To agree the property services planned and reactive maintenance programme 2019/20 to ensure the continuing upkeep, improvements and maintenance of the council’s property assets and also to allow the council to fulfil its obligations to carry out statutory compliance inspections and related remedial works.

The maintenance budget of £2.438m is to be spent on the continuing upkeep and maintenance of the council’s 270 key property assets and also to allow the council to fulfil its obligations to carry out 47 various types of statutory compliance checks and best practice inspections so as to maintain a safe environment for the users of the buildings and the upkeep of the property.

That:

(a)       the 2019/20 cleaning, planned and reactive maintenance budget of  £2.438m be allocated as follows and as set out in appendix B:

·               £679,200 on cleaning;

·               £176,820 on statutory compliance inspections; 

·               £354,800 on cyclical planned and reactive maintenance;

(b)       the assistant director for technical services be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to implement the above recommendation and spend within the approved budgets.

1.            If planned and reactive maintenance is not carried out or reduced below required thresholds due to inadequate funding, property assets will be liable to deteriorate and potentially be in breach of legislation which will have an impact on any services located in such properties, to the extent that they may have to be closed and service delivery would be severely impacted.

2.            If the council’s key property assets are not cleaned regularly they will become unsuitable, un-hygienic and not fit for use by staff, visitors and the public. 

3.            Should statutory checks and subsequent planned remedial work not be carried out in buildings which house council employees, third parties and visitors, the council may be liable should an individual be found to have been injured or suffered loss as a result of the council not carrying out its statutory obligations.

4.            Without adequate expenditure on a programme of maintenance work, property assets will deteriorate which will ultimately render them no longer fit for their intended purpose and will have a negative consequential impact on the value of the estate.