Agenda item

Report of Councillor Cartman (attached)

Councillor Bridger presented the report which required the Council to decide whether to formally transition out of Castlewood and remove it from the council’s office requirement.  The Town Hall would be retained as the primary office and consideration of other buildings would be given to facilitate face to face meetings.

Councillor Bridger informed members that further work would be required over the coming months if the decision was taken to vacate the site as to how it should be repurposed, redeveloped or sold.  In presenting the report, he highlighted the decrease in staffing number from 2009-10 and that the pandemic had accelerated the transition permanently to a more flexible and agile form of working which did not require the same amount of office space.  He noted that the council required a smaller primary office space based on the need of the council to deliver services to residents.  He added that the building was costing the council £1m to run after rental income was considered and was in the worse category of public building in the country for energy use.  Further reductions in occupancy and revenue were expected.  Additionally, there was a maintenance backlog.

Councillor Bridger concluded by suggesting that the new Customer Service Strategy agreed by the Executive in April would deliver a service to residents that was more accessible than Castlewood had ever been and that there was an opportunity to deliver something in its place that both Clevedon and North Somerset needed.

In debating the report, members highlighted concerns over the loss of Castlewood and the role it had played in North Somerset and Clevedon.  Mention was made of the impact of staff working from home on the delivery of services to residents and the instability of the council’s website and online services which were expected to take over from face-to-face delivery of services.  Concerns were highlighted over a “jobs anywhere” culture and the need to put a replacement face to face capability in place before Castlewood was exited.  Consultation with residents of Clevedon and the north of the district and the Town Council were requested as was innovation in the use of community hubs.

In response to some of the points made, it was highlighted that all members and Clevedon Town Council had been made aware of the possible decision to vacate Castlewood and that the latter had been actively consulted and was working with North Somerset Council to produce a community hub in Clevedon town centre.

The Director of Corporate Services explained that working from home was an option where the role made this possible and that the designation of work styles was based around the needs of the business and the council’s customers not the personal preference of the staff member.  Consultation on work styles had been undertaken with the Accommodation Strategy PCOM Panel at whose bi-monthly meetings all members were welcome to attend.  She undertook to issue further communication to all members on the Accommodation Strategy and programme.

In summing up, Councillor Bridger noted that he felt that way of working for staff was a matter for the Head of Paid Service and that this differed from members’ access to officers.  He invited members to rigorously scrutinise the Customer Services Strategy to ensure it was delivered as promised but that this was a different matter to the decision on the council’s asset strategy which included a decision on the future of Castlewood.  He added that there was a consultation currently out until the end of June on development sites in the area including Castlewood and responses had already been received. 

Motion: Moved by Councillor Bridger and seconded by Councillor Canniford

Resolved: That Council agreed to:

(1) Transition out of Castlewood to remove it from the council’s office

requirement, and release it for development

(2) Develop a preferred way forward through progressing a package of technical, planning and development workstreams, alongside soft market testing and preplanning engagement; and

(3) Delegate to the Section 151 officer, Director of Place and Head of Strategic Procurement, the commissioning, procurement and appointment of technical, planning and development workstreams, alongside soft market testing and preplanning engagement.