Agenda item

Rachel Gillis, Assistant Director Policy and Partnerships, introduced the report and Mike Ingham, who had been appointed as the Corporate Property Officer for the next 12 months and was also in attendance.

Cllr Tony Favell, the Member Representative for Asset Management raised 13 points that he requested be taken into consideration with the property portfolio.  These included costs and size of the property portfolio, need for progress following consultants’ report, re-considering  how services such as campsites and cycle hire are provided, income with regard to the trails and car parks, woodland management, visitor centres and funding for maintenance of properties.  He congratulated staff on their work attracting other organisations to use Aldern House accommodation and  he also congratulated officers on the work put into other aspects of the property portfolio.

He then stated that this would be the last Audit, Resources and Performance Committee meeting he would be attending and thanked Members for their support over the years.  Cllr McCloy thanked Cllr Favell for all his work for the Authority, in particular for his work as Member Representative for Asset Management and as Chair of the Authority from March 2011 to July 2014.

Members were concerned about funding for maintenance of structures on the Trails and felt that a public campaign should be started to enable a repair and endowment fund.  It was agreed that this was an issue that would be considered as part of the new giving strategy and officers will work with Members to progress this.  It was noted that other mechanisms for raising funding were also being considered and that a report on the giving strategy would be made in September.  Performance monitoring reports on the property portfolio would be made as part of the quarterly monitoring process reported to Members and an update will be given to the next meeting on taking forward the suggestion on raising money for repairs on the Trails.

RESOLVED:

That the report on the financial performance of the property portfolio for 2015-16, be received and made annually thereafter.

The meeting was adjourned at 11.08am for a short break and reconvened at 11.16am.