Budget transfer from Central Planning Vote to Jersey Heritage Trust: Jersey Archive Extension: Feasibility Study

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A decision made 3 November 2015:

Decision reference: MD-TR-2015-0118
Decision Summary Title:	Central Planning Vote to Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension capital head of expenditure, to fund a feasibility study on the proposed extension to the Jersey Archive		Date of Decision Summary:	30th October 2015
Decision Summary Author:	Head of Decision Support		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title:	Central Planning Vote to Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension capital head of expenditure, to fund a feasibility study on the proposed extension to the Jersey Archive		Date of Written Report:	30th October 2015
Written Report Author:	Head of Decision Support		Written Report : Public or Exempt	Public
Subject: To approve a new capital head of expenditure for Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension and a budget transfer of £60,000 in 2015 from the Central Planning Vote (CPV) to the Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension capital head of expenditure to fund a feasibility study on the proposed extension to the Jersey Archive.
Decision(s): The Minister for Treasury and Resources decided to approve: - A new capital head of expenditure for Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension. -The budget transfer of £60,000 in 2015 from the Central Planning Vote to the Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension capital head of expenditure to fund a feasibility study on the proposed extension to the Jersey Archive.
Reason(s) for Decision: The funds are required to enable the feasibility study to proceed and it is estimated the study will cost a maximum of £60,000. Article 16 (3A) states that the approval by the States of a central planning vote authorizes the Minister to approve – (a) capital heads of expenditure to fund work to scope or assess the feasibility of proposed capital projects that the States have agreed, in principle, will start in the future; and (b) the transfer of amounts to such capital heads of expenditure, for such purposes, from the central planning vote. The case for an extension to the Jersey Archive is based on the importance of the role which the Archive plays to the Public Records (Jersey) Law 2002 and the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 and the serious shortage of storage space which threatens to compromise that role. Space is currently forecast to run out entirely in 2019. Without intervention, there is a danger that the States will not be in a position to comply with its legal obligations.
Resource Implications: As a result of this decision the Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension capital head of expenditure will be established for the project, with the Central Planning Vote decreasing by an identical amount (£60,000). This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure that would be approved by the States for the archive extension, and following approval by the States of capital funding the amount received for the feasibility study will be transferred back to the CPV in the year in which capital funds are allocated. If, however, the States should decide not to approve the capital project, then it would be the responsibility of Education, Sport and Culture Department to repay the CPV from alternative sources of funding.
Action required: The Head of Decision Support to inform the Director of Estates, Jersey Property Holdings that this Decision has been approved.
Signature:		Position: Senator A J H Maclean, Minister for Treasury and Resources
Date of decision:

Budget transfer from Central Planning Vote to Jersey Heritage Trust: Jersey Archive Extension: Feasibility Study

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Treasury and Resources

Ministerial Decision Report

Central Planning Vote to Jersey heritage trust – archive store extension capital head of expenditure,to fund a feasibility study on the proposed extension to jersey archive

Purpose of Report

To approve a new capital head of expenditure for Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension and a budget transfer of £60,000 in 2015 from the Central Planning Vote (CPV) to the Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension capital head of expenditure to fund a feasibility study on the proposed extension to the Jersey Archive.

2. Background

The Archive Extension is in the States forward capital programme for the year 2016, and this is subject to approval by the States of the Budget 2016. The funding of £60,000 is needed in the short term, prior to States consideration of the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP), to enable the feasibility study to commence. Subject to States approval of this project as part of the Budget and following completion of the feasibility study, it is planned that the project will go out to tender early in 2016.

3. Next Steps

The initial meeting of the project group confirmed that the Clarence Road site was capable of accommodating an extension of the size proposed (588 square metres, mirroring existing provision) but identified the need to undertake a feasibility study to explore how this storage capacity could best be provided on the site. Following discussions, it was agreed that an application would be made if the project were ultimately included in the MTFP.

Jersey Property Holdings has advised that the sum of £60,000 would be required to carry out a feasibility study.

Recommendation

The Minister for Treasury and Resources is recommended to approve a new capital head of expenditure for Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension and a budget transfer of £60,000 in 2015 from the Central Planning Vote (CPV) to the Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension capital head of expenditure to fund a feasibility study on the proposed extension to the Jersey Archive.

Reason for Decision

The funds are required to enable the feasibility study to proceed and it is estimated the study will cost a maximum of £60,000.

Article 16 (3A) states that the approval by the States of a central planning vote authorizes the Minister to approve –

(a) capital heads of expenditure to fund work to scope or assess the feasibility of proposed capital projects that the States have agreed, in principle, will start in the future; and

(b) the transfer of amounts to such capital heads of expenditure, for such purposes, from the central planning vote.

The case for an extension to the Jersey Archive is based on the importance of the role which the Archive plays to the Public Records (Jersey) Law 2002 and the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 and the serious shortage of storage space which threatens to compromise that role. Space is currently forecast to run out entirely in 2019. Without intervention, there is a danger that the States will not be in a position to comply with its legal obligations.

Resource Implications

As a result of this decision the Jersey Heritage Trust – Archive Store Extension capital head of expenditure will be established for the project, with the Central Planning Vote decreasing by an identical amount (£60,000). This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure that would be approved by the States for the archive extension, and following approval by the States of capital funding the amount received for the feasibility study will be transferred back to the CPV in the year in which capital funds are allocated. If, however, the States should decide not to approve the capital project, then it would be the responsibility of Jersey Heritage Trust to repay the CPV from alternative sources of funding.

Report author : Decision Support Officer	Document date : 30th October 2015
Quality Assurance / Review : Head of Decision Support	File name and path: LDrive/Treasury/Sections/Corporate Finance/Ministerial Decisions