THURROCK COUNCIL AMP 2010 – CONTENTS Page

INTRODUCTION 3 Purpose and scope 3 Format and content 4

SECTION THE PLANNING CONTEXT AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION 6 ONE 1.1 Context and influences for change 6 1.2 Current legislative change – the Decentralisation and Localism 7 Bill 1.3 Thurrock’s community and Council Priorities 7 1.3.1 Shaping Thurrock 7 1.3.2 The Local Development Framework (LDF) 8 1.3.3 The Thurrock Local Investment Plan (LIP) 9 1.3.4 Corporate Plan, Medium Term Financial Strategy (“MTFS”) 9 and the resource context 1.3.5 Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation 11 1.3.6 Key Regeneration Projects impacting on management of land 11 and property The Royal Opera House in Thurrock 12 Purfleet PRIDE 12 Grays Town 12 Port of Tilbury 13 London Gateway 13 Lakeside 13 1.4 The potential for a Local Asset Backed Vehicle (LABV) for 14 Thurrock 1.5 Strategic direction for asset management 14 1.6 Key asset management issues for Thurrock 15 1.6.1 The scope & positioning of asset management as a function 15 1.6.2 The need to improve portfolio knowledge 15 1.6.3 The Council’s Asset Register 15 1.6.4 Property review and asset categorisation 16 1.6.5 Operational buildings and accommodation strategy 16 1.6.6 The Council’s village halls and other community facilities 16 1.6.7 Surplus Property 17 1.6.8 Education Provision 17 1.6.9 Commercial Property Income 17 1.7 High level objectives and vision for asset management policy 17 SECTION ASSET MANAGEMENT POLICY AND PRACTICE 19 TWO 2.1 Overall approach to asset management 19 2.2 Why the Council holds property – and guiding management 20 principles 2.3 Decision making, delegations and consultation 21 2.4 The property review process 22 2.5 Surplus property and disposal protocol 23 2.6 Capital programme management 24 2.7 Managing properties In use 25 THURROCK COUNCIL AMP 2010 – CONTENTS Page

2.8 Data management 25 2.9 Performance management 26 2.10 Partnership working 26 SECTION THE PROPERTY PORTFOLIO 27 THREE 3.1 The size and nature of the portfolio 27 3.2 Property costs, value and Income 27 3.3 Age and condition of the portfolio 28 3.4 An understanding of the departmental elements of the portfolio 29 3.4.1 Operational Properties 29 3.4.2 Educational Properties 30 3.4.3 The Housing Stock 31 3.4.4 Key portfolio issues in other departments – to be completed 32 3.5 Statutory compliance 33 SECTION REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE AND FUTURE ACTION PLAN 34 FOUR 4.1 Looking backwards – case studies of asset management 34 success 4.1.1 Riverside Business Centre, Fort Road, Tilbury 34 4.1.2 Coalhouse Fort restoration project 34 4.1.3 The modernisation of the Thameside Complex 34 4.1.4 Royal Opera House 35 4.1.5 Community Houses 35 4.1.6 Village Hall modernisation 36 4.2 Action plan activities 37 4.2.1 Relationship with the strategic partnership 37 4.2.2 Centralising property management and property budgets 37 4.2.3 Office accommodation strategy 38 4.2.4 Planned actions for educational assets 38 4.2.5 Performance Management 38 4.2.6 Property Review 39 4.2.7 Perfecting the asset register 39 4.2.8 Immediate next steps 39 4.3 Measuring progress 39 SECTION APPENDICES FIVE Appendix 1 Officer Property Groups; Terms of Reference 40 INTRODUCTION

Purpose and scope

This strategic asset management document is based on the definition of strategic asset management as set out in the 2008 RICS Public Sector Asset Management Guidelines; “Strategic Asset Management is the activity that seeks to align the asset base with the organisation’s corporate goals and objectives. It ensures that the land and buildings asset base of an organisation is optimally structured in the best corporate interest of the organisation concerned”

Positive local authority asset management has been held to have a wide range of benefits. It can help to;  deliver exceptional services for citizens, aligned with locally agreed priorities, whilst focusing investment clearly on need;  empower communities and stimulate debate;  improve the economic well-being of an area;  ensure that, once built, assets are correctly maintained;  introduce new working practices and trigger cultural organisational changes;  reduce carbon emissions and improve environmental sustainability;  increase co-location, partnership working and knowledge sharing;  improve the accessibility of services and ensure compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2005;  generate efficiency gains, capital receipts, or an income stream; and  improve the quality of the public realm1.

In the present efficiency and savings driven climate, asset management is taking on greater importance, and there are a raft of relevant good practice publications produced in recent years which support Thurrock’s strategic intentions;  "Making Assets Work: The Quirk Review of Community Management and Ownership of Public Assets" (CLG, 2007) recommends ways to create an environment to encourage the community management and ownership of assets, and looks at how that can be achieved through asset management planning and more active community engagement.  "Building on Strong Foundations – A Framework for Local Authority Asset Management" (CLG 2008, already quoted above) raises the profile of local authority asset management, providing a best practice overview setting out a vision of what typifies good asset management.  "Room for Improvement – Strategic Asset Management in Local Government" (Audit Commission, 2009) examines Councils' management of property and aims to provide advice for Members and officers on how to achieve better value for public money through a strategic approach to asset

1 Evaluation of Corporate Capital and Asset Planning in Local Authorities by York Consulting, commissioned by Communities and Local Government and included in Building on Strong Foundations, A Framework for Local Authority Asset Management, CLG, 2008

3 management. It contains a range of real good practice examples.  Comprehensive Area Assessment ("CAA") focused on asset management through the Use of Resources Assessment which sought to determine whether; o Councils had a strategic approach to asset management to deliver their strategic priorities, service needs and intended outcomes, o assets were fit for purpose and provided value for money, and o they worked with partners and community groups to maximise the use of assets for the benefit of their local community. Although CAA has been abandoned, the enquiry questions remain relevant In pursuit of best practice.

This document is intended for a wide audience and aims to be written in clear language. It seeks to identify the Council’s key strategic policy and resource issues, setting a broad medium term direction to optimise the property portfolio and related professional support to meet the Council’s needs. It should support rational property decision making based on identified corporate and service priorities. It is intended as a practical tool which helps to define, implement and measure how the council:-  Makes acquisition, disposal and investment decisions  Maintains and improves its assets  Increases the cost effectiveness of its portfolio  Promotes innovation and development in asset management  Listens and responds to property users

The strategy is intended to deliver a framework for managing the council’s assets over the long-term with the Plan initially covering a 2 - 3 year time horizon but being updated annually to provide a ‘rolling plan’. It is restricted to consideration of property assets that the council owns or uses, although the council is intending to lead some work looking at an overview of the use of assets within the Borough across the wider public sector.

The intended audience includes:  Members; to support decisions on investment priorities in the portfolio,  Managers; to assist them in identifying portfolio changes to meet their service needs,  Council Staff; to support their understanding of the property direction the Council is taking and how their employment role relates to that,  The Public; as statement of the council’s asset management practices, priorities and intentions,  Partner organisations; for an appreciation of the Council’s perspective on property issues, on which they can seek common ground for the general benefit of Thurrock’s population and its public and private economies.

Format and content

The AMP is arranged in 4 sections in addition to this introduction.  Section one provides a statement of strategic direction for property asset management through an analysis of the environment in which the council is

4 operating and its own priorities in response to this.  Section two describes the Council’s adopted asset management policy and practices, intending to mirror current ‘Best Practice’. It details the focused purposes for which the Council will continue to hold property, outlines the principles under which that property will be held and explains the governance of property related decision making. This section also gives details of the property review process which is currently underway.  Section three provides summary information on the size and nature of the property portfolio under thematic headings, thereby enabling an awareness of emerging issues in the estate. Given the acknowledgment that information on the Council’s property portfolio is not adequate in terms of detail or robustness, it is recognised that that this area of the Plan must be better developed.  Section four provides a number of case study examples of previous asset management success and a summary of future of action priorities under the broad strategic direction defined through section one. In the short term, once a number of dependencies and resource issues are better understood, these action priorities will be developed into a time limited action plan.

5 SECTION ONE THE PLANNING CONTEXT AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION

1.1 Context and influences for change

Thurrock’s aspiration is to be at the dynamic heart of the Thames gateway, a place of ambition, enterprise and opportunity, where communities and businesses flourish.

The Council has set objectives that will target its efforts and resources to improve priorities at a much faster rate than before. Over the next four years there will be renewed focus on the strategic objectives for the community which are to:  improve the education and skills of local people  encourage and promote job creation and economic prosperity  ensure a safe, clean and green environment  provide or commission high quality and accessible services that meet, wherever possible, individual needs  build pride, respect and responsibility in Thurrock's communities and its residents. In addition, our organisational priority is to deliver efficient, customer-focused and well-designed, well-managed, accessible public services.

How the Council manages its land and property interests has a key relationship with its ability to meet these objectives. The key and overriding challenge for property management is the need for cost savings through efficiency, encouraging better use of constrained financial resources by doing things better and differently - with a key challenge to do more with less.

From the national context, narrowing to local level there are a further range of influences shaping local government services which influence the council’s vision for the area. The following are examples of these influences:-  The Government’s stated commitment to “localism” and a consequent decentralisation of power from central and regional bodies. This provides a local challenge to demonstrate transparency, sound local decision making, accountability, reduced bureaucracy and an empowered citizenship. This commitment has now been articulated by the presentation of the Decentralisation and Localism Bill to Parliament on 13th December 2010. There are key likely impacts on Council asset management from this Bill, and they are summarised below.  A national policy expectation of “placemaking” requiring the development of sustainable communities which are attractive places, to live, work and play. Thurrock’s growth area status in the heart of the Thames Gateway accentuates both opportunity and expectations in this regard.  An imperative to focus service delivery on the needs of the recipient rather than provider, modernising local government by improving access to services and tackling social exclusion.  The need and expectation for partnership working with its emphasis on bringing together public sector agencies, and appropriately employing the private sector to join up service delivery and improve capacity and

6 performance.  E-Government, promoting a strong drive to provide more services electronically so that citizens can access services at a time and place of their own choosing. These influences appropriately impact on the need for and use of property to support the council’s activities.

