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The Executive Director for Place presented the report to the Panel and explained that 14 projects were currently underway with 8 being led by partners but were ultimately accountable to the Council. It was noted that there was a strong Governance structure in place with a large amount of engagement on projects most notably with Jumbo. The Panel heard that business cases had been submitted in March 2022 to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUC) and permission had been given to proceed in August 2022 with the initial funding being provided. It was noted that the RAG risk approach was currently on amber as some of projects were very complex. The Executive Director for Place confirmed that the risks linked to the projects were reviewed on a continual basis with the main concerns being around escalating costs for labour as well as unexpected delays with supplies. The Panel heard that one of the largest risks was associated with the land acquisition in the heart of Greenstead but that there was no update to give on this. The panel were informed that the aim was to contain any cost issues and that there had been a contribution from Colchester Borough Council for St Nicolas Square which had accelerated the project however it was detailed that archaeology costs had risen. The projects were also being looked at in alignment to try and create efficiencies where it was possible.
The Executive Director for Place explained to the Panel that there was significant oversight of the works from the Town Deal Board and from the Section 151 Officer which had to report into DLUC every six months with the progress of the projects. It was noted that there were no significant risks that would compromise the projects but outlined the following details on each of the projects:
Kerbless Street, Balkerne Gate Phase 2, Holy trinity Square - This project had been delayed until the start of 2023 so that it did not interfere with Christmas events in the town centre.
Essex Pedal Power – The Launch of this project in the spring of 2023 following the completion of purchase of bikes.
Digital Skills hub: - Work is due to start imminently following planning consents being secured.
Townhouse, Stanway and Highwoods Youth Centres – The work on the Townhouse could only begin in the Easter Holidays where structural surveys would be the main priority.
Essex County Hospital: Work on this site would be starting in 2023 and confirmed that the full Town Deal contribution had been released with the enhanced public space part of the wider housing scheme.
Heart of Greenstead: - work had been undertaken to ensure community engagement on the project with the alliance partnership which was progressing well. It was noted that this included the relocation of Hawthorn surgery which was on track for delivery.
Jumbo: - The project which was being delivered through North Essex Heritage had passed the first stage with the Heritage Lottery Fund and would be moving onto the full application stage. Furthermore, the bids to the Heritage Lottery Fund were being co-ordinated between Museums, Jumbo and Holy Trinity to ensure that there were no clashes.
Physical Connectivity: The Connection between Greenstead and the Town Centre through the Active Travel Fund meant that the full route completed to the highest standards which would begin on East Hill.
Matthew Brown, Economic Regeneration Manager outlined the schemes that were underway within the town centre and confirmed that the cost of goods were volatile and were being monitored. The Panel heard that further funds were being sought where possible and confirmed that an extra £2.3 million had been secured for the Heart of Greenstead project through Active Travel. The Economic Regeneration Officer concluded by outlining that if there were funding issues these would be assessed into what could be done differently on projects and that this would not have an impact on quality.
Councillor William Sunnucks addressed the Panel pursuant to the provisions of Meetings General Procedure Rule 5(1) and questioned the timing of the projects and what was slowing them down and whether this meant projects would be cut. The Panel heard that there was a problem of timing with what had been promised and although the board had been formed in 2020 very little progress had been delivered and questioned whether they were still deliverable following the input from the Peer Review. Councillor Sunnucks advised that he was aware of the issues that were causing delays in the Private Sector but wanted an answer on what was causing the delays and questioned whether this effected the Councils credibility when applying for new grants.
The Executive Director for Place responded to the questions and confirmed that the setting up of the Town Deal Board had been a requirement and have been involved in every stage of the process. It was noted that the agreement from DLUC to go beyond the case stage had not been given until August 2022. It was that outlined that some programmes had been sped up, however some had been caught within inflation issues but were still on time for delivery. It was confirmed that Colchester Borough Council were directly managing the digital skills hub and that the framework and the contracts with partners were completed. It was clarified that the Town Houses would take longer to complete and that some of the bids would outlast the timeframes of the Town Deal Fund. Members were asked to note that there was a delay from DLUC which was for three months whilst waiting for the bids to be approved.
The Panel raised questions on the report and its emphasis upon deprivation and the areas that the projects were targeted and what evidence was there that they would materially effect deprivation in those areas. Questions were raised regarding the completed projects such as those at the Mercury Theatre and how these would contribute to ending deprivation as well as whether the projects that were being undertaken as they could be easily completed.
The Economic Regeneration Manager responded that the heart of Greenstead project was a £40 million investment which could make a significant difference and intervene to improve skills. It was noted that the Holy Trinity Church Scheme would be offering services to those who were most in need and the Cycling Hub helped provide transport for those who were on a lower income. The Committee heard that the proposals for the digital skills hub would help people to retrain and give them access to digital skills.
The Panel queried whether match funding was being sought on projects as this had been a key aim within the Fund and heard that additional funding was being sought wherever possible and elaborated that there had been an Active Travel fund of £5 million as well as a possible £5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It was noted that Greenstead’s match funding was also though Housing Revenue Account (HRA) which would provide long term regeneration of the area. Concern was raised by the Committee over the lack of key performance indicators for the projects and match funding. The Economic Regeneration Manager responded that there were no specific requirements for match funding or additional funding but commented that as it was only 2 months into the delivery of the project other opportunities may become available. The Executive Director for Place advised Members that the Council would bid for any funding that arose and that a report could be brought back to the Panel on where additional funding was being sought.
Questions were raised from the Panel on the role of the signage changes for the City Status and it was confirmed that this was part of the City Status work plan and further information on this would be provided to the Committee.
A further question was raised regarding the Councils capital programme difficulties and whether it was linked to the Town Deal and would this cause issues for any for the projects. It was confirmed by officers that the review of the Capital Programme had started but outlined that the majority of the projects were not reliant on the programme and were funded.
The Chair ran through the projects as detailed in the report and Members and Officers contributed the following:
Balkerne gate Phase 2: The project was yet to be completed and that there were conversations being undertaken with Jumbo to ensure that there was minimal disruption.
Jumbo: The National Lottery Heritage fund bid was underway and could take up to a year to progress to the next phase.
Holy Trinity Church – Questions were raised as to whether there was a back-up plan for the use of the Church if Community 360 were unable to take on the facility. The Panel heard that two contingency plans were in place but that if there were any updates on this then this would be reported to the Panel.
Digital Connectivity: The Committee queried the number of jobs that would be created and it was confirmed that this would be 16 direct employees however there would be a much larger impact which would regenerate the are and would aid longer term aspirations in the area.
Transformed Youth Facilities: In response to questions Officers explained that issues with the lease on the Town houses had been resolved and that the funds that were used for the purposes of transforming youth facilities were ringfenced to existing facilities and could not be used in new proposals.
The Panel thanked the Officers for the report and concluded that no recommendations were required to be sent onto the Cabinet.
RESOLVED that the report be noted by the Panel.