Issue - meetings

The report by the Head of Housing & Property Services seeks:

(i)            permission to appoint an external lead consultant to undertake a feasibility study, design and manage a scheme to improve and maintain 2No high rise blocks of flats, Tipton House and Edgbaston House.

(ii)          permission to initially spend £100K for external lead consultants to undertake a full structural survey and feasibility study, providing detailed costed options to achieve the client brief for the project.

RECOMMENDED:

(1)             That approval is given to accept a tender for a lead consultant based on an estimated overall budget of up to £800K for the initial feasibility study, design and management of the scheme.

(2)             That following a full tender evaluation, authority to enter into contract with the preferred bidder is delegated to the Head of Housing and Property Services in consultation with the Head of Finance and Section 151 Officer.

(3)             That approval is given to spend up to £100K for the initial structural and feasibility report including costed options. 

Steve Groves presented the report of the Head of Housing and Property Services which sought approval to appoint consultants for a feasibility study for detailed, costed options to be brought back to the Housing Cabinet at the end of 2015.

Maria Cole, a Residents' Consortium representative, who declared that she lived in Edgbaston House, asked if there would be options for heating to be made available separately to the tenants?  Meredydd Hughes responded that all options were being explored within the heating and structural feasibility studies.  Councillor Sanders then made comment welcoming this ambitious project to address the problems associated with these Somerstown housing blocks and voiced concern on behalf of his group spokesperson, Councillor Fuller, regarding the high cost of these studies.  It was reported that these would represent approximately 6-7% of the total project costs.

Councillor Wemyss agreed on the approach being taken, and welcomed the lessons learnt from the refurbishment of Wilmcote House.  Whilst agreeing that this was a large investment for the council he felt that this needed to proceed.