Asset management strategy

Arrangements for asset management planning

Corporate management structure for management planning

Since January 2008 the assets section has been consolidated into the Regeneration and Development Directorate.

Portfolio-holder responsibility

Asset management predominately falls within two Cabinet portfolios:

  • Planning and assets
  • Economic, development, town centres, business and customer services

Corporate property officer

The Corporate Property Officer (CPO) is the Executive Director of Regeneration and Development (a member of the Executive Management Team).

Assets review group (ARG)

This is chaired by the Chief Executive and meets on a quarterly basis. The overall objective of the group is to be responsible for the formulation of strategies and actions for dealing with capital income and expenditure.

Capital programme review group (CPRG)

The group meets bi-monthly and is chaired by the Executive Director (Resources and Support Services). This group considers and monitors capital expenditure.

The ARG and CPRG monitor the use of both assets and capital, and approve the release of assets for specific purposes, having reviewed the business case for their use. Similarly they make recommendations to our executive management team (EMT) about capital expenditure, having examined the business case, and subsequently monitor the capital expenditure programme.

The recommendations and decisions of these two groups directly inform our medium-term financial strategy and capital programme. In terms of broader governance arrangements, the decisions of both groups have to be ratified by EMT (as is the case with all corporate working groups).

Membership of the assets review group ensures that the CPO receives direct and pertinent user information about our operational portfolio. The ARG effectively provides feedback as to any asset management proposals/plans being considered either corporately or from a service perspective. Any plans or proposals requiring new capital expenditure require endorsement by the CPRG before proceeding through the formal decision-making processes of Cabinet or Council.

The output from both the ARG and the CPRG will form the basis of our capital programme (which is reviewed annually along with the council plan and the medium-term financial strategy).

As well as ensuring the efficient and effective use of our property assets, the role of the CPO, ARG and the CPRG is to ensure a consistency between our asset portfolio and our council plan, as well as the service-specific service and financial plans.

Day to day asset management planning

The Executive Director of Regeneration and Development is responsible for assets, facilities management, engineering and car parks. All the day-to-day work connected with this asset management planning is undertaken within this service area. Significant expenditure is allocated through the capital planning process whilst small scale works and reactive maintenance is funded from a repairs and renewals fund.

Asset management data and information systems

Our land ownership mapping system (terrier), property data, asset register and property management and maintenance records are held on one computerised system. Paper filing systems are used for other property management functions.

We subscribe to the IDOX Uniform suite of applications which includes the asset register and property management modules, which contains key property information. This system links with other modules throughout the authority, which means that departments such as Planning, Land Charges Operations and Building Control, which use plan-based systems, will be able to access shared information.

The system also allows for each property to be given a unique property reference and will allow this reference to be linked to the national land and property gazetteer.

Health and safety

In 2010 we purchased a computerised health and safety system (BS Target 100). This system along with the IDOX Uniform system are used to manage, record and monitor all aspects of health and safety across the council including the inspection and servicing of the building utilities and any other statutory inspections. These systems are supplemented by a database of statutory inspections.

Typical consultation approach in cases where unclear planning policy and NBC seeking planning permission prior to disposal

  1. Assets review group
     
  2. Executive management team
     
  3. Asset management strategy approval
     
  4. Public consultation as land owner (6 weeks)
     
  5. Technical survey commissioned prior to Cabinet decision to dispose
     
  6. Cabinet decision to dispose subject to outline planning permission
     
  7. Submission of outline planning permission (consultation by planning authority)
     
  8. We market land
     
  9. We dispose of land
     
  10. Developer seeks detailed planning permission
     
  11. Developer implements approved scheme

Please note: attention is drawn to our proposed approach to consultation as both land owner and as local planning authority.

Typical consultation approach in cases where there is clear planning policy and we are not seeking planning permission prior to disposal of significant asset

  1. Land identified as having a better alternative use in accordance with the asset management strategy
     
  2. Assets review group
     
  3. Executive management team
     
  4. Asset management strategy approvalCabinet in-principle decision to dispose
     
  5. Public consultation as land owner (6 weeks)
     
  6. Cabinet decision whether to proceed with disposal including any special requirement
     
  7. We market land
     
  8. Developer seeks outline planning permission
     
  9. Our decision on planning application as the local planning authority
     
  10. Developer seeks detailed planning permission
     
  11. Developer implements approved scheme

Please note: attention is drawn to our proposed approach to consultation as both land owner and as local planning authority.