Decision details

To approve development proposals for Railway Quay

1. To note the opportunity afforded by accelerated projects funding via the Towns Fund, and note the support of the Town Deal Board for the Railway Quay Hub proposals.

2. To delegate authority to the Director of Regeneration & Planning to prepare and submit a planning application for the Railway Quay Hub in line with the proposals set out in this report.

3. To delegate authority to the Director of Regeneration & Planning, in consultation with the Leader of the Council to:

a.         Appoint the operator through a process settled by the Director;

b.         Agree the final scheme;

c.         Authorise entry into an Agreement for Lease (AFL) with the appointed operator;

d.         Authorise the grant of a lease to the appointed operator;

e.         Authorise the contract for the supply and installation of shipping containers and any related services;

f.          Authorise any other ancillary legal documents required in connection with the matters referred to at 3(a) to (e) above;

g.         Formally request the £500k funding from Government;

h.         Cash flow the development of the project ahead of receipt of capital funding from Government.

The funding opportunity means that there is a significant time imperative to agree the emerging proposals for Railway Quay. If approval for the scheme is sought through Cabinet (24 September), the scheme will be delayed by six weeks. This means that we would be unable to deliver the Railway Quay Hub by the Government’s funding deadline.

The proposals also accord with Council policies and seek to regenerate a vacant, highly prominent and strategic site within Newhaven that will directly contribute to the Council’s ongoing regeneration ambitions and the successful delivery of the Enterprise Zone.

A range of more permanent options have previously been considered, but the timeframe for this funding means that they would not be deliverable by March 2021.