Minutes

Minutes of the Estates Sub-Committee held on Monday 04 April 2002 at Romney House, Marsham Street, London, SW1.

Present:

• Nicholas Long (Chair)
• Jennette Arnold (Deputy Chair)
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Rachel Whittaker

MPA staff:

• Ken Hunt (Deputy Treasurer)

MPS staff:

• Tom Burke, (Business Support Manager)
• Graham Douglas (Deputy Director PSD)
• Kim Harding (Financial Planning Manager)
• Rob Jamison, (Deputy Director, PSD)
• Trevor Lawrence Director of Property Services)
• Keith Luck, (Director of Resources)
• Mike Shurety (Assistant Director of Personnel)

Two members of the press/public and other MPA/MPS staff were present.

Part 1

23. Apologies

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies were received from Cecile Lothian (Member), and Alan Johnson (Head of HR and Professional Standards, MPA).

24. Minutes of Estates Sub Committee: 19 November 2001

(Agenda item 2)

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

Resolved that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 19 November 2001 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

25. Chair and members’ update

(Agenda item 3)

The Chair reported that he had visited various MPA estate projects. He had attended, with Rachel Whittaker, the 3Ci Project Board and had visited Hendon in twice.

Resolved that the update be noted.

26. Update on estates issues

(Agenda item 4)

Complaints were made about the lateness of papers. It was requested that this be conveyed to the Clerk.

Members received a report updating them on a number of issues previously considered by the Estates Sub Committee and Finance Planning and Best Value (FPBV) Committee.

• Old Street Magistrates Court – Community Action Plan (CAP) had failed to find sufficient funding to purchase Old Street by the 31 March deadline. Members agreed that this date should not be negotiable. A report was requested at the next FPBV or Coordination and Urgency Committee
• Trenchard House – The property was being marketed. Marketing material indicated that the site should include affordable accommodation, and that the MPA might retain some nomination rights.
• C3i – The Forensic Science Service had requested a reduction in rent because of noise and disturbance at Lambeth.
• Affordable Housing – The ‘Starter Home Initiative’ had received 700 applications from officers and civil staff. The Chair suggested that Members be briefed on housing initiatives, such as discussions with Live In Quarters (featured at the Ideal Home Exhibition).
• Changing Habits – It was agreed that the MPA should receive quarterly update reports on ‘Operation Cleansweep’. Members were informed the work had commenced on determining maximum numbers who could work from existing police buildings.
• Memorial Garden - The project design had been drawn to the attention of the Home Office Ministerial Design Champion by the Committee for Architecture and the Building Environment, who had been requested that it be submitted for the Prime Minister’s ‘Better Public Building Award’. Members supported the submission.

Resolved that

1. the update on current estates issues be noted;
2. a report be submitted to the next FPBV or Coordination and Urgency Committee on Old Street;
3. Members be briefed on housing initiatives; and
4. the project design for the Memorial Garden, Hendon, be submitted for the Prime Minister’s ‘Better Public Building Award’.

27. Accommodation at Alperton for Northwest Traffic and Territorial Support Group

(Agenda item 5)

Members received a report considering the accommodation requirements for the North West Traffic and Territorial Support Group Operational Command Units (OCUs), and seeking approval for the construction of new buildings at the existing Alperton Traffic Unit which would accommodate North West Territorial Support Group.

Members were asked if anything would be dropped from the capital programme to accommodate this project. They were informed that the capital programme was flexible within year due to project slippage, and that nothing would be dropped. MPA and MPS officers agreed to discuss outside the meeting the best way to clarify the presentation of the capital programme, and present reports on building projects.

Resolved that

1. the business case for rationalisation and improvement of Traffic and TSG OCU accommodation in the North West as a part of the overall restructuring of Territorial Policing for London be noted;
2. the recommendation in support of Option 2 in the Investment Appraisal, be endorsed;
3. the proposal to demolish all existing structures and construct new buildings at the existing Alperton Traffic Unit be supported; and
4. on completion of the building works, the existing Finchley Traffic Unit; be sold; and
5. it be noted that necessary adjustments would be made to the medium term capital programme 2002/3 to 2005/6 to reflect cost changes to the project and submitted to FPBV for ratification.

