Cabinet 6 March 2014 7. BUSINESS CASE FOR A JOINT PROPERTY VEHICLE Relevant Cabinet Member Relevant Officer Recommendation Mr J P Campion Director of Resources 1. The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Transformation and Commissioning recommends that: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Cabinet notes the progress in developing the business case for a Joint Property Vehicle and gives approval to proceed with the completion of a Final Business Case (FBC); a Shadow Shareholder Group be established with those partners who wish to proceed, in order to steer and guide the completion of the FBC; the Council agrees to the formation of a joint implementation team with representatives from all such partners; formal consultation is started with staff and Trade Unions on the processes and outcomes flowing from the FBC; and the Director of Resources is authorised to take all necessary steps to put the above into effect and Cabinet receives a further report late in 2014 to determine the way forward. Background Information 2. In July 2013, the Cabinet received a report which recognised the collaboration and joint working being promoted by the Worcestershire Capital and Asset Partnership (CAP). This work had already generated a wide range of benefits right across the public sector in the region, including the co-location of services and the sharing of public owned property. The report also noted that the partnership had been awarded Wave 3 pilot status under the Government's 'One Public Estate' pathfinder project in order to explore how this unique way of working could be sustained into the future.
3. The July 2013 report explored the concept of forming a public sector-owned Joint Property Vehicle (JPV) that would bring together a range of partners into a more formal, permanent arrangement, which would continue to drive public sector savings from the property portfolio. Cabinet agreed to the production of an Outline Business Case (OBC) for such a vehicle and to receive a further report early in 2014 to consider the potential benefits of such an approach. Strategic Context 4. In addition to the County Council, 6 other bodies agreed to jointly explore the business case for a JPV. These were: Redditch Borough Council Worcester City Council Warwickshire Police West Mercia Police (the two police forces have been working together as one on this project) Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust. 5. It can be seen that bringing together a range of partners offers huge potential to create a vehicle that could deliver further significant benefits across the region as well as bring about the opportunity to radically transform the property service being delivered from a total of 6 different property groups across the partnership. 6. In turn, if successful, a single group delivering these property services would maximise the potential for using our land and buildings to create significant economic growth and the regeneration of our town centres. The Case for Change 7. The proposal explored within the OBC was how all of these partners might best come together to provide a single asset management strategy across the wider region and to jointly manage the property portfolio to drive rationalisation and savings across the public sector. 8. A number of options for formalising the partnership were explored in the OBC. The preferred option which emerged was the formation of a public sector owned company, limited by shares, with each of the partners owning an equal share. 9. It was agreed at an early stage that the ownership of property would remain with the existing owners. In this way the sovereignty of property ownership would be retained and that benefits from rationalisation or sales would flow back to the relevant owner.
