(i)       that a local media company be granted a 10 year lease for the south side of the 4th floor of Tor Hill House, Union Street, Torquay on Heads of Terms as agreed by the Assistant Director of Corporate and Business Services and following the vacation of Children’s Services from Tor Hill House; and

(ii)      that Adult Services and Public Health be relocated from Tor Hill House within six months of the new tenant occupying Tor Hill House.

To enable the Council to receive an annual rental of £31,500 for office space that can be vacated within Tor Hill House.  The vacation of Children’s Services to happen before the new tenant occupies Tor Hill House and the Adult Services and Public Health vacation to happen within six months to ensure confidentiality and data protection in respect of these services is maintained.

Not to grant the lease or to allow the tenants to occupy the building prior to Children’s Services vacating.

This decision will come into force and may be implemented on 27 January 2017 unless the call-in procedure is triggered (as set out in Standing Orders in relation to Overview and Scrutiny).

The ongoing Office Rationalisation Programme (ORP) continues to make efficient use of the Council’s buildings for service delivery and over recent years a number of teams have relocated to Tor Hill House. Additional office space is now being created in the Town Hall and Electric House in Torquay. This new capacity will facilitate the gradual movement of some staff out of Tor Hill House and the first opportunity will be the south side of the 4th floor. The Torbay Development Agency (TDA) have negotiated Heads of Terms with a local media company and such a lease agreement will allow this asset to generate a valuable new income to the Council.

Agreement to lease this space so as to obtain much needed income for the Council is very much in line with the Asset Management Principles set out in the Council’s Corporate Asset Management Plan.

The Lease will be for the use of part of the 4th floor of Tor Hill House, Union Street, Torquay and the Tenant shall have a right of access over such Common Parts of Tor Hill House as shall from time to time be designated by the Council, in common with employees of and all others permitted by the Council, for the purpose of accessing the Premises. For clarification, common parts shall be deemed to include the meeting rooms referred to as located on the Mezzanine Floor.

It is proposed that the lease term will be 10 years from and including the commencement date of the lease.

The Council’s Children’s Services, Adult Services and Public Health teams currently occupy a number of areas of the building and it is proposed that they will relocate premises.  The officer recommendation is that the tenant occupies the building prior to the Children’s Services, Adult Services and Public Health team’s relocation to meet the needs of the new tenant and in line with the Council’s Corporate Asset Management Plan.

None