As part of the Council’s service development strategy to prevent and reduce rough sleeping, to award a contract to Oxford Direct Services Limited (ODSL) for the phase 1 and phase 2 refurbishment of the Floyds Row site as a homeless shelter and assessment hub.

Exempt information: the value of the contract with ODSL

Councillors Djafari-Marbini, and McManners arrived during the debate.

Council considered a report of the Head of Housing submitted to the City Executive Board on 10 April 2019 to seek Project Approval for the development of a new homeless shelter and assessment hub at Floyds Row to further develop services focusing on the prevention and relief of rough sleeping, including winter shelter provision; to request further capital funding from Council; and to delegate authority to enter into construction contracts accordingly.

Councillor Linda Smith, the Board Member for Leisure and Housing presented the report and moved the recommendations, which were adopted on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved:

that, subject to the outcome of the forthcoming architectural feasibility work being affordable and within the proposed budget envelope, that a revised capital scheme now totalling £458k (an additional £274k up from an original £184k) relating to Option C as set out in the officer’s report is included in the Council’s 2019/20 capital programme (the funding of which is achievable albeit potentially from a variety of sources the ranking of which is still as yet to be finalised).