1.2 Current legislative change - The Decentralisation and Localism Bill

This draft legislation was presented to Parliament on 13th December 2010. This expression of the Coalition Government's stated intent to empower communities, diversify the supply of public services, open up government and strengthen accountability to local people is wide ranging, but within its terms there may be significant Issues for Council asset management.

Particular powers are planned to be introduced to enable local communities to maintain local facilities and services threatened with closure. A "community right to challenge" will allow voluntary and community groups, social enterprises and employees of a Council to bid to run a service where they feel that it could be improved. The Council will have a duty to consider and respond to this challenge which may trigger a procurement exercise for that service.

A "community right to buy" will be introduced giving communities the right of first refusal on Council assets to be disposed of. Councils are to be required to maintain and publish a list of assets of community value and when such assets come up for disposal communities will be given the chance to develop a bid and raise the capital to buy them. This is intended to allow communities to save sites of particular value to them, such as pubs or libraries, before they disappear or are sold off to developers.

The asset management implications of these potential changes will require that close attention is paid to the Bill's passage into legislation, with such issues as the community's capacity to participate in these opportunities (and the Council's ability to influence that capacity) also a relevant consideration.

1.3 Thurrock’s community and Council priorities

The Council’s land and property portfolio and its management has such a wide reach that it impacts on, and is relevant to, many of the Council’s other strategies. Consequently this Plan is set within the context of other corporate and service plans of the Council and its partners. Explicit links need to be drawn to some of these influences in particular; the Sustainable Community Strategy, the Council’s Corporate Plan, the Local Development Framework, and (because of the relationship between property and finance) the emerging Medium Term Financial Strategy. Links to the capital strategies for schools and housing are also critical and are addressed in the section looking at the detail of the portfolio.

1.3.1 Shaping Thurrock Thurrock’s Local Strategic Partnership; ‘Shaping Thurrock’, have provided a foundation for strategic planning in Thurrock for the next ten years in the Borough’s Sustainable Communities Strategy. The vision articulated sees Thurrock “at the

7 dynamic heart of the Thames Gateway, a place of ambition, enterprise and opportunity, where communities and businesses flourish and the quality of life for local people is continually improving.”

Sustainable Outcome relevant to Council asset management Communities Strategy Priority “To improve the All schools ‘good’ or better education and skills of local people” “To encourage and Deliver new sites for employment to create jobs over promote job creation the next 25 years and economic Create quality housing and enhance the built prosperity” environment for all communities Improve infrastructure to enable delivery of new employment, housing and community facilities Collaborate with key partners to deliver major regeneration projects “To ensure a safe, clean Improve sustainability and green environment” Ensure our streets and parks are cleaned and maintained to high standards Promote use of, and celebrate, our natural environment Provide and commission Change the way we do things to reduce costs and high quality and improve choice accessible services that meet, wherever possible, individual needs Build pride, respect and Create welcoming communities who value diversity, responsibility in heritage and culture Thurrock’s communities Engage with communities through area working and its residents Increase active citizenship Promote personal and community responsibility

These are key opportunities and reinforce the imperative for the Council to ensure that its role as an owner and manager of land and property reflects the aspirations of the community at large

1.3.2 The Local Development Framework (LDF) The LDF is a set of local development documents setting out the spatial strategy, policies and proposals to guide the future development and use of land in Thurrock up to the year 2021. It will replace the existing adopted Thurrock Borough Local Plan (1997) which is the current statutory plan. The regeneration vision captured in the draft LDF envisages a number of Key Areas of Regeneration and Growth Locations in Purfleet, Lakeside/West Thurrock, Grays, Tilbury and London Gateway.

8 Although the Council submitted the Core Strategy to the Planning Inspectorate during April 2010 it has not yet been adopted. In October 2010 at a pre-enquiry meeting, the Council were asked to carry out a further period of focused consultation as a consequence of a number of changes made. The consultation closed on 31 December 2010 and the Hearing will now commence on 8 March 2011.

1.3.3 The Thurrock Local Investment Plan (LIP) The LIP is a joint submission by Thurrock Council, Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation (TTGDC) and Shaping Thurrock, setting out the key priorities for investment in Thurrock for the four year period to 2014/15. The LIP is an element of the ‘Single Conversation’ process between those local agencies and the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA).

The LIP sets out the investment required for an area to deliver the agreed vision and economic purpose of the place. In doing so it will identify the needs to be addressed, based on robust evidence from local strategies, including the Sustainable Communities Strategy, Local Development Framework and the Local Economic Assessment (from April 2010). The Plan includes objectives, outputs and outcomes that are expected from each partners’ interventions. The LIP looks at several key areas for potential investment:

 Spatial priorities for strategic growth sites, town centre renewal and regeneration as it contributes to the regeneration of the place  Targets for growth, affordability, renewal, rural housing, including specific groups such as older people, disabled people, BME communities, vulnerable people and Gypsies and Travellers  Social, economic and environmental sustainability, including mitigating and adapting to climate change  Employment, training and apprenticeships according to local strategies tied to our investment  Land supply; Physical and social infrastructure of all types  Governance and arrangements to ensure the delivery of the Plan  Delivery roles and responsibilities, with costed and timed proposals  Risks with measures to manage and mitigate them and opportunities that may arise

The LIP identifies key sustainable regeneration projects across Thurrock, focusing on those which are most deliverable projects and that will make the most significant difference. Some major areas of infrastructure deficit constrain the pace and scale of some of the developments but partners remain committed to their delivery. The approach to producing the LIP was pragmatic in relation to constrained resources and deliverability within the timescale.

1.3.4 Corporate Plan, Medium Term Financial Strategy (“MTFS”) and resource context. These related documents represent the Council’s core plan, enabling the Sustainable Community Strategy to inform the Council’s policy choices and aligning these priorities to financial, people and asset resources.

9 This plan also explains the Council’s use of “balanced scorecard” methodology as part of its performance management arrangements. This works by aligning strategic objectives into 5 segments of business excellence as follows; Community, Customer, Finance, Business Process and People. As explained later in this Asset Management Plan (Section 2.9, Performance Management) a number of asset management indicators will be used to inform the Finance area of the Corporate Scorecard. The scorecard will be reported monthly to Directors Board and quarterly to Cabinet and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The MTFS shows, at a high level, how the Council will address the financial challenges presented by delivery of its priorities. Corporate and service planning activity will develop the MTFS into a four year, annually updated financial plan, to be approved by Council each February when the budget and Council Tax are agreed. The financial plans for the first year of the MTFS (2011/12) are being agreed at the same time as this asset management strategy.

The MTFS demonstrates how the Council will align its financial resources to national and local priorities while balancing spending with available funding. It assists in setting financial targets and a direction of travel in performance for services – so annual revenue budgets and capital investment plans are both linked to, and informed by, the MTFS.

The Comprehensive Spending Review announced in October 2010 confirmed the Council’s expectations that the next four years will be particularly challenging. At a high level, Thurrock;  Has the 6th lowest 2010/11Council Tax among unitary authorities,  Has Council Tax nearly 9% lower than the unitary authority average. If Thurrock's Council Tax was set at the average, the Council would collect an extra £5.5 million of income each year to fund local services on a £130 million budget.  Receives broadly average funding per head from Government compared to other unitary authorities.  Spends just below the average per head of population for comparable unitary Councils due to the Borough’s relatively low Council Tax base mentioned above.

Some of the cost pressures facing the Council, for example redundancy costs arising from the need to downsize, demographic pressures, inflation, and climate change levies are faced similarly by most other Councils However, other pressures are particularly related to Thurrock’s regeneration focus. These include  Taking over planning policy from The Thames Gateway Development Corporation in April 2012.  Expenses relating to its long river front, not supported by Government funding.  The developments taking place over the planning period, particularly DP World and the extension of Lakeside, which bring additional costs, particularly up front costs, in advance of the longer term benefits.

10 The Council’s key focus presently, and for the foreseeable future, is to reduce its costs in the light of its own cost pressures, and those public sector savings announced by central government shortly after the general election.

This increases focus on the optimum use of assets in two ways; i) savings from greater efficiencies, rationalisation and the disposal of surplus assets can in its own right help support the Council’s savings targets and assist the delivery of services and maintained employment. ii) As services are reviewed and inevitably prioritised, the Council’s need for property will reduce and it will be vital to tailor the future portfolio to explicitly meet future needs.

1.3.5 Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation The Council will absorb Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation (“TTGDC”) from 1 April 2012, returning decision making power for local regeneration and planning to directly elected accountability. This intended to give the local community more influence on the future shape of the Borough.

Although the Development Corporation will continue to operate as a separate organisation until 31st March 2012, its staff will move into Council premises a year earlier, by March 2011. These changes have a number of potential asset management impacts;  Movement of TTGDC staff to Council premises is an asset management issue in itself. There is capacity within the Civic Offices, and this move will support more rational use of that building, providing an opportunity to implement new space and design standards in support of modern working practices, as referred to later in this document.  So far It Is clear only that the assets currently held by TTGDC “will be considered as part of the detailed arrangements for the transfer”. An emerging potential solution is the development of a Local Asset Backed Vehicle, into which TTGDC’s considerable asset base could represent an equity contribution – possibly accompanied by assets from the Council.  TTGDC has spent considerable time and energy on a range of area masterplans for Thurrock localities. These plans should dovetail with the emerging Local Development framework document but presently their legacy status remains uncertain. This will need to be resolved in time as any inconsistencies in the strategic planning documents may lead to uncertainties in the Council's future asset management.  The skill set of current TTGDC staff includes surveying and commercial property knowledge. There is potential for these skills to support implementation of the Council’s strategy, for example in reviewing and considering the future of the commercial property portfolio.

