Decision details

Leader’s Executive Decision re: match funding and to note the successful bid to the Government’s Getting Building Fund via South East Local Enterprise Partnership.

1. To note the successful submission to the Getting Building Fund for £1.3million, subject to presentation of full business case.

2. To commit the required match funding from Lewes District Council (£500k) as set out in Paragraph 2.4 of the report, and to delegate authority to the Director of Regeneration & Planning to work with partners, including the Newhaven Enterprise Zone, to secure additional contributions as needed.

The funding opportunity means that there is a significant time imperative to agree the match funding for the UTC. If approval for the scheme is sought through Cabinet (24 September), we would miss the deadline for submitting the Getting Building Fund bid to the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP). This may jeopardise the funding allocation, as we would be unable to demonstrate that the full project funding has been secured.

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

Given the timescale for the grant funding, there is a very limited range of alternative uses that could be delivered whilst meeting the value-for-money criteria set out in the Green Book. The building has been empty for around one year, and no viable alternative uses have been presented to the current leaseholder during this period. It is therefore considered that there are no realistic alternative options to meet the requirements of the Getting Building Fund.