Cabinet at its meeting on 16 June 2021 delegated authority to the Head of Corporate

Strategy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford to enter

into a loan agreement with Low Carbon Hub on terms to be agreed by the Head of

Financial Services/Section 151 Officer; and the Councils Monitoring Officer.

To award a contract for the technical design and construction (RIBA stages 5 & 6/7) of the decarbonisation project to Willmott Dixon all for a consideration of £9,452,146 and extend the F&G and their subcontractor contract all for the consideration £793,113. Internal fees plus High Voltage (HV) costs all for £428,409.

The appointment will be initially covered by a Letter of Intent (LOI) followed by the signing of the JCT Design and Build Contract 2016 to cover all the works from preconstruction to handover (RIBA stages 1-7).

The LOI is used for the following reasons

1.    Allow the project to proceed by the 20^th of September 2021 in order to meet the deadline of 31^st March 2022

2.    Allow time to review the legal contract from both parties the Council and Contractor Willmott Dixon.

Allow time to finalise contract sum, signing and sealing of the JCT Design and Build 2016 Contract.

Cabinet, at its meeting on 10 November 2021, delegated authority to the Executive Director Development, in consultation with the Head of Financial Services; the Head of Law and Governance; the Leader and Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth, Economic Recovery and Partnerships; and the Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management, to agree and enter into a building contract and associated professional services for the redevelopment following the conclusion of a procurement exercise.

The Executive Director (Development) had submitted a report to seek approval to enter into a £1.93m Funding Agreement with Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership for Local Growth Funding to support the refurbishment of 1-3 George Street and redevelopment of Standingford House on Cave Street to provide affordable and innovative workspace to facilitate the inclusive economy.

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of the Council, introduced the report which proposed a timely initiative to support local businesses, particularly small local businesses.  The project would provide a welcome addition to the mix of business and office space in the city centre, the need for which had been emphasised during the recent development of the Local Plan. It would also provide an opportunity for necessary improvements to the Council properties listed the report which would, among other things, contribute to the Council’s carbon reduction targets.

Andrew Humpherson, Regeneration Manager, emphasised that the proposed work was necessary to get the properties concerned into a state fit to be let and so contribute to income for the Council. The immediate focus was on the building shells and getting them up to standard.   In relation to their future use, internal designs would be heavily influenced by close co-operation with operators, a dialogue which was already underway.  He  confirmed that early conversations with the planning department were underway in relation to 1-3 George Street, those with Cave Street would have to wait until later in the process.

It was noted that the funding for this project was required to have been committed by the end of July and not the end of June as described in the report.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.       Delegate authority to the Executive Director Development, in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer and the Head of Law and Governance to agree and enter into grant funding arrangements and contractual terms with OxLEP for £1.93m in Local Growth Funds for the delivery of city-centre based workspaces at 1-3 George Street and Standingford House, Cave Street.

The provision of a Housing First support service to the end of 2023/24. Housing First is an internationally evidenced housing intervention, which has proven successful in supporting people with multiple and complex needs to maintain housing. The main premise is that an individual should not need to prove they are ready for housing and is instead given a permanent offer of their own home, along with an intensive long-term support package to enable them to maintain it.

To award a contract in two lots to A2 Dominion for £519,642, and St Mungo’s Community Housing for £416,650 to provide a Housing First support service to the end of 2023/2.

To appoint Members to the vacant seats on three committees.

To appoint Members to vacant committee seats in accordance with the wishes of political groups as follows:

·       Cllr Latif to Audit and Governance Committee

·       Cllr Lygo to General Purposes Licensing Committee

·       Cllr Smowton to Standards Committee