Meeting documents

To consider Item 19

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised Members that this particular concept of an emergency service or blue light hub was something that for many years had been an aspiration of the Authority in respect of putting its communities at the heart of everything it strived to achieve in making Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes the safest places to live, work and travel.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised Members that this project effectively brought the three blue light emergency services from five sites across Milton Keynes into one state of the art hub that would serve the communities for decades and even generations to come. In 2014 the Authority seized upon the opportunity presented to it by Government in the shape of a transformation fund that was made available for transformational projects with the emphasis upon collaboration with other blue light services. To this end, the Authority developed a bid in conjunction with Thames Valley Police, initially in order to meet the tight Government timescales but it was always the intention to broaden this out to involve South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) so all three services could come together.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised Members that there were many inherent benefits that would improve the service to the public:

• Operational benefits – the service already works very closely with its partners, but this makes those arrangements far more efficient.

• Ability to train more closely and frequently together.

• Sharing of information and data in respect of community safety issues and of course recent events have again highlighted the importance of the prevent agenda in respect of radicalisation.

(Councillor Brunning left the meeting)

The Director of Finance and Assets advised Members that the main purpose of the report today was to update Members on the outcome of the recent tender exercise held in respect of the construction contract for the Blue Light Hub in Milton Keynes. The recent procurement exercise had not produced a compliant bid. Research had been undertaken as to why this was and although the Government had said all major public sector projects should be Building Information Model (BIM) compliant, the construction market, in particular contractors and suppliers were not ready for it. Although a change of strategy in respect of the procurement process is recommended within this report, the BIM methodology was intended to remain in place to continue to drive the procurement process.

The Director of Finance and Assets advised Members there were a number of salient points, and one of which was affordability. The proposal is designed to ensure that the project remains affordable to the Authority and will allow other vital investment to continue e.g. vehicles and equipment.

The Director of Finance and Assets updated Members on the position with South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) and Thames Valley Police (TVP). SCAS would be combining their operations from Bletchley and Milton Keynes Hospital and including their patient transport services all on the one site. The TVP presence was slightly smaller but essential, as funding came with them.

The Director of Finance and Assets advised Members that the decision notice for planning was imminent and the Section 106 agreement had been sealed. All the pre planning conditions had been met.  Members would note from the report that it was planned to build the second floor as there was a lot of interest in it. The Director of Finance and Assets was confident that it would be filled and there would be a good return for the Authority. As it was not guaranteed, it was not included in the figures, but if it was fully rented out, it could give over £100k per year, back to the Authority.

A Members asked for assurance that they would not need to ask for any more funding and was advised that it was not the intention to come back and ask for more.

A Member asked about the additional sprinklers and whether sprinklers were needed in a fire station and was advised that with the Authority promoting the fitting of sprinklers throughout facilities of a similar size and use across the county, it was recommended that sprinklers were fitted throughout this facility. This had the advantage of providing a working example to interested businesses within the community, that the Authority would encourage others to invest in such systems in future. It was also recommended for the Authority’s own business continuity to have sprinklers.

A Member asked if the Authority would own the land and building and was advised that it would.

RESOLVED –

1. that a new proposal for a ‘Develop and Construct’ procurement process be approved;

2. that the additional funding as set out in Annex 2 be approved; and

3. that delegation be given to the Executive Committee to amend as appropriate the capital budget for the Blue Light Hub project should the tendered ‘target price’ exceed the approved capital budget.  

THE CHAIRMAN CLOSED THE MEETING AT 14.12PM