Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2021/22: Fire Safety – Installation of replacement fire rated electrical intake cupboard door sets to Rabbs Mill House, Uxbridge- Release No 31
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Non-Key Decision request Form D
Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2021/22:
Fire Safety Programme – Installation of replacement fire rated
electrical intake cupboard door sets in Rabbs Mill House,
Uxbridge. Release No 31
Dear Cabinet Member
Attached is a report requesting that a decision be made by you as an individual Cabinet
Member. Democratic Services confirm that this is not a key decision, as such the Local
Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England)
Regulations 2012 notice period does not apply.
You should take a decision on or after Tuesday 31 August 2021 in order to meet
Constitutional requirements about publication of decisions that are to be made. You
may wish to discuss the report with the Cor porate Director before it is made. Please
indicate your decision on the duplicate memo supplied, and return it to me when you
have made your decision. I will then arrange for the formal notice of decision to be
published.
Jack Roberts
Democratic Services Apprentice
Title of Report: Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2021/22: Fire
Safety Programme – Installation of replacement fire rated electrical intake cupboard
door sets in Rabbs Mill House, Uxbridge. Release No 31
Decision made:
Reasons for your decision: (e.g. as stated in report)
Alternatives considered and rejected: (e.g. as stated in report)
Democratic Services
Location: Phase II
Ext: 0833
DDI: 01895 250833
Ref: CMD 263
To: COUNCILLOR MARTIN GODDARD
CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE
COUNCILLOR JONATHAN BIANCO
CABINET MEMBER FOR PROPERTY AND
INFRASTRUCTURE
c.c. All Members of Corporate, Finance and Property
Select Committee
c.c. Perry Scott, Corporate Director of Infrastructure,
Transport & Building Services
c.c. Gary Penticost, Infrastructure, Transport and
Building Services
c.c. Ward Councillors for Uxbridge South
c.c. Conservative and Labour Group Offices
(inspection copy)
Date:
20 August 2021
Signed ………………………………………………………Date……………………..
Cabinet Member for Finance / Cabinet Member for Property and Infrastructure
Capital Release Report – 20 August 2021 Page 1
Part 1 - Public
CAPITAL RELEASE REPORT August 2021
DEPARTMENT: Infrastructure, Transport & Building Services
SERVICE AREA / PROGRAMME: Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme
2021/22: Fire Safety Programme – Installation of replacement fire rated electrical intake
cupboard door sets in Rabbs Mill House, Uxbridge.
Release No 31
Cabinet Members Councillor Martin Goddard
Councillor Jonathan Bianco
Cabinet Portfolios Cabinet Member for Finance
Cabinet Member for Property and Infrastructure
Officer Contact Gary Penticost – Infrastructure, Transport & Building Services
Papers with report Appendix A with capital release requests for approval
HEADLINES
Summary
To seek Cabinet Member approval for the release of capital funds
Putting our
Residents First
This report supports the Council objective of strong financial
management.
Financial Cost This report seeks the release of £28k from the Fire Safety
Programme Work Stream within the Housing Revenue Account
Works to Stock Programme 2021/22 capital budget for the
installation of replacement fire rated electrical intake cupboard
door sets in Rabbs Mill House, Uxbridge. The works will
commence upon the release of funds and are due for completion
by December 2021.
Relevant Select
Committee
Corporate, Finance and Property Select Committee
Ward affected Uxbridge South
Capital Release Report – 20 August 2021 Page 2
Part 1 - Public
RECOMMENDATION
That the Cabinet Member for Finance and the Cabinet Member for Property and
infrastructure agree to the capital release request of £28k from the Housing Revenue
Account Works to Stock Programme 2021/22 Fire Safety Workstream capital budget for
the installation of replacement fire rated electrical intake cupboard door sets in Rabbs
Mill House, Uxbridge.
Reasons for recommendation
Fire risk assessments (FRAs) were undertaken by Frankham RMS Consultancy. The report
recommended that all electrical intake cupboards do not meet with the current fire regulations
and would not provide appropriate protection in the event of a fire. Following these
recommendations, we are required to upgrade all the electrical intake cupboard door sets to be
fire rated.