1.3.6 Key regeneration projects impacting on management of land and property There are a number of key current regeneration projects in the Borough which the Council intends to positively influence and encourage. The Council’s contribution will vary in each case, but as these developments are property based, there may be particular opportunity for the Council’s enabling support to be of an asset nature.

11 Some relevant context from these key projects are summarised in the following paragraphs.

The Royal Opera House in Thurrock The first phase of the High House Production Park in Purfleet; the UK’s first national centre of excellence for technical skills for the performing arts and live music industries, opened in December 2010. The £60 million production park will become an internationally recognised hub for the creative and cultural industries and features state of the art facilities. It has been delivered by a private and public sector partnership across education, the arts, local, regional and central Government and the local community. The resulting culture-led regeneration provides opportunities for communities to engage with the arts, develops skills in the cultural sector, and positions Thurrock as a national centre of excellence for technical skills, crafts and production.

The 14 acre park is based on the site of the former High House farm and the first phase includes a purpose built workshop for the Royal Opera House, a café, meeting and exhibition spaces and larger function rooms. There is also a children’s play area and community gardens. The buildings will be available for tenant, public and commercial use, providing a range of recreational and business spaces and the opportunity for a greater bond between the local community and creative businesses.

The second phase of development (due to be completed in 2012) will include a flagship building for the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural and up to 10,000m2 dedicated “Enterprise Space” for independent artists and creative businesses including artists’ studios, offices, workshops and light industrial spaces. The Academy aims to provide training opportunities for 11,000 16 -19 year olds and professionals seeking recognised qualification in offstage and backstage technical skills, to meet the forecast shortfall of skilled people to work backstage across the creative industries over the next decade.

Purfleet PRIDE A proposal for the regeneration of Purfleet is intended to provide a new heart for the town, arranged around a public square with cafes and shops, a new railway station development and public transport interchange. The total area of the transformation is 59 hectares.

The plan contains other major enhancements including 3,500 homes (30% for affordable housing), dedicated commercial and employment areas designed to attract more businesses and creating more than 1,000 additional jobs, a new 630 pupil primary school, a new health and community centre, a new supermarket and retail areas, a relocated rail station entrance and new public transport interchange. Environmental improvements should bring newly accessible river front and public riverside space and new leisure areas including woodland, playing fields and parks.

The relationship of the Council’s Garrison Estate with this neighbouring regeneration is key and the Council will seek to ensure that the regeneration benefits are shared by existing and new residents alike.

12 Grays Town Grays is particularly important as the strategic and administrative core of the borough. Developments in the area will include a landmark railway crossing and transport interchange, a learning campus, a new generation community hospital. Grays riverside provides particular opportunities – for a new residential community and waterfront business park and leisure use including a possible marina.

The Council’s asset management role is particularly significant in Grays for a number of reasons including that;  it’s main offices are based here (with an intention to intensify their use),  large areas of vacant land in Grays South is owned by the HRA, and  the freehold of a landmark and listed building in the High Street (Magistrate's Court) is owned by the Council, and the Government Department leaseholders have decided to end its current use and may therefore wish to surrender their interest.

Port of Tilbury The Port is important to the local and regional economy and plays a vital role in providing jobs in the area. The Port’s forecasts show continued growth and it now needs to relocate some of its quayside activities such as logistics, covered storage and lorry parking to other land near the Port in order to maintain growth, and to enable implementation of the Tilbury Riverfront proposals. The Port employs approximately 650 people directly and 3,000 people are employed within the defined Port area, on about 260 hectares of land. Allocating additional land for port related activities has the potential to create significant new employment in Tilbury; the current draft LDF supports the principle of releasing 26 hectares of currently green belt marsh land for this purpose.

London Gateway DP World is developing a new deep water port able to handle the biggest container ships in the world, together with one of Europe’s largest logistics parks on a former refinery site at Shell Haven. The distribution park will cover a development area of 300 hectares (700 acres) and accommodate buildings in excess of one million sq ft. DP World is planning to invest over £1.5bn over 10 -15 years and predicts that London Gateway will deliver about 12,000 new direct jobs, 30,000 indirect jobs, benefit the local and regional economy, and assist the Thames Gateway regeneration initiative.

A critical role for the public sector is to assist in ensuring that the transport infrastructure requirements are met. These will include capacity improvements to the A13 and A128, junction works, traffic signals and noise mitigation to the Manorway (A1014) and A13, and rebuilding the Sorrells roundabout with capacity upgrades and landscaping.

Lakeside Lakeside is by far the largest shopping area in the Borough, being 3 times larger in retail floor space than Grays Town Centre. Together with the adjacent retail parks it represents the primary shopping offer for residents of Thurrock, together with many

13 visitors from outside the Borough (specifically from east and north London, south of the Thames and parts of Hertfordshire and Essex).

While mindful of the need to protect other town centres in the Borough, the Council supports the strengthening of Lakeside’s sub-regional centre status by diversifying into new mixed uses and commercial office and leisure development. The Council has therefore endorsed the aims and aspirations of the DC’s 2008 Masterplan for Lakeside (though not yet the detailed content, pending the LDF being finalised). This makes provision for 3,500 new homes, 70,000m2 of leisure space, 115,000m2 more retail space, 125,000 m2 of new logistical and industrial employment space and 40,000 m2 of educational, community, conference and exhibition space – all leading to approximately 6,500 new jobs.

1.4 The potential for a Local Asset Based Vehicle (LABV) for Thurrock

LABV’s support local authorities use of land assets to lever in long term private sector investment for regeneration. The model enables private and public sector partners to pool finance, planning powers, land and expertise, ensure an acceptable balance of risk, and to plan and deliver projects strategically. A LABV, or a similar model of regenerative asset backed vehicle is being seriously considered at Thurrock, principally as a vehicle to ensure the positive regeneration of the TTGDC’s assets after it’s dissolution, but also to receive and maximise the development value of assets currently in the Council’s ownership and possibly from the wider public sector.

Finding the right mix of assets for a coherent stream of projects is a key issue and sites require specific assembly to attract the most appropriate private sector partners. At present this initiative is in an early development stage and therefore this AMP is written in the context of surplus properties being identified for traditional means of disposal. However, as the opportunity is assessed, increasing clarity will determine the type(s) of Council asset which may be earmarked to be dealt with in this way. At this stage, no property within the Council’s portfolio could be decisively earmarked for, or ruled out of, a future LABV initiative.

As this document is written, joint work between the Council and Development Corporation is commencing which seeks to;  examine the current assets of both organisations to determine whether one or more special purpose vehicles would be the most appropriate way to maximise the benefit of those assets,  If so, Identify which type of vehicle would be most suitable,  Consider which assets could generate the most advantageous outcome for the Borough by being treated In such a way,  Propose a reasoned way forward for an eventual process

1.5 The Strategic Direction for Asset Management

This strategic context recognises that the council is facing a period of unprecedented change issues which might be summarised as follows;  The anticipated long term revitalisation of the Thurrock area through the

14 regeneration of the Thames Gateway will deliver a new vision for the character of the area. The timing may be uncertain given the variations of the economic cycle, but if successful the implementation of the growth agenda will positively change the lives of local people and will deliver massive new opportunities within Thurrock’s communities...  A forthcoming period of rapid public service delivery reform with the need for the public sector to respond to the “austerity” era of expenditure constraint with no likely diminution of service expectation from citizens.  The evolution of the council itself as it responds to a period of constrained budgets and seeks to do more for less and differently. These have implications for asset management and the property portfolio, and asset management as an activity can play a significant part in facilitating the council’s response to these influences for change.  Reshaping of public service provision and the communities expectations. The use of property assets to deliver against these new expectations is critical.

The resource environment and the asset management challenges identified imply a strategic direction for Council property services focussed on enabling, facilitating service modernisation and place shaping, driven by revenue generation and capital release. Over time this should support a change in the portfolio to one which has less property overall but with more welcoming and flexible accommodation blending public and commercial use with options for revenue generation or maximising asset value.

1.6 Key Asset Management issues for Thurrock

A number of key asset management challenges have been identified for Thurrock’s property portfolio over the medium term.

1.6.1 The scope & positioning of asset management as a function. The “Corporate Property Officer” role, with responsibility for asset management, was formally transferred to Vertex via its sub-contractor Europa (then United Utilities) in 2005. However, the absence of a retained property client has resulted in a lack of proactive management of this area. Consequently while the asset base has changed and developed in the intervening period, this has tended to be through ad-hoc and departmental initiatives rather than strategic and proactive corporate activity. Additionally, the lack of client input has resulted in an inconsistent and reactive contractor service which will require specific focus in the Asset Management Plan response.

1.6.2 The need to improve portfolio knowledge – Currently asset management and associated financial data is fragmented across different departments and several systems and is not easy to manipulate or analyse. There is also data deficiency, such as the ready availability of condition, running cost and other performance data and suitability assessments. The incomplete and fragmented nature of the data constrains effective asset management, is a barrier to effective communication with potential partners and presents a risk of poor decision making on property issues.

15 1.6.3 The Council’s Asset Register, maintained by Europa under the strategic service provider contract, is related to the above issue and is a critical factor in implementing this strategic plan. It contains approaching 1,000 separate property interests (not including dwellings), and as a consequence is acknowledged to be challenging to maintain accurately with an appropriate breadth and quality of information. The register is now considered to be complete in recording each asset and its base details. However there may still be duplicate information, and there is certainly significant omission in terms of the breadth of the detail required for each asset and in asset categorisation.