10. The case for change was strong and the OBC explored the potential for a range of benefits including: The delivery of revenue savings to all partners The ability to transform and improve service delivery How it could help protect front-line services The ability to facilitate wider service integration How it could drive operational efficiency How it could drive capital receipts, and How it could enhance the quality of the property portfolio. Services to be included in a JPV 11. In order to drive this range of benefits it is important to ensure that the right skills are included in the JPV. This will be particularly important during its formative years until the early benefits have been realised and a steady state achieved. 12. The conclusion of the partners is that the following services/skills should be included: Strategic Asset Management Asset data management Hard and soft facilities management (i.e. management of planned and reactive property maintenance, catering, cleaning, grounds maintenance and security) - the contracts for the work are already placed with contractors in the private sector Management of major outsourced services Energy Management and the Building Energy Management System (BEMS) Management of design and development (design services themselves outsourced) Role of Intelligent Client. 13. At its meeting on 6 February 2014, the Cabinet agreed to include Hard FM management in the proposed JPV. This service is currently operated as an integrated service, providing the FM management for the County Council, Worcester City Council, Redditch Borough Council and to schools. The decision on the 6 February will mean that if the JPV is formed, it will offer the opportunity for schools to transition property support to the JPV company at some point in the future. The Financial Case 14. The OBC has concluded that there are significant financial benefits to be achieved from creating the Joint Venture Company and allowing it to manage public sector property owned by the partners in one place. 15. Currently, the partners spend approximately 56 million per year on managing and maintaining their property. This is split into staff costs (13%), rates and rent (total of 16%), U:\U162 CS\U072 Democrtic Services\01 Committee & Appellate\015 Meetings 2014\04 Cabinet\06 Reports\Cabinet 20140306\Cab 20140306-
energy costs (19%) and hard and soft FM costs (52%). It should be noted that for the County Council, hard and soft FM are delivered through external contracts with a wide range of different contractors. 16. Given this spend profile, there are a range of operational changes which will lead to financial savings for all partners. These include: Rationalisation of staff costs by bringing 6 groups together Significant procurement savings by amalgamating contracts Savings through lower unit rates for repairs and maintenance driven by the efficiency advantages for contractors of a 'One Town', single organisation approach to their work Release of significant capital receipts Driving down energy usage The rationalisation of the worst performing buildings. Anticipated Savings and Capital Receipts 17. For the County Council alone, these savings are estimated to provide a reduction in its revenue spend on property-related matters of 6.7 million per annum by the end of a 10 year period which in total will save the County Council as much as 49 million in revenue spend over the same period. 18. A table setting out the anticipated revenue savings for the County Council is given below. 19. For the partnership as a whole, these savings increase to a reduction in revenue spend of 15.7 million per annum with a total saving of 110.7 million over the 10 year period. 20. The story for the potential to generate capital receipts across the partnership is similar. Although the County Council already has a programme of capital receipts in progress, the OBC shows that by combining our work through a single asset management strategy with our partners, this allows the JPV to drive these further and
faster than by working through our current arrangements. In the graph below, the blue (lighter) bar shows what partners might achieve working in partnership through the CAP while the red (darker) bar indicates the potential by working through a JPV. This indicates the potential for the JPV to drive a total of 118 million in capital receipts across the partnership over a 10 year period. Sensitivity Analysis 21. Clearly, the widest range of benefits are achieved if all of the partners are able to agree to proceed to the FBC. However, if this proves not to be the case, further sensitivity analysis will need to be undertaken as part of the FBC to ensure that a significant level of benefits remain, sufficient to continue with the proposal. It is reassuring to note that there are potential new partners who are already interested in joining the JPV and this may prove to be beneficial if any of the original partners have to withdraw. 22. In addition, it will be possible for any public body to purchase services from the JPV, even if becoming a shareholder proves impossible at this point in time. This potential can also be modelled in the FBC. Opportunity to drive Service Transformation 23. There is also the potential for much wider benefits to flow from the work of the JPV. This includes the provision of significant opportunity for front-line services to consider much wider integration than has ever been achieved before. By driving a single asset strategy, front-line services will be offered a co-ordinated and planned approached to colocation and sharing of property, which in turn can facilitate the ability to integrate the services with others within that building. It will be important for the County Council to take these opportunities when they arise. 24. The formation of the JPV also offers the opportunity to transform the way that property services are delivered in the public sector. The OBC anticipates a significant downsizing of the total resources needed to deliver the service by bringing the joint skills and experience of the teams together. Something in the region of a 20% reduction in staffing levels is expected in the first year of operation. U:\U162 CS\U072 Democrtic Services\01 Committee & Appellate\015 Meetings 2014\04 Cabinet\06 Reports\Cabinet 20140306\Cab 20140306-
