To consider an exempt report on the Office Accommodation Strategy Options Appraisal.

Not for publication this item discloses information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Summary of proceedings during which the public were excluded:

Cabinet considered an exempt report on the Office Accommodation Strategy Options Appraisal.  This included information of a commercially sensitive nature in addition to the information contained within the publicly available report which was the subject of the previous agenda item, as reflected in minute number 114 above.

The recommendations agreed during discussion of the publicly available report were considered by Cabinet in the light of the additional information and endorsed.

This item disclosed information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information.

RESOLVED that:

(a)    progress made in the development of a business case supporting an integrated back office accommodation strategy for the council and NHS Herefordshire be noted;

(b)     Plough Lane be endorsed as the preferred option;

(c)     the decision taken by Cabinet in 2005 to purchase Plough Lane be reaffirmed in light of the findings of the recent options appraisal, and authority be delegated to the Chief Executive to conclude negotiations for the property acquisition;

(d)    the Chief Executive be delegated authority to proceed with the preparation of a detailed design specification, subject to a satisfactory business case and the development thereafter of shared office accommodation at Plough Lane;

(e)    the overall Accommodation Strategy, which should include the retention of the Shire Hall and Town Hall, be brought to Cabinet by the end of 2009; and

(f)   proposals for the long term use of the Shire Hall and Town Hall be brought back to Cabinet in four months.