Decision details
To approve expenditure up to the value of £305,000 to complete stage 2 of the design process for the Shire Hall and award Mace Ltd a professional services contract to complete stage 2 of the design development
Decision Maker: Chief finance officer
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose:
The Shire Hall remains in a structurally
unsafe condition, and requires a technical team of architects,
surveyors and technical specialists to review the state of the
building and develop a design to ensure an accurate costing can be
provided against the required works. Stage 1 of this review was
delivered through a contract with Mace Limited between May and July
2021, the result being an initial report making recommendations
around the extent and likely cost of the refurbishment
needed.
In the intervening period, a range of specialist surveys have been
commissioned as recommended by the consultants during the stage 1
exercise. Work has also been carried out to gain an understanding
of how the spaces within the Shire Hall might be used in the future
so that consultants can be directed accordingly for stage 2.
There is a need to progress to stage 2 in order to further develop
the findings and cost estimates from stage 1, to better define the
building-specific refurbishment requirements and to apply more
accurate cost-estimates. This will enable a greater understanding
of the scope of the refurbishment and the budget which would be
required to deliver it. This information will be essential to
properly inform future decision-making around the Shire Hall.
It is highlighted that a budget for the recommended scale of
refurbishment identified during stage 1 design development has not
been identified or allocated and there is no certainty at this
stage that it will be in the future. This decision only provides
authority to progress the design development to RIBA stage 3 in
order to better understand the recommended scope and likely cost of
the work were it to go ahead. An executive decision would be needed
before a refurbishment proposal could be incorporated within the
capital programme.
The resources required are extremely technical and specialist
consultants are required to design the works due to the specialist
nature of the building. The appointment of Mace Limited via the
framework identified will maintain continuity by engaging the same
multi-discipline team to continue the work begun in stage 1.
The Shire Hall is a significant civic building with high
stakeholder interest and must be progressed in the correct
compliant manner.
The council are looking to make an informed decision about the
Shire Hall scheme as soon as possible.
The decision will reduce the risk of further delay to the Shire
Hall project and allow the council to fulfill its obligation to
obtain an accurately designed and fully costed scheme to inform
future decision making on the building.
The council is content with the procurement route proposed as the
framework that will be used has been established through a fair and
transparent tendering process.
The requirement to appoint a Principal Designer is a legal duty
placed on the council by the Construction (Design and Management)
Regulations 2015.
Contact: David Jones, Programme Manager Email: David.Jones2@herefordshire.gov.uk Tel: 01432 383320.
Publication date: 17/12/2021
Date of decision: 17/12/2021
Accompanying Documents: