Agenda item

Consideration was given to a report summarising data relating to the move from different Council buildings to co-location at Castle House.

The Chair advised that the report had been brought to committee following a request at a previous meeting.

The Council’s Facilities and Engineering Manager, Gordon Tebay advised that the report did not contain full data due to the lockdown and officers working from home and therefore less occupancy of the building.  In terms of the comparison of data, moving from the other buildings to Castle House, concentration of the data had been placed on the resources and energy aspect of the move.  Colleagues in the Finance Department could provide information on the financial savings.

Key findings to date showed a 33% saving on energy usage and approximately a 30% saving on water usage.

In terms of the co-location facility, there was awareness of all of the different partners within the building and at the current time, some areas were more fully occupied than others, but the figures were still good.

Members’ attention was drawn to the table on page 23 of the agenda and in terms of actual savings this was approximately £99,000.

The savings gave a good picture.  Certain guidelines had been received from Government and other advisory bodies about letting more fresh air into Castle House because of Covid and it being a sealed building.  Therefore, more flushing of the building had taken place than would usually be done as it relies on mechanical ventilation.

Responsibility for the Business Rates element of the water passed to the County Council in 2016 when the 62 year lease to the former school site was issued.

Energy management-wise, Newcastle worked closely with the County Council and en-capita. 

The financial aspect would pass into history as being a good move in terms of future opportunities for Ryecroft development and reuses of other sites.  St George’s Chambers had already found a new use in terms of cold nights and winter night’s provision.

The Chair stated that the Committee were tonight looking at the savings attributable to a small element of the move.  This was more the environmental side and the attainment of more carbon neutral buildings.

Gordon Tebay stated that in terms of carbon neutrality there had been recent studies by university researchers and partners which, in terms of the development of a new building some factors suggested that the embedded carbon of existing buildings and the energy used to create the new building had to be taken into account.

In terms of Castle House, carbon neutrality mean that less and less fossil fuels were being used.  There was no gas provision in the building.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Efficiency, Councillor Sweeney stated that he believed that moving from the Civic Offices to Castle House, in terms of carbon neutrality was a massive saving just in that one move.  The former Civic Offices was a 1960’s badly insulated building.

Gordon Tebay agreed.  Castle House had been to modern day modelling and regulations for buildings so from a carbon management perspective it had to comply with Parts L and F of the Building Regulations.  Castle House was a super-insulated building but the mechanical ventilation did need to be worked on.

Councillor Rout asked for clarification whether it had been said that recirculated air had been used in the building during Covid or that there had not been?

Gordon Tebay confirmed that the thermal wheel had not been switched on during summer months as natural fresh air coming in had to be maximised.

Resolved:     That the information be received.