Agenda item

(a)  That it be noted that the Service Lead Governance, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Housing and Leader of the Council, had progressed the Articles of Association and Shareholder Agreement to a position of readiness for Osborne to approve or provide the council with enhanced provisions that would add value and benefit to the trading partnership.

(b)  That significant progress had been made with the initial 7 sites identified for the provision of modular homes, and for Cabinet to approve the further 17 sites (listed at 5.1.5) for evaluation for future presentation and proposal to Cabinet.

(c)  That the Service Lead Governance and Service Lead – Neighbourhoods, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Housing and Leader of the Council, be authorised to pursue the opportunity to develop, OJEU procure and launch an Asset Management Services Framework through the RMI as set out in item 5.2 of the report with supporting briefing paper at Appendix A. 

(d)  That it be noted that in advance of the launch of a repairs and maintenance service to the private rented sector through the trading partnership, the RMI has already responded to requests from the private sector to requests to carry out work, generating early additional income and which arose from the publicity surrounding the launch of the new contract.  This is being used to test the potential the trading partnership has in offering the repairs service to the private sector.

The Service Lead Neighbourhoods introduced a report that updated the Cabinet on the establishment of the Trading Partnership between the Council and Osborne Property Services Limited and a potential new commercial opportunity to establish an Asset Management Services framework.

The Cabinet was reminded that the partnership with Osborne included an initiative to explore the potential for modular homes and significant progress had been made in evaluating twenty-four sites across the borough, as listed in paragraph 5.1 of the report.  It was noted that twenty-three of the twenty-four sites would be better suited to permanent housing rather than modular housing, which was consistent with the Cabinet’s preference for developing permanent housing where possible.  It was reported that there was the potential for a total of 328 new homes and the Cabinet welcomed the work that had been undertaken to bring forward a package of relatively small sites for vital residential development.

There was also an opportunity to develop commercial activity through the partnership by providing a range of asset management and managing agent services as set out in section 5.2 of the report and in Appendix A.  The trading partnership would manage and operate the activity which would be delivered by a service provided appointed through an open procurement process.  The benefit would be to generate income through a profit share arrangement to invest in the community.  The Cabinet recognised the potential benefits of taking forward this proposal and agreed to delegate authority to the Service Lead, following consultation with the Leader and Lead Member, to pursue the opportunity.

Resolved –

(a)  That it be noted that the Service Lead Governance, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Housing and Leader of the Council, had progressed the Articles of Association and Shareholder Agreement to a position of readiness for Osborne to approve or provide the council with enhanced provisions that would add value and benefit to the trading partnership.

(b)  That significant progress had been made with the initial 7 sites identified for the provision of modular homes, and for Cabinet to approve the further 17 sites (listed at 5.1.5) for evaluation for future presentation and proposal to Cabinet.

(c)  That the Service Lead Governance and Service Lead – Neighbourhoods, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Housing and Leader of the Council, be authorised to pursue the opportunity to develop, OJEU procure and launch an Asset Management Services Framework through the RMI as set out in item 5.2 of the report with supporting briefing paper at Appendix A. 

(d)  That it be noted that in advance of the launch of a repairs and maintenance service to the private rented sector through the trading partnership, the RMI has already responded to requests from the private sector to requests to carry out work, generating early additional income and which arose from the publicity surrounding the launch of the new contract.  This is being used to test the potential the trading partnership has in offering the repairs service to the private sector.