1.6.4 Property review and asset categorisation – The Council holds an extremely varied property portfolio, by virtue of its historic development and activities. The portfolio has not been the subject of challenge or review for a long period, if ever. Properties include schools, a large residential housing stock, libraries, village halls and other facilities like scout halls, many commercial premises including shops, public houses and industrial units. Its land holdings include land earmarked for farming, open space, allotments, and regeneration. Future review requires an asset challenge framework to classify assets according to required management action. This type of approach will identify where value can be released (from disposal), and where cost can be saved or income generated (by, for example, intensifying use).

1.6.5 Operational buildings and accommodation strategy – The Council uses a range of office buildings, some within its ownership and some leased at commercial rates, throughout the Borough. There are sound service reasons for some services to be delivered in a decentralised way, but it is also the case that the Civic Offices and Thameside Complex, owned by the Council and in its administrative centre of Grays, are underutilised. A study commissioned in 2006 considered that 200 – 300 additional workstations could be provided in these two buildings (compared to the number at that time) through layout re-design, adopting a standardised work station of between 6m2 and 7m2 per person, and reviewing storage policies. There is further potential to improve utilisation through flexible work and desk sharing. Release of office space represents a potential source of savings, of income (from letting space) and also provides an opportunity for working more closely and effectively with partner organisations.

The impact of such changes, which of course carry investment implications, would be multiplied significantly if coupled with modern day management practices of home- working and hot-desking policies and external “touchdown” facilities. Other public organisations are adopting and adhering to desk provision ratios of 7 desks for every 10 employees. In principle the Council’s office accommodation needs could be met from the two major office buildings, except where there was a service need to use a different location. This would enable cost savings on leased accommodation, and potential income from the sale of owned property. Such change, driven principally by value for money considerations, also provides opportunity to transform and modernise service provision – however it requires significant cultural and human resource policy change as well as physical investment in buildings and information technology.

1.6.6 The Council’s village halls and other community facilities – are let through a number of different and inconsistent lease arrangements, which bring limited

16 income but see the Council retain maintenance responsibilities. Letting arrangements for these buildings must be reviewed, with consistent arrangements being implemented, allowing community groups to choose, where appropriate between community transfer, limited cost lettings where maintenance responsibilities are transferred, or fully loaded costs where the Council keeps such responsibilities.

1.6.7 Surplus property – A number of sites, for example former schools and social services facilities, are already identified as surplus to requirements. It is appropriate now to review the future of these sites and whether and on what terms, they should be sold. The close relationship of this strategy with the Council’s capital plans and strategies, and the Medium Term Financial Strategy will ensure an appropriate balance between service and regeneration aspirations, and the need to prioritise maintenance and repair capital spending to keep the retained portfolio in good condition

1.6.8 Education provision – despite significant capital investment in last 5 years a number of Thurrock’s schools and other facilities have maintenance backlogs which affect their suitability. These condition issues are complicated by projected housing growth in particular areas of the Borough requiring the expansion of existing schools and other new facilities, including childcare, early years and youth facility provision. Further key issues include meeting the demands of raising the school participation age, the introduction of the new 14 to 19 curriculum and the need for additional further and higher education provision in the borough.

The key issues for educational properties are set out in detail in the Children and Young People’s Plan 2010-2013, and the (emerging) Capital Strategy for Children’s Services and Schools 2010. Headline detail, including a summary of the strategic priorities adopted to resolve these issues is included in this strategic document, in Section 3.4.

1.6.9 Commercial property income – is limited, and in any event is concentrated in the Housing Revenue Account where it can make less of a contribution to the Council’s wider corporate priorities. Most commercial units are occupied through small business tenancies, rather than multiple retail chains. As a consequence of the secondary occupier profile the council’s rental income stream requires intensive management. These factors will be reflected in investment yields and lower capital values. It is therefore recognised that over the medium to longer term, the council needs to consider options for improving the performance of its commercial portfolio which could include joint venture opportunities, or possible transfer to the private sector.

1.7 High Level Objectives and vision for future Asset Management policy

In response to the wide range of influences and challenges in the Council’s overall environment, Cabinet has approved 6 high level objectives for the management of the Council’s property as follows;

The Council’s property portfolio will be;  managed strategically to support corporate aims and objectives.  held and managed in support of service delivery.

17  used to provide Value for Money and deliver efficiencies and savings for the future.  procured and managed in a way that minimises the impact on the environment.  used to support the regeneration of the Borough.  used to support the activities and development of Thurrock’s communities and the Council’s partners.

In future the Council will possess less property, and the property retained will need to be more effectively used or have the potential to generate income. Accommodation will need to be welcoming to clients and have flexibility to support more than one use. There may be the potential to blend public and private space within single buildings and to share accommodation with other agencies as a way of supporting improved service access. Finally, there maybe a need to promote capacity in the community at large, to manage some property assets on a community basis.

18 2.0 ASSET MANAGEMENT POLICY AND PRACTICE

2.1 Overall Approach to Asset Management

Asset Management has a growing profile within the council; which is evolving its organisational culture to innovate in response to the financial pressures it is facing. Additionally the Council has had to change direction and mobilise resources to address weaknesses in its service provider contract arrangements for issues including asset management. Renewing its approach to asset management is consistent with these changes in the council’s overall philosophy.

In Spring 2010, Local Partnerships (the consultancy arm of the Local Government Association) were commissioned to carry out a focussed strategic asset management review. Local Partnerships acknowledged the positive steps taken to establish a new set of management arrangements to direct and improve the Council’s relationship with the strategic service provider, following recognition that this had not been robust. The review recommended that the Council establish a new strategic asset management intelligent client function to centrally issue property and asset management related instructions to service providers and take control of property budgets. This new function should also performance manage the service contract to ensure full delivery of services in accordance with the contract

Further recommendations included the need for a new authority wide asset management strategy which would;  ensure key information is held on the council’s property and land holdings  provide regular analysis and challenge of property use in relation to changing service objectives  identify property and land for transfer or disposal  account for the performance of the commercial property portfolio  review and rationalise property running costs  work towards a system of incentives within the council to optimise utilisation and property running costs.  contain a programme of actions with timelines and milestones in support of the asset management plan. This document represents that strategy.

Action taken since the review has included re-establishing a corporate Operational Property Group, with wide representation from senior managers across Council services, Vertex (in this context as a provider of services who use Council property) and Europa (as the . This corporate property group has provided a consultative base upon which to test the emerging principles of a new strategy. The Terms of Reference of this group place it alongside similar (new) corporate groups for energy and accommodation, reporting to a Strategic Property Board (“SPB”).

The SPB has recently met for the first time, beginning a review of property and in its first meeting identifying a number of sites for potential disposal adding up to 7 hectares and with the capacity for more than 350 homes.

19 There have also been discussions with both Vertex and Europa on the content and the means of pursuing their role, and movement towards a refreshed range of responsibilities. In broad summary it is considered that the strategic aspects of the asset management role should return to the Council, with Europa retaining operational responsibility. As a consequence of this reviewed relationship, Europa have been working on providing the operational information about all the Council’s property assets, upon which a new strategy will be based

2.2 Why the Council holds property – and guiding management principles

A further development since the strategic review is the Cabinet’s adoption of a test of the appropriateness of its property holdings, together with guiding principles for the way in which retained property will be managed. This test, to be applied through a property review process over the whole portfolio is considered to support the high level asset management objectives already specified.

Consequently, the Council will now only hold property to support;  efficient and effective service delivery,  the growth and regeneration of the Borough,  the well-being of the Borough’s communities,  the capital programme and revenue budget Any property to which none of those reasons apply will be declared surplus and the Council will seek to maximise its value or regeneration potential, pending disposal in a time and means considered to bring the most benefit to the Borough.

The additional principles adopted to inform asset management are as follows;  Council property is a corporate asset and wherever possible will be employed to meet the needs of the whole Council. Where sold, the proceeds will be used to meet identified corporate needs, although consideration will be given at that time to the particular statutory responsibilities of holding departments.  The corporate governance of property will be the responsibility of an officer Operational Property Group, reporting to a Strategic Property Board chaired by a Corporate Director (since agreed to be the Director of Finance and Corporate Governance). Disposals and other significant decisions recommended by the Strategic Property Board will be referred tot eh Leader of the Council for agreement, and depending on the Leader's view may also be considered by Cabinet.  Appropriate estate and asset management delegations of authority will be determined for; Europa, as the Council’s property partner, the Operational Property Group, the Strategic Property Board, and named officer posts with asset management responsibility. Such delegations will seek to maintain consistent and appropriate decision making with the minimum of bureaucratic obstacles to positive business management.  The Council will establish a central intelligent client unit to manage its relationship with the strategic service partner, and to ensure central management of property and property budgets. This will need to be established from existing resources aligned to property and client

20 management.  When the Council’s property is used by commercial organisations, the Council’s partners or the community, this will be let at broadly commercial/market rates. Particular care will be taken to identify any continuing costs to the Council and to ensuring that they will be recovered in full. If there are strategic reasons for mitigating the impact of charges, that should happen by means of a separate grant or explicit internal or external funding arrangements.  The Council will seek to work in partnership with others on property matters, for the positive development of the Borough’s communities and economies. In particular, the support and cooperation of Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation will be sought, to integrate its skill base with the Council’s property management needs as soon as possible – and before the two organisations merge.  Assets will be categorised into one of five investment blocks as follows;

Investment Block Description

Operational assets the Council’s operational buildings Non-operational assets the Council’s investment portfolio Community assets assets held by the Council and managed either by the Council or the community to support the well- being of Thurrock’s citizens and communities Strategic assets assets acquired or held to support regeneration or for another strategic reason Surplus assets assets which have no sound case for retention

2.3 Decision making and consultation

Under the new arrangements the formal role of Corporate Property Officer will revert from Europa to the Council’s Corporate Director for Finance and Corporate Governance who will chair the Strategic Property Board. This group will meet quarterly and more often as necessary to consider asset management issues.

