Decision details

Date of Decision:

04/04/2024

Title:

Riverside House Accommodation and Collaboration with Partner Agencies

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Simon Moss, Property, Regeneration and Transport Services.

Details of Specific Cabinet Delegation

or Delegation contained in the relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.

That the Assistant Director Planning, Regeneration & Transport approves the underlease with NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board in respect of the space at Riverside House, in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy.

Decision taken under the powers granted to the property officer under section 29.12 of the Council’s Financial Procurement Procedure Rules.

Decision:

To seek approval for the grant of a 5-year underlease to the NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board at Riverside House. The proposed details of the underlease are outlined in the exempt Appendix 3.

Reasons for the Decision:

It is good Estate Management practice to regularly review accommodation needs and the way the Council occupies and operates its corporate buildings. The Council’s has carried out this exercise and established that there is spare capacity within Riverside House.

Through the Rotherham Strategic Estates Group and renewed collaboration with public sector partners it has become apparent that other organisations are also looking at ways to rationalise their asset bases and cut revenue costs.

These conversations have led to looking at opportunities to share spaces and work together from a common base.

NHS partners have reviewed their accommodation needs and following review of several options have chosen RSH as their preferred for a Rotherham office base.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Option 1 (Preferred Option) – Health Partners move to Riverside House

Health partners move from their current locations to Riverside House, subject to full due diligence being conducted in respect of IT connectivity and other service needs.

Option 2 – Market the Vacant Spaces

Following the reorganisation of Riverside House there will be at least one wing available for other users to occupy. Discussions have taken place with local commercial property agents, who have advised that the office market is not what it used to be, and they would struggle to sublet accommodation of this nature in Rotherham without dedicated car parking spaces.

Option 3 – Mothball the Vacant Spaces

It has been suggested that, as a short-term cost saving measure, parts of Riverside House could be closed and mothballed. Unfortunately, aside from the inconvenience of temporarily moving teams, the heating and ventilation systems are interconnected and therefore will not yield any real efficiency savings.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

No conflicts of interest declared.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

Not Applicable

Reports or parts of reports considered

Report to Staffing Committee 10^th July 2023