Replacing the electrical intake cupboard door sets will ensure that we are compliant with fire
safety regulations.
Alternative options considered
None.
Select Committee comments
None at this stage.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
A Fire Risk Assessment has highlighted that all the electrical intake cupboard within Rabbs Mill
House were not fire compliant. There are 48 electrical intake cupboards across 14 floors. Each
cupboard is located at the front of flats.
The following work has been put forward to rectify the remedials noted above. Electrical intake
doors will be installed with a door frame, a threshold, self-closing hinges, and a slam lock.
This work would is required to take place for London Borough of Hillingdon to be compliant
within Fire Safety Regulations.
The breakdown of the costs of the recommended tender and the overall costs are shown in
Table 1 below.
Capital Release Report – 20 August 2021 Page 3
Part 1 - Public
Table 1: Cost Plan
Project Cost Plan Cost (£)
Replacement of Electrical intake cupboard door sets in Rabbs Mill
House
24,457
Project Contingency (10%) 2,446
Internal Fees (5%) 1,223
Project Total 28,126
Officers procured the works via the open tender and the winning contractor were Beam
Construction. They offer the most competitive price and are compliant in all respects with the
Council’s performance specification.
Financial Implications
Revised Budget £7,335k, Previously Released/Pending Release £4,802k, Capital Release
Requested £28k - Appendix A
The 2021/22 HRA Capital Programme, approved by Cabinet and Council in February 2021,
includes a capital budget for the Works to Stock programme of £11,661k. In June 2021, Cabinet
approved the re-phasing of £603k from 2020/21 HRA Works to Stock Capital Programme into the
2021/22 Programme and the forward phasing of £4,370k from 2022/23 HRA Works to Stock
Programme into 2021/22 Programme in relation to the Decent Homes Programme, this gives a
revised capital budget for the Works to Stock Programme of £25,537k. Within this, the Fire Safety
workstream budget is £7,335k.
Previously, £4,802k has been released or is pending release from the Fire Safety workstream for:
• the replacement and installation of fire doors Phase 17 & 18;
• Phases 1 to 18 Electrical Fire Safety Upgrades within general needs dwellings, Triscott
House Extra Care Scheme and Sheltered Housing dwellings;
• the installation of LED Communal and Emergency Lighting at Whitehall Road;
• the sprinkler systems within various tower blocks; and
• the installation of the automatic chute fire closer plates and fire rated refuse hoppers at
various housing sites.
This report is seeking the release of £28k from the Fire Safety workstream for the installation of
replacement fire rated electrical intake cupboard door sets in Rabbs Mill House, Uxbridge. The
release request is based upon the most economically advantageous tender received for the
works and includes a project contingency of 10% of the tendered cost, and internal project
management fees of 5% of the tendered cost.
The remaining £2,505k of the Fire Safety workstream budget will be subject to the capital release
procedure.
Capital Release Report – 20 August 2021 Page 4
Part 1 - Public
RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION
The benefit or impact upon residents, service users and communities?
The replacement of these doors will provide greater safety to residents should there be a fire
within the block.
Consultation carried out or required
Residents will be consulted on the installation programme.
CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance has reviewed this report and concurs with the financial implications set out
above, noting that the recommended action to agree a release of £28k for the installation of
replacement fire rated electrical intake cupboard door sets in Rabbs Mill House, Uxbridge will be
funded from the 2021/22 approved capital programme for HRA Works to Stock, which is funded
from rental income.
Legal
The Borough Solicitor confirms that the Council is responsible for carrying out this function
pursuant to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2004.
Thus, there are no legal impediments to the capital release being authorised, although any
contract that is entered into must comply with the Council's Procurement and Contract Standing
Orders.
Infrastructure / Asset Management
Asset Management officers authored the report.
Capital Release Protocol
The release of all capital funds, and certain revenue funds, held by the Council is to be made by
a formal democratic decision. No expenditure can be placed or committed by officers until this
formal approval is given by Democratic Services. Release of funds must be for identified
projects only and strictly not for the general release of funds for projects to be identified at a
later date. No block releases of capital or funding will be allowed, except if authorised by the
Leader of the Council in advance to Corporate Finance. The release of funds will only be made
if previous Council, Cabinet or Cabinet Member agreement has been given to the project and
only if there is an approved budget.