Presently the Council’s constitution requires a formal Cabinet decision to declare any property surplus and to dispose. The Leader of the Council’s Strategy and Finance Portfolio includes Strategic Property, Corporate Strategy and Medium Term Financial Planning and it will be recommended that the Council agree to the constitution being amended to enable the Corporate Property Officer to agree surplus declarations with the Leader, after appropriate consultation with Ward Members.

The Council believes that community involvement is critical to the success of policies and proposals such as those for its management of land and property. Community input adds value to such policies and proposals and enables decisions that better reflect the aspirations, concerns, needs and views of communities. It supports the Council’s aims to draw on a wider pool of knowledge and expertise. Appropriate and timely involvement should reduce conflict and controversy about policies which it is appreciated can be controversial and finely balanced.

21 Consequently a communication and consultation strategy will be developed to support the implementation of key aspects of the Asset Management Plan, particularly as the results of property review are known and the impact of those decisions on localities is considered.

2.4 The property review process

Strategic Property Board, facilitated by Operational Property Group, the new corporate property team and with appropriate information support from Europa will progress a two stage property review process aimed at identifying early wins in the form of potential disposals for sale income, or for transfer to a potential joint venture vehicle.

The first stage will be for the Strategic Property Board will pursue a progressive exercise to identify surplus properties through the following means;

Source of potential Detail and clarification Indicative surplus property timing of review process Properties declared A number of properties have already been December surplus declared surplus by Cabinet resolution – without 2010 further disposal action having been taken. A number of these date from a review exercise carried out in 2006 which was not fully implemented, and some pre-date that exercise. Properties which are This will involve consultation with service heads December vacant or due to be and input from Europa’s Lands Section to 2010 – vacant in the next determine properties already vacated, or where March two years there is a known intention to vacate. 2011 Council properties The Council commissioned Tribal Urban Studio February included in the with CB Richard Ellis to undertake a Strategic – March SHLAA published in Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) 2011 2010 for the period 2008-2031 in order to; . identify sites with potential for housing over a 15 year period; . assist in demonstrating a continuous five year supply of housing land; . assess whether sites can be delivered and developed. A significant number of the sites identified in this study are within Council ownership and it is therefore logical to examine this document, importing its viability criteria, to identify the first significant scale disposals for residential development. Council and other Consultation with Service Heads via the service March public sector planning process, and with External Agencies 2011 properties identified (Police, Health Agencies etc) to gain an through service understanding of the current and future longer

22 Source of potential Detail and clarification Indicative surplus property timing of review process planning activity. term space requirement for each service Properties identified A review of the Council’s Terrier records is March – from a review of the needed to identify any properties within the June Land Terrier Council’s ownership which might be appropriate 2011 for further development, whether or not identified within current planning arrangements as being in a ‘housing envelope’. These sites may presently be open areas, car parks or plots of land in or around the Council’s housing estates. It may in some circumstances be viable to re-provide housing or buy out occupiers (where Right to Buy has been exercised) in order to achieve a more developable and financially rewarding cleared site. Sites within this category need to be viewed as longer-term and will require further analysis to be developed into a phased programme. Other long term There maybe further - albeit even longer term June opportunities opportunities represented by properties which 2011 – are currently amenity land, allotments, village March halls, public open space, farmland, sports 2012 facilities, scout halls, community assets, woodlands etc. The Strategic Property Board should consider whether, and if so how and when these assets might be brought into review at some future time.

The second stage will involve a rolling programme of review of all property holdings over a planned period likely to be in the region of 3 years. The order in which the Council’s assets will be reviewed has yet to be determined, but it is likely that there will be a combination of property type and area review processes. The consequence of this review will be that assets will be firmly categorised into one of the investment blocks referred to above.

In addition, assets categorised into one of the “retain” blocks, will be considered on the basis of their condition, quality, location and suitability as either;  Fit for their current purpose with regular management and maintenance  Requiring better utilisation, such as a change of use, more intensive use, or use with partners.  Requiring major investment. such as refurbishment of extension

23 2.5 Surplus property and disposal protocol

Initial responsibility to determine sites and buildings surplus will rest with the Strategic Property Board. The Council will not commence marketing or submit a planning application for any site without a decision from that group that the site is surplus.

The Strategic Property Board will recommend that a property is declared surplus in the following circumstances;  The property/site has been offered for operational reasons to other service areas (through the forum of the Operational Property Group). Where a building is required by a service as a consequence, a full business case must be provided  The Leader of the Council, Ward Councillors and the Council’s Director of Sustainable Communities have been given the opportunity to comment in advance.  Consideration has been given to any diversity issues arising from disposal sale

Once a site or building has been declared surplus a checklist of actions will be implemented – most likely to be carried out by Europa, on instruction from the Corporate Property Team. These actions, yet to be formally listed, will be based on health and safety, minimising expenditure and risk on the surplus property, and maximising the future value of the site.

Disposal may then be progressed through one of a variety of routes;  Disposal will either be o in accordance with Section 123 of the 1972 Local Government Act and will ensure that the best possible price is obtained Or o will fall within a general Government consent allowing it to be disposed at less than best consideration (Strategic Property Group may for example consider it appropriate to gift a site to a Housing Association to facilitate the development of affordable housing).  Vacant properties which already possess planning consent should be viewed as effectively ‘ready for sale’. Other sites may have their value enhanced through obtaining an outline planning consent and other de-risking activities (site studies etc.) prior to marketing

Options will be discussed with the Strategic Property Group and a recommended strategy put forward for approval. Progress on the disposal of these sites should be reviewed at each meeting of the Strategic Property Group. The Corporate Property Officer should ensure that an ongoing dialogue, of a level of formality appropriate in the circumstances, is maintained with the Council Leader, Members of Cabinet and ward Members.

2.6 Capital programme management

The Council’s capital programme needs to be focused and directed to ensure that extremely limited resources are invested in the most effective way to improve service

24 delivery. Currently individual service areas are responsible for identifying the capital projects needed to meet their needs, for feasibility assessments and developing funding bids to a corporate template and timetable. Although a medium term Capital Strategy is desirable, the unpredictable flow of capital funding requires that this should be reviewed annually. Prioritisation of competing bids and development of the capital programme is therefore undertaken as part of the Council’s annual budget process, in this way receiving Member approval.

The main sources of capital funding available to the Council are;  Government supported borrowing,  Grants either from the Government or other sources (e.g. lottery, environmental trusts),  Capital receipts,  S106 agreements,  Prudential or unsupported borrowing, the cost of which must be met from revenue budgets and will vary depending upon the interest rates prevalent at the time. This framework requires borrowings to be prudent, affordable and sustainable and all decisions to borrow in this way are made by Members. The length of time taken to repay is determined by the life expectancy of the asset and by other prudential considerations

The Council’s capital toolkit contains guidance regarding the prioritisation criteria used corporately to agree projects, investment appraisal, identifying whole life costs and outcome evaluation.

Through the activity of asset management plan the current capital processes need to be examined and challenged and then integrated with the new asset management discipline and governance. The consequence of this review should be a prioritised medium term capital strategy which is flexibly re-visited annually, together with a robust monitoring process to ensure that the capital projects that are agreed are achieved in a timely and cost effective way.

2.7 Managing properties in use

Day to day management of some operational buildings is the responsibility of user departments, while in other cases the Europa Property Team is responsible for the provision of a comprehensive property & FM service including; condition surveys, planned and responsive maintenance and compliance with legal requirements. A longer term area of work for a corporate property team will be to review this mixed solution to determine if it is appropriate, or whether a consistent single option should be implemented across the whole portfolio.

2.8 Data management

The data required to underpin asset management is currently held in several systems and there appears to have been no attempt to review it’s the appropriateness and functionality of these systems, or the completeness and appropriateness of the information held. In line with the review processes brought about by the renewed

25 focus on asset management, data management should also be reviewed with the aim of simplifying the number of systems used and ensuring that the information is complete, accessible and easily updated.

2.9 Performance management

The council presently has a patchy understanding of the performance of its property portfolio. New and radically improved performance procedures are required and will be identified, baselined, have targets set and be monitored as part of this strategy. In future the Council must be able to monitor the performance of its investment portfolio and report this to Strategic Property Board, and annually to members on an annual basis.

A range of appropriate national performance indicators are available from the National Property Performance Management Initiative (NaPPMI), supplemented by some further estate management indicators developed by a joint value for money project established by the UK’s Public Sector Audit Agencies. A number of these indicators have been earmarked for inclusion in the Council’s balanced scorecard initiative as follows;  PM12A – Energy costs/consumption per m2  PM12B – Water costs/consumption per m2  PM15B3 – Annual property cost per workstation  EMP1- Total property costs per m2

However, the Council is not currently able to record and monitor these and other indicators across its asset base, and this is a priority to address.

2.10 Partnership working

As shown in a number of the case study examples in Section 4, although the Council has not operated with a consistent corporate approach to asset management significant progress has been made through Council wide and departmental partnerships with other public and private agencies. It is recognised that we can only achieve the most from our own portfolio and that of the wider public sector by working in partnership. The Council is prepared to take a lead role in promoting co- location, partnership working and knowledge sharing and to actively bring together public sector agencies, while also appropriately employing the private sector to join up service delivery and improve capacity and performance.

