Agenda and minutes

The Chairman to ask if any Member present is substituting for another Member and, if so, to declare his/her name as substitute Member and the name of the absent Member.

There were no apologies for absence.

To receive any disclosure by Members of personal and disclosable pecuniary interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any interest and whether the Member regards the personal interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct. Members are reminded of the need to repeat their declaration immediately prior to the commencement of the item in question.

Declarations of interest were made by Councillors in the Minutes as indicated below:

J. Barnes         Agenda Item 3 – Personal Interest as an East Sussex County Councillor, not seeking re-election on 6 May 2021.

P.C. Courtel    Agenda Item 3 – Personal interest in so far as he was a member of the Bexhill Environment Group.

C.R. Maynard  Agenda Item 3 – Personal interest as an Executive Member of East Sussex County Council and seeking re-election on 6 May 2021. 

In February 2021, Cabinet recommended to Council that a budget of £460,000 be agreed for the development of a planning application for the wholesale redevelopment of the Town Hall complex and that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) be consulted by the Head of Service, prior to procuring the services required to complete the detailed designs. 

A design team had been appointed to undertake a high-level concept feasibility options study for the whole site development, with an initial view to delivering housing on the site. This feasibility study showed that, with the right mix of housing and commercial space, it was possible to deliver a scheme that was revenue neutral, in that the income earned through rent and capital receipts could offset the cost of borrowing for the scheme.

The OSC considered the detailed report and appendices which had been provided, namely: A)     Site layout and description; B) Options analysis; C) Option Costs; D) RX Architects; E) Feasibility Cost Estimate; F) Structural Engineering Feasibility Report and G) Energy Strategy. 

The options analysis had identified the following options for the site:

1.         Basic health and safety remedial measures (do minimum)

2.         Basic remedial work plus light touch energy measures

3.         Major refurbishment

4.         Whole site development

5.         Move RDC from Town Hall site

Option 4 presented the opportunity for the works to be cost neutral in the longer-term, regenerate a central area of Bexhill, and provide Rother District Council (RDC) and other public sector organisations a fit for purpose, modern working environment into the future.  Attached at Appendix C to the report was a full cost/benefit analysis that demonstrated that only options 2 and 4 could achieve cost neutrality or better. 

East Sussex County Council (ESCC) would soon be consulting on plans to create a green plaza at the front of the Town Hall already funded to £1.3m through a combination of Local Growth Fund and Community Infrastructure Levy monies which would also complement the project.

It had been estimated that post COVID, RDC would have an ongoing space requirement to accommodate 120 full time equivalents. Discussions had also been held with a number of other public sector bodies such as ESCC, East Sussex Healthcare Trust, the Clinical Commissioning Group, and Sussex Police, all of whom potentially required workspace for non-clinical/operational staff.

It was considered that a whole site redevelopment, maximising commercial office space, would provide the following benefits:

Ø  Met environmental targets to contribute to Rother’s climate emergency action plan.

Ø  Provided civic space for local organisations in a central location convenient for the community.

Ø  Provided modern, fit for purpose and financially viable new office space for Rother officers and other public services (Department for Work and Pensions, ESCC, NHS etc.).

Ø  Flexible office space to enable adaption as working practices change and evolve ‘Post-COVID’.

Ø  Provided up to 14 town centre flats, supporting the housing supply targets.

Following consultation with the OSC, architects, engineers, consultants, surveyors and other professionals would be appointed to work up detailed proposals and  ...  view the full minutes text for item OSC20/53