Subject:

New schemes to be added to the Capital Programme for 2020/21 to be approved

New Capital Project Approval Request
Directorate:			Families, Children & Learning
Unit:			ALD624 Leicester Villas
Project Title:			Leicester Villas Vehicle Purchase
Total Project Cost (All Years) £:			£21,000

Purpose, Benefits & Risks:
Leicester Villas is a registered service for 3 service-users with learning Disabilities and additional health needs. A wheelchair accessible car is essential for 2 of the service-users to enable access to the community safely, to enable them to be supported by staff for appointments, activities and day to day living. The current wheelchair accessible car has been assessed as not economically viable to repair, so the service does not currently have a car to enable safe transport of service-users.

Capital Expenditure Profile (£’000):
Funding Source (see guidance below)			2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	Total All Years
Borrowing			21	0	0	0	0	21
Total Estimated Costs & Fees			21	0	0	0	0	21

Financial Implications:
Funded by borrowing and repaid through the service’s revenue budget. Currently the service receives transport contributions from residents that cover the annual repayment of the borrowing scheme.

New Capital Project Approval Request
Directorate:	Families, Children & Learning
Unit:	Carden Primary School
Project Title:	Perimeter Fence – Carden Primary School
Total Project Cost (All Years) £:	£42,200

Purpose, Benefits & Risks:
Currently, the perimeter fencing surrounding the school is not fit for purpose. It is only 1m high and is in poor condition. In recent years there have been 2 incidents of cars crashing through the fence onto the school field. There are several holes in it, which have been patched up over the years, but it is no longer safe and poses a safeguarding risk. The school is surrounded by a busy road which is also a bus route. The school has a high level of children with additional needs, some of whom are at risk of absconding. There have also been incidents of trespassers breaking in and setting up camps on the school field, causing considerable damage.

Capital Expenditure Profile (£’000):
Funding Source (see guidance below)	2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	Total All Years
Borrowing	42.2	0	0	0	0	42.2
Total Estimated Costs & Fees	42.2	0	0	0	0	42.2

Financial Implications:
The total cost of the borrowing for the perimeter fence at Carden Primary School is £47,800 repayable over 7 years at a rate of £6,828 per annum. The school is unable to afford the cost of replacing the perimeter fence from its annual budget, as its predicted surplus for 2020/21 is only £15,000. Although the school’s budget is under financial pressure, the cost of the annual repayments of £6,828 will be included within the School’s future revenue budget plans and will be affordable.

New Capital Project Approval Request
Directorate:			Economy, Environment & Culture
Unit:			Property & Design
Project Title:			Commercial Property Portfolio Repairs
Total Project Cost (All Years) £:			£279,000

Purpose, Benefits & Risks:
A capital budget is required to support “landlord’s” capital investment and expenditure in the Commercial Investment Portfolio to improve existing stock and provide rental security and/or rent increases. The budget will support commercial properties where the council proposes to retain and invest in the buildings. For example, this budget would be used for: Possible refurbishments and change of use Extensions Repairs to facilitate letting Conversions

Capital Expenditure Profile (£’000):
Funding Source (see guidance below)			2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	Total All Years
Specific Capital Reserves			100	100	79	0	0	279
Total Estimated Costs & Fees			100	100	79	0	0	279

Financial Implications:
Specific Reserves are held for property improvements emanating from dilapidation negotiations.

New Capital Project Approval Request
Directorate:			Economy, Environment & Culture
Unit:			Transport Projects and Engineering
Project Title:			DfT Highway Maintenance Challenge Fund. Tranche 2B Western Road Renewal
Total Project Cost (All Years) £:			£1,500,000

Purpose, Benefits & Risks:
The council was successful in securing external funding from the Department for Transport as part of the government’s Challenge Fund for a highway renewal programme. Western Road is a key bus corridor which is heavily trafficked and as a consequence, large sections are starting to fail. Given the strategic importance of the route it is essential that repairs are carried out to ensure service longevity and maintain its role as a key bus corridor to the wider benefit of the city. In terms of risk, not carrying out this work could jeopardise the ability of the route to continue to carry buses in the long term.

Capital Expenditure Profile (£’000):
Funding Source (see guidance below)			2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	Total All Years
Government Grant			1,500	0	0	0	0	1,500
Total Estimated Costs & Fees			1,500	0	0	0	0	1,500

Financial Implications:
Government funding of £1.500m through the Department for Transport Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund was confirmed in August 2020.

New Capital Project Approval Request
Directorate:			Economy, Environment & Culture
Unit:			City Environmental Management
Project Title:			City Environmental Management Services IT systems
Total Project Cost (All Years):			£529,000

Purpose, Benefits & Risks:
Cityclean does not have effective IT systems in place to manage the whole service. Several systems are in use and spreadsheets are also used to manage information and report on service performance, with paper used to pass messages between operations, the Contact Centre and operatives. In July 2020, the Corporate Modernisation Delivery Board approved a business case to invest £529,000 in back office IT systems at Cityclean. The investment will help modernise several elements of the service, including commercial waste, refuse & recycling, street cleansing, customer information and management information. This includes systems for the contact centre to use when contacted by residents about the service, a system to manage the commercial waste service to reduce the need for spreadsheets and the introduction of in-cab technology, including both software and hardware for refuse, recycling and street cleansing to allow real-time information to flow between Cityclean teams. The funding will cover the purchase of the systems, resources to implement them and a digital skills training programme. The anticipated benefits of the investment are wide ranging and include: · An improvement in customer satisfaction as residents will be able to receive improved information relating to their enquiry; · An improvement in staff satisfaction and morale as they are given the right tools to complete their job; · An improvement in the recycling rate as electronic communication to residents will improve and become more frequent, including what can and cannot be recycled; · A reduction in complaints and the missed collection rate due to real-time information exchange between the contact centre, crews and residents.

