding arrangements for the development of a Fire Station and Fire and Rescue Training Centre on County Council land west of Horsham, with a view to submission for planning permission.

Following consideration of the report, Cabinet resolved to:

1.   Endorse the delivery of Horsham Fire Station and FRS Training Centre at Highwood in Horsham with the allocation of £20.85m and additional design fees of £461,000 from the capital programme to fund the completion of the project

2.   authorise the submission of applications for full planning permission for the project;

3.   subject to receipt of planning permission to enter into a construction contract with Willmott Dixon through the Southern Construction Framework and

4.   Confirm that the Fire and Rescue assets at Horley and Hurst Road Horsham and part of the site at Worthing, as detailed in the report, are declared surplus to all operational use.

The call-in deadline is 24 September 2020.

The Monitor details the Council’s performance in relation to revenue and capital spending, savings, workforce projections, performance and risk by portfolio against the Cabinet’s key priorities. The Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources will be recommended to approve the Total Performance Monitor and any items of financial and performance management within the Monitor.

Following consideration of the report, Cabinet resolved to:

Approve the proposed amendments to the performance indicators set out on pages 40 to 43 to reflect the suspension of a number of performance measures resulting from Covid-19 and new and amended targets for Children, Young People and Learning.

The call-in deadline is 24 September 2020.