Issue - meetings

This report is due to be pre-scrutinised at a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee scheduled to take place on Thursday 20^th October 2022.  Any recommendations arising from this meeting will be reported in a supplementary pack for the Executive Committee’s consideration.

The Head of Legal, Democratic and Property Services presented a report on the subject of the Council’s Asset Disposal Strategy.

Members were advised that the Council needed to manage a range of assets in a way that supported the authority’s strategic purposes and also achieved best value.  Whilst the Energy Performance Regulations 2012 currently required all non-domestic rental buildings to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E, by 2026 the Council would need to ensure all assets had an EPC rating of at least C and by 2030 they would need to achieve a B rating.  Work was being undertaken by the Council to improve the EPC ratings of Council assets that were rented out.  However, the financial costs and other wider considerations, such as the value of those assets, needed to be taken into account when determining how the assets should be managed and whether disposal would be appropriate.

During consideration of this item, Members noted that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had pre-scrutinised the report at a meeting that took place on 20^th October 2022.  Members had endorsed the recommendation detailed in the report.  In addition, a request had also been made by some Members of the Committee for all reports concerning the potential disposal of assets to be scrutinised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee prior to a decision being taken by the Executive Committee.  Members discussed this suggestion and in doing so noted that all of the business due to be transacted at meetings of the Executive Committee was advertised in advance on the Executive Committee’s Work Programme, copies of which were considered at every meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee could therefore identify items for pre-scrutiny, which could include items proposing the disposal of assets, on an ongoing basis.

Members subsequently discussed the content of the report and in doing so commented that the Council had a responsibility to ensure that the authority’s assets were managed effectively.  The condition of assets needed to be monitored and Members commented that if the condition deteriorated this could impact on the value of those assets.

RESOLVED that

the Asset Disposal Strategy be approved for implementation.