Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded that this meeting will be audio-recorded.

Members are reminded that this meeting would be audio recorded.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Marilyn Houston and Norman Wright. Councillor Michael Beanland attended the meeting as a substitute for Councillor Norman Wright.

Members are reminded that the Members’ Code of Conduct

requires the disclosure of Statutory Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Non-Statutory Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Disclosable

Non-Pecuniary Interests.

There were no declarations of Members’ interests.

Notes of Informal Meeting of Members of Estates and Property Committee held on Tuesday 17^th August 2021.

RESOLVED:

That the notes of the informal meeting of members of the Estates and Property Committee held on Tuesday 17^th August 2021 be noted.

The Director of Governance and Commissioning introduced the report which updated Members on progress with the project. He advised that over 40% of the necessary refurbishment works would be completed by the end of the 2021-22 financial year.  Officers were working on the assumption that the Fire Authority would continue to fund the remaining works, carrying forward into future budgets a sum between £300k and £350k per year until the works were completed.

RESOLVED:

[1]       the report be noted.

The Director of Governance and Commissioning introduced the report which allowed Members to provide guidance on the approach to securing day crewed housing in Wilmslow if the Fire Authority decided to proceed with the day crewing proposal at its next meeting.

He explained that a report would be considered by the Fire Authority in February 2022 that would include the proposal to transition operations at Wilmslow Fire Station from the current nucleus duty system to a day crewed duty system. If the Fire Authority agreed to proceed with the proposal, then there would be a requirement to purchase nine houses in close proximity to Wilmslow Fire Station.

Members’ attention was drawn to paragraphs 11 and 12 of the report which asked the Committee to consider making a recommendation to the Fire Authority that the Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer and Treasurer be delegated with authority to purchase the nine properties.  Members were happy with this approach provided that the Chair of the Fire Authority was consulted.

RECOMMENDED: That

[1]       the Fire Authority delegates authority to the Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive, Treasurer and Monitoring Officer to purchase nine properties in Wilmslow for day crewed housing subject to them consulting with the Chair of the Fire Authority.

The Director of Governance and Commissioning introduced the report which updated Members on progress with the project to replace the existing fire station in Crewe.

He advised that the impediments on progress reported at the last meeting were nearly resolved. An agreement had been reached with the Crown to allow the training tower to be erected without it being in breach of the restrictive covenant. It was expected that a decision from Cheshire East Council on the matter would be received shortly.

The Director of Governance and Commissioning explained that the project could not be progressed, as planned.  A range of factors had caused the contractor’s proposals to exceed the available budget. The project team was working with the contractor to ensure that the project could be delivered within budget. Only then would Members be asked to approve the construction of the new fire station.  He assured Members that the Committee would be updated.  In fact, since writing the report progress had been encouraging and it was possible that the project team could revert to Members sooner than suggested in the report.

A Member asked if the option for an alternative site had been considered. The Director advised that this option was not feasible as an agreement could not be reached within an acceptable timescale

RESOLVED: That

[1]      the report be noted.