Agenda item

Joint Report of the Town Clerk, Director of Human Resources and City Surveyor.

The Committee received a joint report of the Town Clerk, Chamberlain and the City Surveyor which provided an update on the Accommodation and Ways of Working programme to support a clear vision for the target operating model for the use of Guildhall office space. The City Surveyor provided the Committee with an overview of the main progress highlights to date noting that the Chartered Institute Building of Insurance could provide decant space and one of the challenges of the project would be changing the physical working environment of the Guildhall Complex into a more collaborative and flexible space whilst staff continue to work within the Complex.

In response to Members’ queries on whether some officers would have permanent office space, the City Surveyor explained this topic would come before the Committee at a later date, however discussion would take place with officers to consider their needs and functions when deciding whether a private and permanent office would be required, and this would be taken in balance with the number of meeting rooms available. The Director of Human Resources added that the project was being delivered in a way which ensured the maximum level of flexible working.

The Chairman of the IT Sub Committee commended the IT infrastructure in place which had been delivered as part of the project and had proved to be resilient when due to bad weather earlier in the year, staff had worked from home without any loss of IT services.

In response to a Member’s request for a timetable for the project, the City Surveyor explained that the progress of the project would be dependent on the creation of a decant space and the securing of funding therefore an indicative timetable could be provided in October with information on what the project hoped to achieve and how this would be done. Members suggested that Aldermanbury could be used for the decant space and posed the question whether the project could be funded from capital rather than revenue budgets which may facilitate securing funding. In response, the Chamberlain offered to give this matter consideration.

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report.