26 3.0 THE PROPERTY PORTFOLIO

3.1 The size and nature of the portfolio

The Council has an extensive and diverse property estate spread throughout the entire area of Thurrock. The bulk of the estate is operational property used for direct delivery of services for which the Council has a statutory or discretionary responsibility; and is predominantly freehold. The broad dimensions of the portfolio are shown in the following table:-

Service Area Detail of assets Value (£000’s) Housing (both HRA and 10,324 housing units 665,089 General Fund) Other properties (Garages, shops, 24,133 amenities etc.) 3 Travellers Sites 2,890 Housing Property Sub-Total 692,112 Education 43 Primary and Infant Schools 10 Secondary Schools 2 Special Schools 22 Support Properties 419,465 Operational Properties Council Offices and Depots 24,422 Social Services 13,817 Highways/Transport Not included in this asset plan Culture/Leisure 14 Village Halls Theatre and Museum Complex Historic Sites (e.g. Coalhouse Fort) 5 Leisure Centres 8 Libraries Parks and recreation grounds, playgrounds and open space 26,866 Non-operational properties Shops and commercial properties Car Parks 42,174 Total Value 1,218,856 (as at April 2008) This table is taken from Asset Plan prepared by Europa for 2009, and to be treated with care while numbers and values are validated.

3.2 Property costs, value and income

As part of the preparation for this strategic asset planning document, Europa produced 2 documents on the detail of the portfolio from a range of discussions with services which took place during the summer of 2010. Although the resulting documents are of significant size and scope, there is still felt to be considerable work to do before the Council can rely on them to make coherent and robust decisions for property planning and management. The Council is continuing to work with Local

27 Partnerships to draw conclusions and analyse and define gaps in what has been produced so far. This will be raised and progressed with Europa shortly.

The type of clear information which should be instantly available is  spending on property running costs e.g. gas, electricity, water - by property and cumulatively across the portfolio.  the amount of rental income received from property lettings  capital receipts generated from property disposals  up to date capital values.

3.3 Age and condition of the portfolio

It is important to survey and record the condition of the building stock in order to be aware of immediate health and safety issues in the portfolio, risks and liabilities to the council and the investment needs associated with ensuring buildings are in a reasonable state of repair - as required by the authority to meet its service delivery obligations and statutory requirements. It is also an important element of ‘Best Practice’ within current asset management guidance.

A broad summary of the current condition across the whole portfolio, as estimated in 2008, is shown in the table below. Of course recorded condition changes over time, worsening if repairs are not completed, or improving as works are carried out. For example it is understood that as a consequence of focused capital investment, by April 2010 the Decent Home Standard was met for 100% of Council properties, not just for the 90% quoted in the table below.

The Council is not presently able to estimate backlog repairs accurately across the portfolio or to define which of these are urgent and essential and this is a key gap which must be addressed.

Service Area Condition Good Satisfactory Poor Very Poor Education 1% 53% 37% 9% Housing - 90% (meets Decent 10% (fails Decent - Home Standard) Homes Standard Operational 3% 38% 38% 21% Properties Libraries 1% 42% 39% 18% Village Halls 6% 46% 34% 14% Non Operational No individual analysis, but overall regarded as generally Properties satisfactory for age and location Social Services 0% 67% 17% 16% Again, this table is taken from the Asset Plan prepared by Europa for 2009, and needs to be treated with care while the condition survey position is examined and validated.

The type of clear information on property condition which must be instantly available in future is;  Spending on building maintenance in current and previous years

28  Cost and prioritisation of repair backlogs – by individual property, and as a total for the whole portfolio and functional/geographical sections  Number of condition surveys undertaken, representing % of portfolio by number of property interests (or by value), together with details of the programme operating to provide a 100% picture.  What % of spending has been on planned maintenance against the % spending on reactive maintenance

The relationship between the levels of expenditure on reactive and preventative maintenance provide an indication of the effectiveness of an organisation’s overall maintenance strategy. Annual expenditure predominantly on planned maintenance with a stable or reducing backlog trend is indicative of a well maintained portfolio, whereas a high proportion of spend on reactive maintenance suggests an poorer and less well planned maintenance strategy.

3.4 An understanding of the departmental elements of the portfolio

As this document is developed, this area of the plan will contain illustrative detail of the key portfolios – for example those for schools and other properties for children and young persons’ services, Housing, Libraries, Village Halls, Sports/Leisure and Adult Social Care. For each of these portfolios particular key issues, and the policies and strategies currently being pursued will be detailed. Currently only the key circumstances for operational properties, for schools and housing have been summarised

3.4.1 Operational Properties The Council owns, and in some cases leases, a range of operational buildings to meet the accommodation needs of its services. It is a key requirement that these facilities are maintained to a standard appropriate for public usage. The largest operational offices are the Civic Offices and the Thameside Complex, both in the administrative centre of Grays.

Civic Office One (CO1) was built in 1988. The ground floor provides Members accommodation, Council Chamber, Mayor’s Parlour staff café and Committee Rooms and there are two upper floors of office space.

Civic Office Two, is attached to CO1 and was built in 1993. The ground floor has some office space but is primarily employed as a reception area, with a multi service face to face interview facility, and a cashiers office to receive the personal payment of Council Tax, rents and other funds due to the Council. Above the ground floor there are four floors of office space with a senior management suite of offices on the top floor.

Until recently, about 550m2 of floor in CO1 was rented to the South West Essex Primary Care Trust at a commercial rate, but this has now been vacated and this space, together with a small additional area, is to be used by TTGDC, again at a commercial rate, until that organisation is subsumed by the Council in April 2012. HM Revenue and Customs are set to lease some reception and office space from early 2011; as well as providing a small income contribution this will support service

29 join up and has the potential to improve customer convenience through the relationship between benefits services and those provided by the Council.

The Thameside Complex was built in 1969 and comprises ground and seven upper floors. The complex houses a number of civic functions including Register Office, theatre and civic museum. The ground floor contains the theatre box office and a coffee bar and the rest is devoted to library use. The library also uses much of the first floor, which also features an IT suite and museum. Third floor is currently occupied by the theatre and a small conference room. The fourth to seventh floors are office space.

A recent refurbishment programme has improved the condition and usability of the public parts of this building, and extensive refurbishment of the building’s mechanical and electrical plant equipment was also undertaken reasonably recently.

The above shows some small examples of a market return being achieved on excess capacity in these administrative offices, but it is considered more strategically inviting to concentrate the Council’s own activities in these two buildings therefore releasing capacity elsewhere. For example, the Council is presently renting approximately 720m2 of office space at Crown House, Grays through a lease due to expire in 2012.

Other operational offices are located elsewhere in Grays, and throughout the borough – some through a strategic intent to deliver services to local communities, and some only because of the convenient availability of accommodation. There are local housing offices in Purfleet, South Ockendon, Corringham (Stanford Office) Chadwell St Mary and Tilbury.

As well as offices, the Council is a significant user of depot areas for the delivery of its operational services. This use is being proactively managed by the relevant services as the design of services changes. There are already examples of potentially surplus depot sites presenting disposal opportunities, and this is likely to be a developing area.

3.4.2 Educational properties The key issues for educational properties are set out in detail in the Children and Young People’s Plan 2010-2013, and the (emerging) Capital Strategy for Children’s Services and Schools 2010. A significant consideration is that demand for school places is not currently met consistently across the Borough, an imbalance which will be exacerbated by planned housing developments. This means that in some areas there is a need to expand provision to meet growth while in other areas surplus provision requires a managed contraction.

Overall, in the secondary sector there are surplus places in Stanford and Corringham, a lesser surplus in South Ockendon and shortfalls in Chadwell and Tilbury, Aveley, Purfleet and Chafford Hundred. In the primary sector the surplus areas are South Ockendon, Chadwell and Tilbury, Stanford and Corringham, with shortfalls in Aveley, Purfleet and Chafford Hundred.

In terms of condition, accurate analysis is complicated by the split nature of responsibilities between schools and the Council - particularly for minor works. The

30 historical lack of a planned programme of condition works means that to address this backlog could completely consume available capital resources. Therefore addressing condition issues must be balanced with other priorities, such as meeting the varying needs for pupil places. In addition to schools, youth provision in Thurrock has also not been well maintained and requires investment to improve its condition and suitability.

Provision of the Learning Campus in Grays remains a Council priority and forms a major part of the regeneration of Grays town centre. The demise of the Learning and Skills Council and the withdrawal of capital funding for post 16 education places a burden on the capital resources of the Council to meet the emerging needs.

There is a significant amount of temporary accommodation in use across the borough, without a currently prioritised schedule or programme for their replacement. Such buildings can sometimes have less comfort and functionality than permanent buildings, have their own condition issues, are not within the main building of the school and may have high maintenance costs.

These circumstances have led to the identification of three strategic priorities for responding to the asset needs of educational facilities for the period 2010 – 2015.  Priority one - Ensuring that pupil places in schools are well aligned with demand, through providing additional places or reducing surplus places where required  Priority two – Providing facilities which can support new models of school leadership  Priority three – Improving and modernising schools and other capital assets so that they are fit for 21st century learning.

3.4.3 The Housing stock Key issues for the management of the Council’s Housing Stock are identified in the HRA Business Plan and amplified in the Borough’s Housing Strategy. This Asset Management Plan therefore does not seek to address Council homes. However there is a significant relationship between the management of the land and property within the HRA and the Council’s wider aspirations to achieve regeneration through its management of land and property and consequently the strategic context of the housing stock position is summarised here.