25. It should also be acknowledged that this will mean there will be a need to recruit new skills in order to ensure the JPV Company is both structured and run on much more commercial lines. For example, the OBC anticipates the recruitment of the new company's senior management team from an open recruitment process within the industry. 26. The OBC also anticipates that the operating company will seek to add a number of Non-Executive Directors from outside of the partnership (and likely to be from the private sector) to ensure that a wide range of skills are brought to bear on driving the new approach. Governance 27. There will be a number of mechanisms in place to ensure that the JPV is robustly managed. Primarily, this will be in the form of a Shareholder Group which will be established to represent the owners. This will scrutinise performance against the agreement/contract and the business plan as well as review investment plans and risks. It will provide regular oversight and scrutiny of the financial plans and monitor progress against the published asset management strategy. 28. Each partner will be a shareholder, each having one vote. However, given that the property will not transfer to the JPV, each body will retain overall sovereignty of their buildings. This means that the Cabinet will retain the ultimate responsibility for agreeing key decisions in the same way that it currently does. It will be the responsibility of the JPV, through the shareholder representative, to bring forward recommendations that require a Cabinet decision. 29. As noted previously, revenue savings and capital receipts generated from the rationalisation of property will flow back to the owning shareholder. It is anticipated that all partners can benefit from this approach and even if some are unable to release their buildings because they are strategically important, they will be able to achieve considerable benefits from the sharing of these with others. Legal, Financial, HR and Equality Implications 30. The formation of a public sector company, limited by shares, is not new. However, forming a Property Vehicle with such a wide range of partners is. Therefore, this will need careful consideration by all partners in order to ensure that the JPV is legally capable of undertaking these services in the manner anticipated. Further work with our own Legal Services team will be undertaken in the next phase, should Cabinet agree to continue. 31. Likewise, the formation of such a company will entail further expenditure and these are detailed in the OBC. It is anticipated that start-up costs (excluding redundancy costs) could be in the region of 1.5m. However, due to the unique
nature of this venture, significant funding has been committed from outside of the partnership. This includes: 400,000 from the Department for Communities and Local Government Transformation Challenge Award 100,000 from the West Midlands Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership 50,000 from the Cabinet Office as a wave 3 pilot, and 210,000 from the Worcestershire Partnership 25,000 from the Local Government Association. The partnership will continue to bid for further external funds should these be available. 32. Any remaining funds, including redundancy costs, will have to be met by the partners, but this will be more than offset by the year 1 savings alone. 33. There is an assumption that TUPE will apply in forming this JPV, with staff transferring from the separate property services groups. However, it is anticipated that a new and more commercial structure will be developed as part of the FBC. This will indicate the likely levels of resources required to operate a combined structure and the new skill sets anticipated. 34. If approval to proceed is given, the partners will open up more formal consultations with staff and Trade Unions on the process to be followed. 35. An Equality Impact Assessment was carried out at the start of this work. This will be revisited and updated as part of the work included in the FBC. Project Implementation 36. It is hoped that all partners will be able to approve the recommendations and proceed to the next phase by the end of March 2014. An implementation team will then be formed in April, which will include representatives from Legal, Finance and HR as well as Property. It is anticipated that a shadow Shareholder Group could be formed in May and this will steer and guide the production of a FBC. 37. A detailed programme forms part of the OBC. This contains a number of milestones as part of the work leading up to a 'Go Live' date of April 2015. It is anticipated that Cabinet will receive a further report on completion of the FBC towards the end of 2014. Contact Points County Council Contact Points Worcester (01905) 763763, Kidderminster (01562) 822511 or Minicom: Worcester (01905) 766399 U:\U162 CS\U072 Democrtic Services\01 Committee & Appellate\015 Meetings 2014\04 Cabinet\06 Reports\Cabinet 20140306\Cab 20140306-
Specific Contact Points for this report Peter Parkes Head of Property Services (01905 766400) Email: pparkes@worcestershire.gov.uk Background Papers In the opinion of the proper officer (in this case the Director of Resources) the following are the background papers relating to the subject matter of this report:- Agenda and background papers for the meetings of the Cabinet held on 18 July 2013 and 6 February 2014