Capital Expenditure Profile (£’000):
Funding Source			2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	Total All Years
Corporate Modernisation Fund			449	80	0	0	0	529
Total Estimated Costs & Fees			449	80	0	0	0	529

Financial Implications:
The systems will be funded through Corporate Modernisation funding. Ongoing costs e.g. licences will be funded through Cityclean budgets.

New Capital Project Approval Request
Directorate:			EEC
Unit:			Property & Design
Project Title:			Environment Residential Properties Repairs & improvements.
Total Project Cost (All Years) £:			£217,000 in 2020/21 and ongoing programme to be reviewed each year. This is dependent upon the annual allocation following prioritisation of all other planned maintenance needs

Purpose, Benefits & Risks:
Corporate Landlord Environment Residential Properties include 16 properties located in Parks or Cemeteries across Brighton and Hove. Condition Surveys have been carried out on all the properties, which have classed the condition of the properties from satisfactory to poor. Progress of the rolling programme of planned maintenance has been delayed due to listed building consent, bat protection, illness of elderly residents and COVID-19. These works are needed to improve the condition of the properties for the tenants and improve the sustainability credentials of the properties. The capital improvement works will future-proof the properties whilst also increasing the value of them.

Capital Expenditure Profile (£’000):
Funding Source (see guidance below)			2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	Total All Years
Direct Revenue Funding from Corporate Landlord Property Budgets			217	100	tbc	tbc	tbc	tbc
Total Estimated Costs & Fees			217	100	tbc	tbc	tbc	tbc

Financial Implications:
Direct Revenue Funding from Corporate Planned Maintenance Budgets of £25,000 and Corporate Landlord Environment Property Budget of £192,000 within Property Services for 2020/21 and future contributions in 2021/22 of £100,000. Contributions beyond that date will be confirmed in due course. Any revenue funded maintenance will continue to be met from other budgets held by Property & Design.

New Capital Project Approval Request
Directorate:			Economy, Environment and Culture
Unit:			Venues
Project Title:			Brighton Centre – Replacement Boiler
Total Project Cost (All Years) £:			88,000

Purpose, Benefits & Risks:
The Brighton centre opened in 1975 with four boilers to supply heating and hot water to the venue. The Venue has been operating with only two boilers since the flue on boiler three had to be removed in November 2019 due to it being unsafe. Boiler four was already out of commission by this time. The Venue can operate adequately with three boilers but not two, especially as the remaining two were installed in 1975 and 1994 so they are of an age where breakdowns are a regular occurrence. The Venue is currently closed, but assuming it reopens in April 2021, it will be extremely busy with planned events and those also rescheduled from 2020/21. As a result, the diary is already full, with some very high class concerts and conferences. There is a high risk of boiler failure during a busy period so ideally the replacement needs to be installed before the Venue reopens. If the Venue was required to close due to boiler failure, the Council could face legal action for financial losses due to breach of contract. The liability for one concert is higher than the cost of the replacement boiler. By keeping the Brighton Centre fit for purpose, this will contribute to the economy of the City through its conference and events programme. This investment will remove the uncertainty of plant failure ensuring that the venue can deliver its contracted events programme.

Capital Expenditure Profile (£’000):
Funding Source (see guidance below)			2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	Total All Years
Borrowing			88	0	00	0	0	88
Total Estimated Costs & Fees			88	0	0	0	0	88

Financial Implications:
Borrowing will be required to meet the cost of the boiler and installation. Tenders have been sought. The financing costs associated with the investment will be repaid over a 10-year period with the financing costs being met from existing operational budgets.

New Capital Project Approval Request
Directorate:			Strategy, Governance & Law
Unit:			Life Events
Project Title:			Replacement and upgrade of current Coroners Transfer Service (CTS) Ambulance
Total Project Cost (All Years) £:			£38,000

Purpose, Benefits & Risks:
The current service vehicle (Mondeo Estate) is now in its 8^th year and can only carry two deceased at any one time with little additional space for all necessary equipment. New vehicles can carry 4 deceased and have room for all necessary equipment to deal with decomposed or bariatric deceased cases, causing less delay/distress to relatives at the scene. During the pandemic, there is also an increase in the death rate and number of deceased that need transporting.

Capital Expenditure Profile (£’000):
Funding Source			2020/21	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	Total All Years
Borrowing			38	0	0	0	0	38
Total Estimated Costs & Fees			38	0	0	0	0	38

Financial Implications:
The purchase of the vehicle will be funded through borrowing with the financing costs of the borrowing met from within the current service revenue budget.