The Council achieved the Decent Homes standard for its housing stock in March 2010 and it is a key ambition to maintain this standard (or its successor). Similarly, any new Council housing will meet high standards of design, quality and sustainability, with a significant proportion of the existing stock being retro-fitted to minimise energy use and reduce fuel poverty. The Housing service will lead the Council contribution to regenerating the Garrison Estate in Purfleet and other estate renewal projects. Good quality, integrated management arrangements will be in place for all social housing estates, with common management standards for all homes on these estates regardless of tenure

The Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2010 announced the reform of the Council housing financial system, and further details of this are presently awaited. However, it is understood that net contributors to the present system (as Thurrock is)

31 will be released from that ongoing liability through a significant capital contribution. This will necessarily increase focus on achieving maximum value from any surplus land and property assets, and may be a driver for an HRA specific Asset Management Plan. The earliest date this national reform could take effect is April 2012.

In the current financial climate there is uncertainty concerning funding for affordable housing, regeneration and estate renewal projects. Therefore, and in common with other councils, Thurrock will require alternative funding models to deliver its capital projects through private and public partnerships. The Council will investigate potential models for securing investment and regeneration for part or all of housing and estate based projects. The following are examples of options to be investigated:  Asset backed vehicle  Corporate joint venture  Contractual joint venture or Principal Development Agreement (“PDA”)  Framework Agreement(s)  A Local Housing company/community land trust

Whichever delivery structure is chosen, the Council will need to ensure that there is sufficient flexibility to respond to changes in the market, both in terms of design, product and programme. Inevitably, this will mean a balance between the regeneration and place-making objectives and the prevailing commercial realities at any given time during the project’s evolution

The Borough’s Draft Housing Strategy 2010 – 2015 identifies a number of strategic priorities and sub-priorities, and those with relevance to broader corporate asset management are included here for reference;  Strategic Priority one; Managing and improving housing supply and choice o Managing and improving housing supply and growth to address the most acute local housing needs and enable mixed and sustainable communities to flourish. o To promote the growth of affordable housing to ensure sustainable access for all o Promoting high quality design and build standards in all new homes  Strategic Priority 3: Investing in the Housing Stock and environmental sustainability o Delivering and maintaining the Decent Homes Standard o Delivering and maintaining high quality management of homes and public realm across all housing sectors o Making the best use of Council homes and estates through estate renewal and regeneration and exploring different funding models  Strategic Priority 4: Ensure all services are effective and achieve value for money o Tenants and residents are involved in decision-making

3.4.4 Key portfolio issues in other departments – to be completed

32 3.5 Statutory compliance

Ensuring the portfolio conforms with statutory obligations is a high priority of the council. Such obligations include, gas safety, the management of asbestos in the property portfolio and meeting the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. Failure to do so may expose council staff and clients to health and safety risks or the council to financial risks. The statutory obligations for the portfolio and related professional services are varied and subject to continued revision and therefore need to be monitored closely.

At present there is a risk that the responsibility for meeting these obligations could be misunderstood between the Council and Europa, with the potential for extremely serious consequences. Therefore it is important to ensure detail and clarity on these responsibilities as a priority.

33 4.0 REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE AND FUTURE ACTION PLAN

4.1 Looking backwards – case studies of asset management success

Although this AMP draws attention appropriately to the lack of corporate asset management action in the most recent years, it is still the case that a range of positive work has been carried out, with some sound achievements – particularly when the Council has been acting in partnership with other agencies or its communities. Therefore, some brief case studies are included of some of these ad- hoc achievements.

4.1.1 Riverside Business Centre, Fort Road, Tilbury. As part of its economic regeneration activity, the Council has developed a prestigious and environmentally sustainable business centre for new and growing small businesses in the deprived ward of Tilbury. To do this, the Council acquired land through a Section 106 agreement, and raised £3.6m for construction from the East of England Development Agency, the Port of Tilbury and the Government.

The outputs from this project included creating 38 new jobs and safeguarding 19 others, attracting seven new businesses to locate to the Borough, regenerating a hectare of brownfield land and constructing a new 2,970m2 commercial building. The building is partially powered by wind turbines which attracted a Government Clear Skies grant and now earns the Council saleable "renewable energy certificates". Overall the centre provides space for 24 businesses with over 80 employees in a well managed and flexible environment.

4.1.2 Coalhouse Fort restoration project; Coalhouse Fort has been run by a volunteer trust for over 20 years, who have sought to improve the fort though with scarce resources. However a Development Corporation funded feasibility study has now been coupled with joint funding of £250,000 from English Heritage, the trust, and the Council to enable key works to take place.

Phase 1 (emergency repairs to the Gatehouse) and Phase 2 (opening up 7 rooms adjacent to the Gatehouse) are now complete, and the comprehensive feasibility study will form the basis of a large capital bid (possibly up to £10,000,000). The aim is to create a first-class heritage attraction and a hub for creative industries – focused not only on the fort itself but also including its surroundings.

4.1.3 The modernisation of the Thameside Complex This project represented a 5 year, 7 phase, cross funded project to transform and modernise a multi-function building now housing; Grays Library, Thameside Theatre, Thurrock’s museum, internet café facilities, the borough’s Register Office, a heritage zone, a 50 seat lecture theatre/meeting room, a small art gallery, voluntary sector and community groups, and the Council’s Community Solutions team.

In 2002 an options appraisal concluded that to modernise, upgrade and refurbish the 1970’s Thameside building was more cost-effective than to relocate its core services elsewhere. The Council funded Phase 1 “emergency” infrastructural works to lifts, air

34 handling units, electrics, external works and also the installation of the café, and while these were undertaken, an innovative architectural practice won a tender to set out a vision for the whole building in 6 following phases; Phase 2 – also funded by the Council – the ground floor foyer with reception desk, internet lab and opening up of the library entrance Phase 3 - Funded mainly by the ODPM with additional support from Thames Gateway South Essex - modernisation of the library and library lounge, art gallery, theatre foyer and Thameside 2 Phase 4 – Funded by Thurrock Council - Register Office, and garden area Phase 5 – Funded by ODPM – external façade and café terrace Phase 6 – Funded by Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation -creation of community hub Phase 7 – also externally funded – Community Solutions 7th floor office space

The Thameside is now a very well-used multi-function building and footfall has doubled since the modernisation with library use increasing by 10%. About 50,000 people attend the theatre each year, 20,000 visit the museum and the Register Office is highly successful. The café has introduced a buzz to the ground floor and community use of the complex continues to expand.

4.1.4 The Royal Opera House Production Park The context of the Royal Opera House Production Park’s relocation to Thurrock has already been referred to. The Council’s principal contributions to this partnership achievement have been the input of a Project Officer, together with the provision of 7 acres of land acquired through the negotiation of Section 106 agreements. Additionally, Thurrock Council and the Arts Council finance a team of 5 people who, together with the Royal Opera House, deliver a program of events to primary and secondary schools.

A Special Purpose Company was set up to take ownership of the entire site (previously in four ownerships). The Development Corporation lead the Board, but the Council will become the major partner before the TTGDC ceases to exist. A Management Company will be established with all the partners including the community being represented on the Board. The ROH own their building but have a 125 year lease on the site.

The National Skills Academy is a key part of the education and training offer though currently additional funding for this project needs to be secured. Partners are currently negotiating flexibility on the date and have made funds available to appoint consultants to progress preparations so that work can start on constructing the NSA as soon as possible.

The action of the Council and partners on this key project has enabled Thurrock to seize the opportunity presented by the enforced relocation of the Royal Opera House production workshops at Bow for positive local regeneration from creative industries, providing high quality jobs and learning opportunities

4.1.5 Community Houses The Housing Department has established and presently supports the community in running two different “community house” models on two of its housing estates

35 The older of the two initiatives is the Broadway Community House in Tilbury, dating back to SRB funding received for economic initiatives throughout Tilbury in 1998. A community “Planning for Real” exercise by the Broadway Multi Agency Partnership identified key community safety needs on the estate, and a demand for improved community involvement. Local people were not successfully engaging with statutory and other services, but the conversion of one home on the estate to a Community House created a focal point for community activity, delivering multi agency services to a deprived and isolated locality.

To the current day the Community House facilitates and supports local community projects and fosters local pride and cohesion. A range of opportunities are provided; estate officer and police surgeries, health promotion, family activities, craft and cookery clubs, and IT training. All these enable capacity building and empowerment, and create a sense of belonging and pride on the estate. Several open access community 'fun day' events are held annually, as well as other celebrations which bring the community together.

Grays Residents Community Association (GRCA) had previously worked with the Housing Department to develop a service level agreement for estate services. Having seen the improvements this brought to the quality of life for residents, the group then lobbied for its own “Community House” in the form of a newly erected semi permanent building – an upgrade from the original temporary portakabin. The House was a joint initiative between GRCA, the Housing Department and Thameside Community Forum as Housing funded the building and furnishings, the forum funded equipment, and the community provided the people power to run the house.

The House has a full timetable of activities; OAP lunches; arts and crafts; English for Speakers of Other Languages classes for the local Eastern European community; Youth club etc. Similar to the Broadway House, a range of services and facilities are provided e.g. Estate officer and Police surgeries, activities for families, IT training and craft and cookery clubs.

4.1.6 Village Hall modernisation This programme aimed to refurbish, improve, upgrade and modernise all but 3 of Thurrock’s village halls (which required more comprehensive solutions) to create a range of fit for purpose community facilities. Alongside the physical improvements, the aim was also to transform the partnership agreement between the Council and village hall committees.

A 2006 condition survey of all village halls revealed that 3 were in good condition, 9 fair and 5 poor – and that all but 2 were deteriorating. As the Council’s maintenance budget was wholly inadequate a radical approach was required. Therefore, in February 2007 Cabinet approved use of the majority of the maintenance budget to generate £350,000 capital via the prudential code of borrowing; to tackle the repair backlog and bring the halls up to modern day expectations.

It was problematic that previous condition surveys had not revealed how much work was needed, and in some cases: new problems were found. Consequently, it was necessary to renegotiate terms with contractors, and drive costs down during the

36 programme. Further learning points have been identified in managing the increasing expectations of the volunteer village hall committees.

