Presentation by Theresa Grant, Chief Executive of Trafford Council at the FBE Breakfast - The Changing Face of Local Authorities on 24 July 2014

1. Reshaping Trafford Council
The Changing Face of Trafford

2. The Changing Face of Trafford 2
Forum for the Built Environment
Theresa Grant
Chief Executive – Trafford Council
24th July 2014

3. The Changing Face of Trafford
1. Trafford Council’s 6 Priorities
2. Town Hall Redevelopment
3. Asset Management & Disposal
4. Economic Growth & Planning
5. Summary
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Presentation Contents

4. The Changing Face of Trafford
 Low Council Tax and Value for Money
 Economic Growth and Development
 Safe place to live - fighting crime
 Services focussed on the most vulnerable people
 Excellence in Education
 Reshaping Trafford Council
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1. Trafford Council’s Priorities

5. The Changing Face of Trafford
The programme started in October 2010 with the appointment of the
preferred developer (Shepherds), and was completed in March 2013. It
consisted of the following:
 Refurbishment of the Grade II listed building
 A brand new extension replacing 1980s two storey building
 Disposal of vacated buildings due to move of staff to Trafford Town
Hall – reduced from six buildings to one
 Introduction of New Ways of Working (technology and agile
working)
 Total cost = £28.8m funded from capital borrowing and the sale of
buildings no longer required. Scheme delivered within budget.
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2. Trafford Town Hall Redevelopment

6. The Changing Face of Trafford
 The on-going cost of repairs was unsustainable
 The need for a fit-for-purpose building to support the
transformation of Trafford Council through enabling a new working
environment and culture
 The configuration of the building made it unsuitable for the
community to visit and increased the need for residents to travel
further to other council buildings
 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA & DDA2) compliance regulations
 Carbon foot print reduction through Energy Performance Certificate
(EPC)
 Opportunity to generate additional income by opening up the
building for events such as match day hospitality packages,
wedding ceremonies and community use
 Contributing to the Council’s sustainability objectives
 Saving Borough’s tax payers a minimum of £5m over a 25-year
period
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Why Did We Do It?

7. The Changing Face of Trafford
The Old Building
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8. The Changing Face of Trafford 8
Under Redevelopment

9. The Changing Face of Trafford
 Can hold up to 1000 staff/partners (previously 600)
 Open plan environment with flexible work space capable of
adjusting to working and service delivery over the next 25 years
 Refurbished Mayor’s Parlour
 Ample meeting rooms, from spaces for 1-1 meetings, to
facilities for large conferences and events
 Catering & kitchen facilities, including a restaurant and a café
 Public access to the internet /pcs to connect to Council
services
 Self-serve library
 Restored ‘sunken gardens’
 Fully DDA compliant meaning it is fully accessible
 Modern business practices supported through innovative use of
ICT
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The Redeveloped Building

10. The Changing Face of Trafford 1 0
The Redeveloped Building

11. The Changing Face of Trafford
The Redeveloped Building
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12. The Changing Face of Trafford
 High quality lighting, ventilation, and temperature control
 Aquifer is used for heating and cooling across the whole building
 Temperature controls keep the building operating at it's most efficient
and also indicates when the staff should be opening windows
 A rainwater harvesting system is in use for flushing toilets/watering
green spaces
 Increased recycling opportunities
 Swale creates a natural external soakaway which promotes wildlife
 300m2 of photo voltaic panels are used to power the building and
generate an income for the Council when not in use
 Two electric vehicle charging points within the car park
 EPC rating of ‘B’
 BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’
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Sustainability

13. The Changing Face of Trafford
Successes to date:
 RIBA North West Regional Award 2014
 RIBA North West Sustainability Award 2014
 International Green Apple Award for the Built Environment
 Mix Interiors (North) - Best Public Sector Interiors Award 2013
 Civic Trust Awards 2014 Commendation
 The building has also been shortlisted for a number of other
awards including:
 British Council for Offices Awards 2014 (Northern Region)
 Architects Journal Retrofit Awards 2013
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Awards

