Agenda item

Joint report of Senior Head of Regeneration, Planning and Assets and Senior Head of Tourism and Enterprise.

Cabinet lead member: Councillor Carolyn Heaps.

(1) Support for the emerging Devonshire Park scheme confirmed.

(2) Senior Head of Regeneration, Planning and Assets, in consultation with the Devonshire Park Project Board, given delegated authority to progress project to obtain planning permission (RIBA Stage 3) and make submissions to funding bodies to attract financial support for the scheme.

(3) Appointment of the existing multi-disciplinary design team to carry out the necessary work to obtain planning permission for project confirmed.

(4) £1.425m allocated in the capital programme to carry out all the necessary work to stage 3 and the preliminary elements of stage 4 necessary to maintain momentum.

(5) £1m of the council’s revenue reserves earmarked to support the scheme beyond Stage 3.

62.1 Cabinet considered the report of the Senior Head of Regeneration, Planning and Assets and Senior Head of Tourism and Enterprise on proposals for the future development of Devonshire Park to create a cultural destination.

62.2 Councillors Elkin and Ede addressed the Cabinet.  Councillor Elkin indicated his support for the proposals and thanked the officers for their work in developing this project.  Councillor Ede said this was a vital investment central to the town’s tourism economy and congratulated all involved. 

62.3 In July 2014 Cabinet gave authority for officers to engage a multi-disciplinary design team to take the Marks Barfield master-plan to the next level of detail, known as RIBA Stage 2.  That work had now been completed and the conclusion was that the vision the Council had for the Devonshire Park site could be achieved within a cost envelope of approximately £40-£42million.

62.4 Significant analysis had been undertaken of how the site could be developed and meet the objectives the Council had set for its future. This had included a forensic analysis of the business case to validate the savings to be achieved through efficiencies and the generation of new and increased income streams.

62.5 An analysis of funding sources had shown that grants were available which might potentially assist with the funding of the scheme.  Together with the Council’s ability to borrow using its savings from the medium term financial strategy, the conclusion was that the scheme was fundable. The report sought authority to take the scheme to the next stage of achieving planning permission only (RIBA Stage 3) by which time the financial position would be more certain.  The Council would receive a further report after Stage 3 at which time it would be in a position to decide, on the balance of risks, whether to go forward and commission the development and commit to a significant bulk of the expenditure.  It was anticipated that this would be in late autumn 2015.

62.6 Accompanying the report were appendices (1) summarising the business case for investment; (2) giving details of the multi-disciplinary design team; (3) describing the remit and membership of the project board and partnership group charged with monitoring and overseeing the strategic direction of the project; (4) concept plans showing proposed layouts and illustrative designs; and (5) the future governance structure for the project.

62.7 All members of the Council had been invited to attend a separate presentation and a further ‘summary’ presentation of the project was given at the meeting.

62.8 Councillor Tutt welcomed the support given by members from across the whole Council and together with his Cabinet colleagues expressed thanks to Marks Barfield and everyone else involved in this project.  Councillor Wallis, in particular, paid tribute to Jeff Collard, Senior Head of Regeneration, Planning and Assets, who was attending his last meeting prior to retirement from the Council’s service, and praised his professionalism and the expertise he brought to bear on projects large and small.

Resolved (key decision): (1) That support for the emerging Devonshire Park scheme as presented in the report be confirmed.

(2) That the Senior Head of Regeneration, Planning and Assets, in consultation with the Devonshire Park Project Board, be given delegated authority to, to progress the project to obtain planning permission (RIBA Stage 3) and make submissions to funding bodies to attract financial support for the scheme.

(3) That the appointment of the existing multi-disciplinary design team to carry out the necessary work to obtain planning permission for the project be confirmed.

(4) That £1.425m be allocated in the capital programme in order to carry out all the necessary work to stage 3 and the preliminary elements of stage 4 necessary to maintain momentum.

(5) That £1m of the Council’s revenue reserves be earmarked in order to support the scheme beyond Stage 3.