Another issue still not yet wholly resolved – and therefore with implications for the new AMP - concerns the new partnership agreement between village halls committees and the council, based on new fit-for-purpose leases. At the end of the programme, each Committee was to be offered a choice of two leases; either at a peppercorn rent, with full responsibility for the maintenance of the hall, or at a commercial rate with the Council maintaining its previous landlord responsibilities in this case. At the time of writing about one third have indicated they will go for the peppercorn option, one third of the “quasi commercial” option and one third are undecided.

The halls which have been refurbished are much appreciated by their committees and users. Use has increased and there are now few un-booked slots.

4.2 Action plan activities

The timing of activities needs to be considered in terms of both their priority and the resources available for implementation. At this stage only the broad activities which will make up the plan are identified. As work progresses it is likely that further strands of activity will be identified and planned for and therefore the eventual action plan will be more substantial than that summarised here.

4.2.1 Relationship with the strategic partnership Steps have already been taken towards the review of client and partner roles on asset management. However, the establishment of a substantive client presence is a significant challenge and is considered critical to the strategy’s potential to succeed. The client operation will be responsible for the achievement of the strategy through its own actions and through directing those of partners.

Local Partnerships have been engaged, following their earlier work on the Strategic Asset Management Review, to help in defining the most appropriate service content and structure to deal with an asset portfolio of the scale and with the challenges of that in Thurrock. Initially this will define an approximate all embracing property management service (i.e. what is considered to be needed to meet both client and partner roles). This will subsequently be developed to determine balanced client and partner roles and responsibilities and resource input.

It is an intention at this stage (and subject to agreement by Europa as the Council’s property partner) that the client and partner input should seek to work together as a single team on the further development and implementation of the strategy. This might mean co-location and apparently seamless service delivery.

4.2.2 Centralising property management and property budgets The centralisation of property management and budgets was a key recommendation of the Local Partnerships review of asset management and is considered to be crucial in enabling cost rationalisation. Such a change will involve some complex budget disaggregation, changes to working practice and will require some human

37 resource management input; consequently it will require stringent resource and time planning.

4.2.3 Office accommodation strategy The rationalisation of office accommodation will require additional focus and investment to achieve efficiencies. This will be articulated through the parallel production of an accommodation strategy. As well as the adoption of standard work stations to a specific space standard, and implementation through redesign and refitting, other policies such as for electronic storage, home-working, hot-desking, touchdown facilities will be required.

4.2.4 Planned actions for educational assets A range of redevelopment and new build programmes are already underway and require completion. These include the second new build phase at West Thurrock Primary School, refurbishment of the IT block at Hassenbrook, the third and final phase of re-development of Lansdowne Primary School, development of new classrooms and nursery facility at Stifford Clays Infant School, replacing temporary accommodation at Stifford and Purfleet Primary Schools, development of the new Ormiston Park Academy, and the development of central facilities at the new Treetops School.

Future priority actions include;  developing the Thurrock Learning Campus in Grays South to provide Further and Higher Education within the Borough while making a significant contribution to the long term regeneration of Grays.  Reducing the number of temporary classrooms in Thurrock by at least 25% by the end of 2015  Developing a new build facility to house the current Beacon Hill School on the new Treetops site  Developing a new Primary Pupil Referral Unit on a primary school site  Securing land for an additional primary school serving the Chafford/North of South Stifford area while extending existing primary provision in the South Stifford area  Increasing primary pupil places in Purfleet through a new 630 place school  Extend Chafford Hundred Business and Enterprise School to meet the additional demand  Conduct options reviews in conjunction with schools and stakeholders on addressing surplus; o secondary school places in Stanford and Corringham o primary school places in Stanford and Corringham and o primary school places in Ockendon

4.2.5 Performance management The strategy will establish appropriate property performance indicators, from a nationally agreed range already available from the National Property Performance Management Initiative, supplemented if necessary with those indicators developed by the joint work of the UK national audit agencies. A detailed plan will need to be agreed with Europa on the timing and means of collecting and baselining this information, and embedding the recording activities.

38 4.2.6 Property Review The use of a recognised property review rationale, and the implementation of that process over a rolling period (probably of 3 – 5 years for the whole asset base) is a key requirement. This is the activity which will identify additional surplus property for disposal and it is encouraging that in starting this process in December 2010 it has been possible to quickly identify around 7 hectares of land for potential disposal, with sufficient capacity for around 350 new homes.

In Thurrock there are likely to be particular benefits from carrying out the review of operational property on a locality basis. Similarly an annual Directorate review of service assets should be integrated with the service planning process.

4.2.7 Perfecting the asset register Moving towards the perfecting of the asset register, fully populated with the complete range of required information is a partner responsibility. This will require the accurate input and integration of property terrier, land registration, lease details, income and maintenance backlog etc. information

4.2.8 Immediate next steps There is considerable further work required in defining the resource implications and the timing of these identified actions which will impact positively on the asset management challenges facing the Council and will deliver savings and efficiencies. At this stage – prior to clarity on the scale and timing on the introduction of the intelligent client it is not possible to deliver specific, measured and timed detail. However, to establish such a clear and time specific plan, backed by estimated resource implications must be a first step.

4.3 Measuring progress

A robust performance management framework will be required to ensure that the land and property portfolio is used to effectively support the community vision, Council priorities and the high level objectives of this strategy.

Quarterly reporting of progress against the strategy, with detail of exceptions, will be made to the Strategic Property Board, in addition to the existing reporting requirements for the progress of the Capital Programme. Progress in achieving the plan, together with a refresh of future intentions will be made to Cabinet annually. The value of these reports will be supported by the strategy containing a clear statement of expected outcomes year by year over a rolling five year cycle.

An appropriate selection of the national performance indicators for asset management will be adopted together with any local performance indicators necessary to support the Council's priorities.

It is vital that outcomes expected from the strategy acknowledge the position from which the Council started, including a ragged information base and incomplete performance information on all property.

39 SECTION FIVE - APPENDICES

Appendix 1 – Officer Property Groups; Terms of Reference

Strategic Property Board

Chaired by Corporate Director of Corporate Finance and Governance

1. Purpose  To provide proactive leadership of the Council’s management of its property assets, including the development of asset management and capital strategies.  To support the Council’s Improvement Programme through delivering a radical transformation in the way the Council’s land and property resources are managed and governed.

2. Remit (from Directors Board)  To act as a decision-making body which identifies and delivers necessary changes to improve the way that asset management related business is conducted.

3. Responsibilities  To take the overall responsibility for developing and implementing a Council wide Asset Management Plan and Capital Programme,  To provide strategic guidance on policy and issues that relate to the Council’s land and property assets,  To consider and review the operational use, viability and management of the Council’s land and property holdings, challenging the current provision and performance of Council assets so as to create and maintain "an ideal property portfolio";  To co-ordinate and oversee property acquisition, disposal, community asset transfer, management and maintenance programmes;  To require individual service departments to plan for the use of assets, and to support and coordinate that activity.  To establish effective project and performance management arrangements for identified changes;  To ensure that changes and key messages about asset management arrangements are communicated through Directors Board, Directorate Management Teams, Corporate Communications and other channels whenever appropriate;  To resolve issues of conflict around asset management arrangements wherever necessary;  To identify appropriate performance measures and set targets, reviewing these indicators annually and by exception, to track and evaluate the effectiveness of asset management arrangements across the Council;  To ensure that proper consultation takes place on asset management issues with Members, staff members and other stakeholders from inside and outside the Council.

40  To monitor and give advice concerning the authorities implementation of data management in relation to property and links with financial systems;

3.1 On the basis of the above, the following responsibility currently with Finance Board; should be deleted or amended;  “Monitor and oversee the delivery of the Council’s Capital Programme, including property management, acquisition and disposal”

4. Membership;  Chair; Corporate Director of Finance and Corporate Governance,  Lead officer for the asset management client,  Representatives from Vertex and Europa  Representatives from all service departments with responsibility for the use and ownership of land and property assets,  A representative from Corporate Finance  A representative from Corporate Improvement Team,  On an ad hoc basis as needed, representatives from other public agencies (e.g. Police, PCT) and the voluntary sector (e.g. CVS, Ngage)

Operational Property Group

1. Purpose  To deliver and monitor asset management activity, following the strategy defined by Strategic Property Board.  To identify and consider changes in the Council’s management and ownership of property and land, making recommendations to the Strategic Property Board

2. Remit (from Strategic Property Board)  To implement and monitor the Council’s asset management activity as defined by strategic advice and guidance from Strategic Property Board.

3. Responsibilities  Monitor the performance of the Council’s land and property assets on behalf of the Strategic Property Board including o Condition studies o Maintenance backlogs and maintenance programmes o Health and Safety and other compliance issues (e.g. fire, asbestos, Legionella). o Accessibility o Occupancy rates o Energy usage and other costs of use o Key performance indicators  To implement and monitor the annual asset management plan agreed by the Strategic Property Board.  Monitor and manage central property maintenance budgets  Review data storage and data collection arrangements  Commission and receive reports;

41 o for decision on operational matters (e.g. accommodation moves and management changes), and o for recommendation to Strategic Property Board on strategic matters (e.g. acquisitions, disposals, community transfers).  Carry out consultation on operational asset management issues with Ward Members, staff members and other stakeholders from inside and outside the Council.  Carry out surveys and property reviews as directed by the Strategic Property Board,  Identify asset management best practice and make recommendations to the Strategic Property Board on how this can be achieved in Thurrock.  Issue property guidance and procedures

4. Membership  Chair - Lead officer for the asset management client  Representatives from Vertex and Europa  Representatives from service departments with responsibility for the use and ownership of land and property assets,  A representative from Corporate Finance

42