Purpose

Decision:
 

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance,
Corporate and Traded Services to:
 

1)   
AGREE to continue the
disposal of Sessions House in its entirety (Blocks
A-E);  

 

2)   
ALLOCATE £20m as
identified in the Council’s 2023-33 Capital Programme Budget,
approved by County Council on 9 February 2023 to deliver the
proposed works, inclusive of costs incurred to date (£1.65m)
as part of the SHQ Programme for Invicta House to accommodate the
new Strategic Headquarters (SHQ) arrangement, followed by the award
of a construction works contract as necessary to deliver the scheme
and any required decant within the agreed budget
limits; 

 

3)   
NOTE that the provision
of a dedicated Council Chamber in Invicta House is additional to
the scope of the previous decision and will require additional
capital funding to be allocated through the Budget setting
process;  

 

4)   
AGREE to progress with
the inclusion of a new Council Chamber located in Invicta House
within the approved SHQ plan, subject to completion of detailed
design development at RIBA Stage 4 and appropriate capital funding
allocation through the Budget setting process.

 

5)   
DELEGATE authority to
the Director of Infrastructure, subject to the above progression
requirements being met and in consultation with the Leader, the
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded
Services, s151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer, to approve
required works and to negotiate, finalise and award relevant
contracts in relation to the dedicated Council Chamber;
and 

 

6)   
DELEGATE authority to
the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the Deputy
Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded
Services, s151 Officer and the Monitoring
Officer, to authorise the execution of necessary
contractual and land agreements and enter into other contracts or
legal agreements as required to implement the
decision. 
 
Reason for the
decision:
 
Kent County Council’s (KCC’s)
Strategic Headquarters requires significant investment to address
building condition issues and to deliver accommodation which is fit
for purpose. This decision supports the Councils considerations in
making best use of its resources and estate, whilst remaining
options are assessed.
 
Background:
 
An options appraisal was previously undertaken
based on the pre COVID-19 pandemic working styles during early
2020. This appraisal was then revisited, taking into account the
changes in the way that KCC need to work post the pandemic, and a
new accommodation model was developed, which allowed a number of
new options to be considered.  
 
The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for
Finance, Corporate and Traded Services then took decision 21-00064
on 13 August 2021, to progress with the marketing of Blocks A, B
and E of Sessions House for disposal and to develop an option for
the refurbishment and modernisation of Blocks C and D,
predominately for civic uses and Invicta House as a staff hub.
 
In October 2022, given the Council’s
significant financial challenges, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet
Member instructed officers to pause design work for the 2021
option, revisit the scope and present lower capital cost options.
The £35m capital budget allocated to the project was reduced
to £20m and endorsed by full Council in February 2023.
 
Four lower cost options were considered and
developed in further detail with both the qualitative and financial
assessment. Two options failed the assessment with two options
progressing passing the evaluation process.
 
On 26 July 2023, the updated Business Case
report was provided to the Policy and Resources Cabinet Committee
and summarised the options available for the estates strategy
moving forwards, within the revised Medium Term Financial Plan
(MTFP) cap of £20m.The report identified a preferred Option -
the increased utilisation of Invicta House, and the disposal of
Sessions House (in its entirety). This preferred option was
subsequently agreed under the Key Decision 23-00072 on 12 September
2023 with its viability tested further as set out in this
report.
 
Sessions House was marketed and following the
evaluation of bids a preferred bidder has been appointed for the
disposal of the whole of Sessions House, along with further work to
test and further develop the preferred option which reconfirms that
the preferred option continues to meet the objectives of the
council and is within the assumptions of the MTFP. Since the Key
Decision which was taken in 2023 this option has been updated in
the business case addendum. The proposed decision commits the
council to the implementation of the Preferred Option, the disposal
of Sessions House in its entirety and the consolidation and
relocation of the functions carried out in Sessions House into
Invicta House.
 
Other options considered are detailed within
the Business Case.
  
How the proposed
decision supports the Interim Strategic Plan, Framing Kent's Future
- Our Council Strategy 2022-2026 and Securing Kent’s Future
2022 -2026: Securing Kents Future - Budget Recovery
Strategy.pdf:
 
SHQ and its future direction is a key strand
of the office strategy as part of the Future Assets programme of
the Strategic Reset programme and the delivery of the MTFP
savings. 
 
 

Decision

The Deputy Leader and
Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services
to:
 
1)   
AGREE to continue the disposal of Sessions
House in its entirety (Blocks A-E);  
 
2)   
ALLOCATE £20m as identified in the
Council’s 2023-33 Capital Programme Budget, approved by
County Council on 9 February 2023 to deliver the proposed works,
inclusive of costs incurred to date (£1.65m) as part of the
SHQ Programme for Invicta House to accommodate the new Strategic
Headquarters (SHQ) arrangement, followed by the award of a
construction works contract as necessary to deliver the scheme and
any required decant within the agreed budget
limits; 
 
3)   
NOTE that the provision of a dedicated
Council Chamber in Invicta House is additional to the scope of the
previous decision and will require additional capital funding to be
allocated through the Budget setting
process;  
 
4)   
AGREE to progress with the inclusion of a new
Council Chamber located in Invicta House within the approved SHQ
plan, subject to completion of detailed design development at RIBA
Stage 4 and appropriate capital funding allocation through the
Budget setting process.
 
5)   
DELEGATE authority to the Director of
Infrastructure, subject to the above progression requirements being
met and in consultation with the Leader, the Deputy Leader and
Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services, s151
Officer and the Monitoring Officer, to approve required works and
to negotiate, finalise and award relevant contracts in relation to
the dedicated Council Chamber; and 
 

6)   
DELEGATE authority to the Director of
Infrastructure in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet
Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services, Corporate
Director of Finance, and General Counsel, to authorise the
execution of necessary contractual and land agreements and enter
into other contracts or legal agreements as required to implement
the decision.