Capital Release Report – 20 August 2021 Page 5
Part 1 - Public
BACKGROUND PAPERS
NIL
CAPITAL RELEASE APPENDIX A
Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2021/22: Fire Safety
Workstream – Installation of replacement fire rated electrical intake cupboard
door sets in Rabbs Mill House, Uxbridge. Release No 31
Location
Project /
Expenditure
Title
Information
Funds
Release
Sought
£000’s
Approve Hold
More
Information
Required
Rabbs
Mill
House,
Uxbridge
Fire rated
electrical
intake
cupboard
door sets
Installation of
replacement fire
rated electrical
intake cupboard
door sets in Rabbs
Mill House.
28
Total seeking release 28
Previously released /
Pending release
4,802
Budget 7,335
Remaining budget 2,505
View Decision / Minutes Text
Executive Decision Notice – 02 September 2021 Page 1 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk OFFICIAL EXECUTIVE DECISION NOTICE PUBLISHED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES Notice is hereby given that the following decision(s) have been made today by Cabinet Members at the London Borough of Hillingdon: Title of decision Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2021/22: Fire Safety Programme – Installation of replacement fire rated electrical intake cupboard door sets in Rabbs Mill House, Uxbridge - Release No 31 Reference No. 263 Date of decision 02 September 2021 Call-in expiry date 5pm, on 09 September 2021 Relevant Select Committee(s) Corporate, Finance and Property Select Committee Relevant Ward(s) Uxbridge South Decision made Cabinet Members making the decision Cllr Martin Goddard - Cabinet Member for Finance Cllr Jonathan Bianco - Cabinet Member for Property & Infrastructure DECISION APPROVED That the Cabinet Member for Finance and the Cabinet Member for Property and infrastructure agree d to the capital release request of £28k from the Housing Revenue Account Works to Stock Programme 2021/22 Fire Safety Workstream capital budget for the installa tion of replacement fire rated electrical intake cupboard door sets in Rabbs Mill House, Uxbridge. Reason for decision Fire risk assessments (FRAs) were undertaken by Frankham RMS Consultancy. The report recommended that all electrical intake cupboards do not meet with the current fire regulations and would not provide appropriate protection in the event of a fire. Following these recommendations, we are required to upgrade all the electrical intake cupboard door sets to be fire rated. Replacing the electrical intake cupboard door sets will ensure that we are compliant with fire safety regulations. Executive Decision Notice – 02 September 2021 Page 2 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk Alternative options considered and rejected None. Classification Part 1 – Public Link to associated report Link to report. Relevant Officer contact & Directorate Gary Penticost – Infrastructure, Transport & Building Services Any interest declared by the Cabinet Member(s) / dispensation granted N/A Implementation of decision & scrutiny call-in [Internal Use only] When can this decision be implemented by officers? Officers can implement Cabinet Member decision in this notice only from the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period which is: 5pm, on 09 September 2021 However, this is subject to the decision not being called in by Councillors on the relevant Select Committee. Upon receipt of a valid call-in request, Democratic Services will immediately advise the relevant officer(s) and the decision must then be put on hold. Councillor scrutiny call- in of this decision Councillors on the relevant Select Committee shown in this notice may request to call-in this decision. The request must be before the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period above. Councillors should use the Scrutiny Call-in App (link below) on their devices to initiate any call-in request. Further advice can be sought from Democratic Services if required: Scrutiny Call-In - Power Apps (secure) Further information These decisions, where applicable, have been taken under The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012. This is the formal notice by the Council of the above executive decision, including links to the reports where applicable. If you would like more information on this decision, please contact Democratic Services on 01895 250636 or email: democratic@hillingdon.gov.uk. Circulation of this decision notice is to a variety of people including Members of the Council, Corporate Directors, Officers, Group Secretariats and the Public. Copies are also placed on the Council’s website. Democratic Services London Borough of Hillingdon Civic Centre High Street Uxbridge UB8 1UW Executive Decision Notice – 02 September 2021 Page 3 This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk