Agenda item

The Director of Corporate Services presented the report.  The Property and Estate Asset Management 10-year Strategy had been updated to set out the approach for the management of property and estates assets over the medium to longer term.

The aim of the strategy was to deliver property and an estate that supported the creation of positive, inclusive environments that were fit for purpose, encouraged best practice, innovation and continuous improvement and that promoted the right culture to meet the changing needs of a modern Fire and Rescue Service and the communities it served.  The strategy was set over four parts which highlighted the medium to longer term approach, as follows:

Part 1 – Overview of the existing Property and Estate assets

The key functions of the Property Department included all aspects of estate maintenance, estate management, the majority of facilities management services and capital build projects related to the estate.  The strategy included: i) reviewing the team structure to ensure the best service; ii) procurement, appointment and management of specialist consultants to support the services be delivered; and iii) investment in a new computer aided facility management system to enable better information management, improved service delivery and longer-term management of the property and estates assets.

Part 2 – Property and Estates Strategic aims and objectives

There was a need to provide a flexible and adaptable approach to the management of property and estate assets that continued to deliver and improve operational effectiveness while responding to changing risks and resources.  The property and estate assets would be measured against four core objectives to inform the decisions made about revenue and capital budgets and areas of focus:

i)     to provide functional and fit for purpose facilities, constructed, refurbished and maintained to fulfil Service and legislative requirements and standards and to ensure property assets supported skills and training for staff and community resilience, providing suitable training and educational facilities;

ii)    to provide assets that were in optimal locations to achieve Service priorities set out in the community risk management plan;

iii)   to provide assets that delivered better services and efficiencies through collaboration, to deliver best value and engagement with blue light partner agencies, fire service support agency groups and local communities;

iv)   to make the most efficient use of property assets and manage workspaces effectively, efficiently, reding running costs and environmental impact and generating income including strategic rationalisation.

Part 3 – Property and Estates Priorities

While the primary focus was on ensuring property and estate assets met the four core objectives (listed above) the Property Department constantly sought to enhance and improve certain aspects of the property and estate assets for a modern fire service.  However, given finite resources it was necessary to prioritise the enhancements and improvements to be made over the next 10 years which were:

i)     to ensure the estate provided high quality welfare and dignity accommodation as standard;

ii)    to understand the implications on staff and for buildings in relation to decontamination and contamination reduction;

iii)   to ensure the estate provided safe and secure places of work for staff, visitors and site-sharing partners;

iv)   to ensure the estate provided high quality training facilities which were aligned to the community risk management plan and upgrading facilities on stations which were deemed to fall below our minimum standards;

v)    to provide good quality office working environments that support collaboration, provide modern accommodation and are fit for purpose;

vi)   to understand long-term requirements for the reduction of carbon emissions;

vii) to ensure existing space is managed and utilised effectively and efficiently, meeting the needs of the Service to deliver against its core priorities and core values; and

viii)to ensure that staff understand the function of the department and estate assets through a set of property standards. 

Part 4 – Delivering our Strategy

The projects identified in the 10-year capital programme were: i) Estate improvements; ii) upgrade WYLFA prop; iii) Blackpool Welfare; iv) drill tower replacements; v) Preston replacement station; vi) Service Training Centre props; and vii) SHQ relocation.  These would be reviewed annually and were subject to CFA approval.  They required significant investment by the Service to be successfully delivered to achieve long-term aspirations.  The completion of these projects would reduce future revenue funding requirements by reducing existing maintenance backlog, predicted future maintenance and running costs.  They would ensure that the Service had estate assets that were fit for purpose and enable the core priorities and core values to be achieved.

The report also set out factors that would influence future projects and outlined the strategy’s governance and implementation arrangements.

To deliver the Strategy, revenue and capital funding was required to be allocated from the overall budget.  The expenditure would be managed to ensure value for money was achieved at all stages of delivery. 

The revenue budget requirement to maintain the estate assets in their current condition was in the region of £3.7m per annum (which excluded the costs associated with PFI station assets, staff costs and waste management).  It was noted that over recent years inflationary pressures had impacted on the budgets, particularly those relating ot the maintenance of contracts and consumption of energy (gas and electric). 

The capital allocation required to deliver the plan over the initial five-year period of the strategy was: £1.45m in 2023/24 and £8.350m in each of the years 2024/25 – 2027/28 an overall total of £34.875m).

County Councillor O’Toole commented that it made sense to keep property in good order.  He queried whether Preston station was in the right location (given the development of the retail park opposite the site meant travel to the station was hindered by traffic) and stated the need to make a decision regarding whether it should be redeveloped or relocated.  The Director of Corporate Services advised that the redevelopment of the station was in years 3 and 4 of the capital programme.  There had been a huge amount of work undertaken looking at alternative sites for potential relocation which remained ongoing.  Training facilities and the relocation of Service Headquarters had been prioritised in the capital programme however, the Service needed to look at what that meant for Preston station in the short-term to ensure value for money.  The Assistant Chief Fire Officer added that while priorities had been identified there needed to be flexibility and if suitable land became available in Preston the Service needed to be in a position to potentially move quickly to secure it.

County Councillor Mein did think Preston station was in the right location however, work was needed with Lancashire County Council to ensure the road network was fit for purpose.  She queried whether the fire station could be set back from its current location thereby potentially facilitating the road to be widened. 

In response to a question raised by CC Mein the Assistant Chief Fire Officer advised that all options were being considered as part of the Preston Review which included whether alternative site(s) provided an opportunity to improve incident response times. 

The Clerk to the Authority added that Member engagement was through the Member Working Group for Capital Building Projects.  The Working Group had met twice and had received at the second meeting a summary project plan across a proposed six-year timeframe.  The Working Group Terms of Reference setting out its composition and range of responsibilities would be taken to the next full CFA meeting.

Resolved: that the Committee recommend to the Authority that the Property and Estate Assets Management Strategy 2023-2034 be endorsed (subject to budget considerations) as part of the Budget approval process in February 2024.