28. Accommodation for Ealing Borough OCU

(Agenda item 6)

A report was received considering the accommodation requirements for the Ealing Borough of Ealing OCU following the change from divisional policing to borough based policing. It sought approval for alteration, extension and refurbishment works to Acton and Southall Police Stations, with the replacement of Ealing Police Station by a police office.

Members noted that business case talked of changes being made to accommodate Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) staff, a recommendation of the Glidewell Report. They were concerned that at no Committee had they been informed how these costs were to be shared with the CPS. They were informed that information would be reported on Glidewell at the next FPBV Committee on 18 April.

Resolved that

1. the business case for rationalisation and improvement of accommodation, particularly custody facilities, for the Ealing borough Borough of Ealing OCU be noted;
2. Members the recommendation in support of the only viable option in the Investment Appraisal be endorsed,
3. Members the medium term accommodation requirement to undertake alteration, extension and refurbishment works to the existing Acton and Southall Police Stations and replacement of Ealing Police Station by a police office be supported;
4. Members it be noted that necessary adjustments would be made to the medium term capital programme 2002/3 to 2005/6 to reflect cost changes to the project and submitted to FPBV for ratification; and
5. Financial information on the impact of the implementation of the Glidewell recommendations be received at the next FPBV committee

29. Policy and procedure for naming police buildings

(Agenda item 7)

A report was received setting out policy and processes for naming police buildings so that the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) could identify and establish its role in this procedure.

Resolved that

1. guidelines be issued to enable OCU commanders and the MPA link member to support names for new premises, drawing upon consultation with the community, where appropriate; and
2. a choice of names be passed through PSD, which will ensure that anyone with a legal interest in naming the property is approached and their agreement sought. PSD will forward proposals to the Estates Sub Committee, having obtained the view of the relevant MPS Management Board Members.

30. Management of MPA estate – audit (‘Action Stations’) by District Auditor

(Agenda item 8)

The District Auditor undertook a review of the management of the MPA’s estate over the last quarter of 2001. Its findings endorsed many aspects of the estate’s management and related procedures, and highlighted some areas where arrangements could be improved. These were listed, together with proposed remedial actions, in Appendix 1 of the report received by Members.

Resolved that

1. the findings of the District Auditor be noted;
2. that in recommendations 6, 7 and 8 ‘borough commander’ be amended to ‘OCU commander’; and
3. the MPS seek clarification on recommendation 1. When received, the Chair would write to Police Consultative Groups suggesting that property matters be discussed quarterly.

31. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 9)

Resolved - That the press and public be asked to leave the meeting during discussion of the remaining items of business because exempt information as defined in paragraph 9 of Part 1 Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 be likely to be made known.

Part 2

32. Accommodation at Alperton for Northwest Traffic and Territorial Support Group

(Agenda item 10)

See agenda item 5 above.

33. Accommodation for Ealing Borough OCU

(Agenda item 11)

See agenda item 6 above.

34. Provision of future facilities management contracts to replace the existing property service department outsource contracts

(Agenda item 12)

A report was received on proposals in relation to PSD outsource contracts. Concern was expressed that the proposed division of contracts could prove difficult to manage and may not be cost effective and could not be endorsed by the Committee. Members felt that the maximum flexibility should be made when preparing the OJEC notice and that officers review the proposed division of contracts to see if there were benefits from letting more than one contract to the same contractor. Members also requested that the content of the new contracts compared to existing contracts be made more explicit. Members stated that they would prefer to be offered options rather than be informed of the structure of the proposed contract. It was also questioned why Property Services Department rather than the Procurement Directorate was not the lead within the MPS.

Resolved that

1. the contents of the report be noted; and
2. this report be referred to referred for FPBV, following amendments to its content in the light of this meetings discussion.

The meeting closed at 4:15

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