Agenda item

Agenda item

Annual Property Report

Report of the Strategic Director (Development)

 

This report covers property activity from April 2017 until March 2018.  It reviews activity in Development and Investment, the Heritage Estate and the Operational Estate. The report also provides information about the strategy and initiatives to bring Heritage buildings back in to use.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director (Development), which informed Members of property activity from April 2017 until March 2018.  The report also reviewed activity in Development and Investment, the Heritage Estate and the Operational Estate. In line with the request of the Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee in October 2015, the report also provided information about the strategy and initiatives to bring Heritage buildings back in to use.

 

The Head of Corporate Estate and Facilities referred to the main points and themes within the report, which included:-

 

·                The delivery and operation of the Council’ Digital assets which included The Sharp Project, Space Studios Manchester and One Central Park;

·                The on-going development of Manchester Airport and Enterprise Zone;

·                The development of City Centre schemes involving Council assets which included Spinning fields, First Street, Jacksons Row/Bootle Street, St Johns, Heron House and Mayfield Regeneration Area;

·                Work with Strategic Housing, Planning and other partners to deliver the Council’s objectives for Housing;

·                Involvement in a range of initiatives to improve the quality and offer in district centres;

·                Property input in relation to leisure, sport and education provision;

·                The management of a programme of strategic acquisitions

·                Income from the Council’s investment estate, particularly from its property interests in the Airport

·                The management of the Council’s non-operational (investment) estate and transactional work;

·                The provision of strategic and practical advice and support to both the management and future use of historic assets, including identifying investment for their upkeep and restoration; and

·                Corporate landlord overview and delivery of the  2017/18 Asset Management Programme.

 

Some of the key points that arose from the Committees discussions were:-

 

·                Could Officers provide an update on the progress that had been made with the mapping exercise of assets across the city;

·                Was the information available on CPAD published in real time;

·                Would Councillors have access to the information on the Council’s investment estate via CPAD;

·                Clarification on who managed the Jacobs contract for the management of the Council’s non-operational (investment) estate and transactional work and what social value was derived from this contract;

·                Why did the Council not undertake regular Conservation Area Appraisals as part of its Heritage assets;

·                Was it anticipated that the security demands of the Town Hall would be increased when it reopens;

·                What level of affordable housing would be provided as part of the developments at Angel Meadows and Toxteth Street;

·                Clarification was sought as to what was meant by the re-provision of all existing social housing tenants within the Beswick area as part of the Eastlands Regeneration Framework;

·                It was commented that a total of £28.4m of capital receipts were received in the year 2017/18 yet the Council was considering selling further assets to fund the increased cost of the Factory Project;

·                Had the Council secure tenants at the Space Studios development and was the asset owned by the Council; and

·                Was the scheme on the former Stagecoach site fully approved.

 

The Strategic Director (Development) advised that the mapping exercise of all Council assets had been completed and was available for Members to inspect on CPAD.  He also advised that the information on CPAD was recorded I real time and Members would have access to the Council’s Investment Estate but Members would need to have regard to this information being commercially sensitive which could not be shared with third parties.

 

The Committee was advised that a report was scheduled for the Executive in December 2018 on the broader work of the Development Team in relation to Heritage Assets and this report would take on board  the concerns raised in relation to Conservation Area Appraisals.

 

The Head of Corporate Estate and Facilities advised that there would be a thorough review of the security requirements at the Town Hall prior to its re-opening, but a decision had not yet been reached in relation to what the access points of the building would be.

 

The Strategic Director (Development) advised that he would provide the Committee with details of affordable housing proposed from the developments at Angel Meadows and Toxteth Street outside of the meeting.  He explained that in terms of the re-provision of existing social housing tenants, One Manchester was still developing its proposals for this, but in essence, this would result in some residents being given the opportunity to relocate into newer properties.

 

The Strategic Director (Development) confirmed that tenants had been secured for the Space Studios development and the Council solely owned the asset.  He further added that the scheme proposed for the former Stagecoach site had been fully approved and would commence soon.

 

Decision

 

The Committee:-

 

(1)       Notes the report;

(2)       Requests that Scrutiny Committee is sighted on any report in relation to the proposals surrounding the re-provision of existing social housing tenants within the Beswick area as part of the Eastlands Regeneration Framework; and

(3)       Requests that Officers provide information on the Social Value aspect of the Jacobs contract to member of the resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee and the Ethical Procurement and Contract Management Sub Group.

Supporting documents: