Issue - decisions

The Portfolio Holder introduced the report which presented a detailed summary of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Parks for People Stage 2 bid totalling circa £4.4m. It asked Members to agree the release of £79,569.40 of Section 106 contributions for the development stage and to agree the allocation of £460,948 Section 106 contributions and £650,000 Council funding, subject to a successful Round 2 bid from the HLF, for the delivery phase. The Council would be informed of the result of the bid in June/July 2019.

The Leader said he welcomed this bid as it added to the plethora of measures being undertaken to improve the town centre. Just a few recent highlights included: - the Snowdogs trail which had been a great success and the auction of the dogs that past Monday had raised circa £150,000 for the Pilgrims Hospice; the new picturehouse cinema and Elwick gates which would be opened in the coming weeks; and the statue of Queen Marie of Romania, which would stand in the shadow of Victoria Park, and would also be unveiled during the following week.

Resolved:

That

(i)               the release of £79,569.48 S106 contributions, as identified under the Financial Implications section of the report, be endorsed to support the development stage phase to enable the bid to be completed and submitted.

(ii)             submission of the Heritage Lottery Fund Parks for People bid as outlined in the report be agreed, and the Council’s total contribution of circa £1,370,398 split between identified S106 contributions, Council reserves, repairs and renewals budget and landscape maintenance costs, be approved.

(iii)           the Head of Culture be authorised to agree any minor changes, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Culture, to ensure a strong bid is submitted in February 2019.

If the Council’s Heritage Lottery Fund bid is successful to: -

(iv)           note that the amounts profiled that make up the Council’s total contribution could alter given that additional S106 contributions may be secured.

(v)             agree for the Director of Finance and Economy to consider and apply appropriate forward funding to offset S106 contributions secured but not received to ensure the delivery of the project is not put at risk.

(vi)           delegate authority to the appropriate Directors and Heads of Service, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holders, to put in place all relevant documentation, staff and financial resources, management and monitoring processes and communications, in order to deliver the project.