14. The Changing Face of Trafford
 Adoption of Corporate Landlord model from 1st April 2014 (supports
Reshaping Trafford agenda)
 Use the whole property portfolio more flexibly and realise efficiencies
 Centralised ownership and management of all land and premises
 Executive Member decision making
 Long Term Accommodation Strategy
 Use of property assets to support further development and investment
opportunities e.g. Urmston & Woodsend Circle
 Land sales programme - £6.3m by 2014/15
 Land pooling agreement with THT to help social wellbeing e.g. Shrewsbury
Street
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4. Asset Management & Disposal

15. The Changing Face of Trafford
 Part of Corporate Landlord model
 Over 100 “community” buildings ranging from community
centres to park pavilions – working with the community
 In the process of transferring responsibility to community
groups to remove maintenance liability from Trafford Council
 Gives community greater involvement and ownership of
physical assets as well as the service provided
 Need robust business plans from groups to ensure they have
the means to take on responsibility
 Two year programme
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Community Asset Transfer

16. The Changing Face of Trafford
 The Core Strategy and Land Allocations Plan set the framework for the
delivery of growth and regeneration in Trafford
 The Core Strategy (adopted January 2012) provides strategic framework
for land use in the borough - represents ambitious growth plan to 2026
for the for the delivery of :
 190 Ha of employment development
 12,000 new homes
 Land Allocations Plan seeks to identify:
 the right sites to attract new businesses and enable expansion
 the right sites for housing growth (range of types)
 the infrastructure needed to ensure development is sustainable
 development sites that are viable and deliverable.
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5. Economic Growth & Planning
 Consultation on 1st draft Land Allocations
Plan took place in February/March 2014.
Scheduled for adoption in early 2016

17. The Changing Face of Trafford
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
 Trafford was the first local authority in Greater Manchester to
adopt a CIL in July 2014
 Designed to be fairer, faster and more transparent than S.106
 Developers pay a rate per sq.m of net additional floorspace
 Revenue is pooled across the authority, but is ring-fenced for
infrastructure projects to support growth, unlock land and
enable development in key areas
The CIL:
• gives developers much more certainty from the start about how
much money they will be expected to contribute
 gives local authorities the freedom to set their own priorities for
what the money should be spent on
 gives local authorities a predictable funding stream that allows
them to plan ahead more effectively
 rewards communities receiving new development through the
direct allocation of a proportion of levy funds collected in their
area
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18. The Changing Face of Trafford 1 8
Development Opportunities
Partington Canalside
Pomona / Cornbrook
Tamworth
Trafford Point
Altair
Stretford
Trafford Quays
Carrington
Voltage Park
Ortonbrook
Altrincham
Market Quarter

19. The Changing Face of Trafford 1 9
Carrington
 Major employment and residential opportunity of national significance
• Potential to deliver c75ha employment land and c1,560 residential units
 Site owned by Langtree - preparing Masterplan Framework
 Full private/public sector partnership to deliver the site

20. The Changing Face of Trafford 2 0
Altair
 Major development opportunity within
Altrincham Town Centre
 Council working in partnership with Nikal to
deliver c£70m mixed use development
 Outline planning consent for 195,000 sq.ft
commercial floorspace & 150 residential units
 Adjacent to the redeveloped £19m Altrincham
Interchange that will complete in 2014

21. The Changing Face of Trafford 2 1
Altrincham Market Quarter
 Trafford Council leased the existing market to a
new commercial operator in 2013
 Improvements to Market House and Lower
Market Place with c£0.9m Council funding
 Completion of the new Altrincham Hospital
facility in 2015 will release the current hospital
site on Market Street for a mixed use scheme
 Library will relocate to the Market Quarter in
2016 with further mixed-use development

22. The Changing Face of Trafford 2 2
Stretford Masterplan
 Produced by the Council and provides a bold vision for delivering
long-term transformational change in the town centre
 10 priority development sites identified for delivery of wide mix of
uses
 Public Realm & Movement Strategy to be prepared in 2014

23. The Changing Face of Trafford 2 3
6. Summary
 Council is experiencing a period of unprecedented
change
 Needs to adapt to financial pressures and reshape its
delivery model
 Review and re-assessment of assets is vital to
consolidate the portfolio and make it work ‘smarter’
 Council continues to work in close partnership with
the private sector to deliver growth and regeneration
 Council is committed to the provision of high quality
services and is ready to meet the challenges ahead

24. The Changing Face of Trafford 2 4
Thank You