Policy And Resources Committee - 26/01/2015

At a MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 26th January, 2015.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Ken GUILD, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 12th January, 2015 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I DECLARATION OF INTEREST

No declarations of interest were made.

II FIVE YEAR HOUSING CAPITAL BUDGET FROM 2015/2016 TO 2019/2020

There was submitted Report No 19-2015 by the Director of Corporate Services and Director of Housing setting out the revised five year Housing Capital Estimates which would allow the Council to maintain the housing stock at Scottish Housing Quality Standard. The estimates also took into account future targets under the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing.

The Committee:-

(i) approved the Housing Capital Budget for 2015/2016 to 2019/2020;

(ii) approved the action detailed in paragraph 4 of the report;

(iii) instructed the Director of City Development, in conjunction with the Director of Housing, to invite offers for the projects included in these capital estimates and authorised the Director of Housing and Director of City Development to continue with established methods of procurement and develop new initiatives where these were necessary to achieve the value for money required to maintain the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (including partnering arrangements with contractors, where appropriate), and meet Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing targets set by the Scottish Government; and

(iv) authorised the Director of Housing to accept offers detailed in paragraph 4.3 of the report.

III REVENUE BUDGET 2015/2016 - HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT

There was submitted Report No 27-2015 by the Director of Corporate Services relative to the above.

The Committee:-

(i) agreed the 2015/2016 Revenue Budget for the Housing Revenue Account appended to the report; and

(ii) remitted the approved 2015/2016 Housing Revenue Budget to the Housing Committee in order that it may set the 2015/2016 rent levels.

IV CONSTRUCTION OF THE V & A MUSEUM OF DESIGN, DUNDEE

On a reference to Article XIII of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 8th September, 2014, there was submitted Report No 21-2015 by the Director of City Development advising members of the outcome of the tendering process for the main construction contract for the V & A Museum of Design.

The Committee:-

(i) noted the position regarding the final cost for the construction of the project;

(ii) authorised officers to finalise the funding strategy to enable the project to proceed and to make appropriate allocations in the Council's Capital and Revenue Plans; and

(iii) delegated authority to the Director of City Development, in consultation with the Chief Executive, Director of Corporate Services and Head of Democratic and Legal Services, to accept the fixed price tender by BAM Construction Ltd at a total amount of 76.16m.

In addition, the Committee:-

(i) instructed the Chief Executive to commission a thorough and rigorous review of the background to this situation by an independent expert in procurement on behalf of the Council so that lessons may be learned for future projects and that the results of this review be brought to the Policy and Resources Committee as soon as practically possible;

(ii) agreed to establish a Project Board to oversee the construction phase of the V & A Dundee comprised as follows:-

Chief Executive (Chair)

4 x Administration Councillors

4 x Opposition Councillors

Director of City Development

Director of Corporate Services

Other officers and partnership representatives to attend as required;

(iii) instructed the Chief Executive to ensure that reports on the progress of the construction contract were brought before the Policy and Resources Committee on a regular basis after the fixed price tender by BAM Construction was accepted.

Ken GUILD, Convener.