Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

The Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the report and reminded Members that Council had taken a decision to invest in the Workshop Cheltenham (WSC) scheme.  However, in July 2020, in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government announced a £900m ‘Getting Building Fund’, administered by the LEP, to fund shovel ready schemes which supported the economic recovery.  Council Officers and Directors of Workshop Cheltenham submitted a bid and the council was awarded £3.114m to fund an enhanced scheme.  As a result of this grant, a reduced level of council investment was required.  The rebadged Minster Innovation Exchange scheme has the potential to completely transform a neglected area of the town and forms part of the council’s key recovery plan from the impact of the pandemic. 

The LEP requested that Cheltenham Borough Council took over the commissioning lead for the construction of the building and promoter role and this has resulted in the need to waive the council’s contract rules to ensure that the work undertaken by WSC is progressed in a timely manner.    Given the revised approach on the commissioning lead, the Cabinet Member was requesting Council to approve the overall budget for the enhanced project.

In response to Member questions, the Cabinet Member confirmed that:

• Workshop Cheltenham Ltd was a completely separate entity to Cheltenham Borough Council.   Hub 8 represented a group of entrepreneurs who instigated the concept, are independent and have no links to the council.   They are not investing themselves but take a profit share out of it.
• The project was time limited and was ready to go, as the Building Better Fund was all about shovel ready schemes and if they were not completed by a certain time, the government would request the funding back.  That was why it had come as an urgent item to full council.  An Officer confirmed that the project had to be delivered by next Christmas so the intention was to use a highly fast construction method with modular buildings to be able to meet that delivery date.

One member referred to paragraph 4.2 of the report which considered the delivery of the project and the one option to use CBC staff, but questioned whether CBC staff would be able to fully resource this.  The Cabinet Member replied that the scheme was fully funded and part of the funding included project management which would be undertaken by WSC.  The Member also referred to the removal of hundreds of cars in 3.3 of the report, suggesting this would not happen, they would just use a different car park.

The chair moved to debate and a Member expressed his full support for this excellent scheme for Cheltenham which was vital to reenergise the economy at this difficult time partiularly as there were very few development opportunities in the town centre.  It represented an excellent use of land and the government funding was to be welcomed.

Upon a vote it was RESOLVED THAT

The gross capital budget for MIE of £4,671,000,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

Appendices 2, 3 and 4 exempt.

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    The council accepting the award of the Getting Building Fund grant from the GFirst LEP of £3.114m be approved, and authority be delegated to the Executive Director Finance & Assets, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance and the Borough Solicitor, to agree final terms and contract for the Getting Building Fund grant with the LEP;

2.    The council accepting the award of the Tier 2 Growth Hub residual grant of £433,638 and taking over the role of promoter of the Growth Hub be approved, and authority be delegated to the Managing Director Place and Growth, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance and the Borough Solicitor, to agree final terms and contract for the Growth Hub grant with the LEP;

3.    The council entering into a joint venture (including the incorporation of the new limited liability partnership (LLP)) with WSC to manage MIE be approved, and authority be delegated to the Executive Director Finance & Assets, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance and the Borough Solicitor, to:

a.    agree the final terms of the Joint Venture;

b.    approve the form of and the council entering into any documents required to put in place or otherwise facilitate the creation of the Joint Venture;

c.    take any decisions (to include, without limitation, the approval of all documents) considered necessary by the Executive Director Finance & Assets to facilitate the creation and/or operation of the Joint Venture.

4.    The council entering into a contract with WSC for WSC to deliver the design and build of the MIE be approved, subject to the final terms being agreed and, in accordance with Contract Rule 6.2.1, it be agreed to waive the requirements of the council’s Contract Rules to enable the design and build agreement to be entered into provided that the estimated value remains under the applicable threshold for a full procurement process determined by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015;

5.    Authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Finance and Assets, in consultation with Cabinet Member Finance, to agree the final terms of the design and build agreement and such other documents as may be required relating to the construction and delivery of the MIE and to approve the council entering all required documentation, including a commercial lease to the LLP for the management of the MIE;

6.    The public realm masterplan for the Minster grounds at Appendix 6, as outlined in section 8, be approved for consultation, and authority be delegated to the Managing Director Place and Growth, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance, to respond to the feedback from the consultation;

7.    It be recommended that Council approve the gross capital budget for MIE of £4,671,000, as per Appendix 5, to be incorporated into the council’s budget and capital programme for 2020/21.

The Leader of the Council presented the report, in the absence of the Cabinet Member Finance, noting that several appendices were not in the public domain due to commercial sensitivity. He added that Cabinet had been supportive of the project since day one, and thanked Mark Sheldon for his role in making it possible. He praised it as a mix of cyber and culture that should be taken advantage of in order to maximise benefit for the town.

Earlier in the year, Cabinet had agreed in principle to a joint venture investing in the project, and it was now possible to make this a reality. The government launched the Getting Building Fund in July, from which the council received an allocation of £3.114m, which helped guarantee that the project would happen and ensure that the benefit could be spread across the whole Minster area. He reported that details continued to be worked out, and there would be a consultation on the masterplan around this. He asked Members to agree to take responsibility for the Getting Building Fund grant, confirm their willingness to enter joint venture, and take responsibility to make sure it happens. The overall budget commitment would go before full Council later in the month.

The Cabinet Member Economy and Development added that it was fantastic news for the town, and that having a Cheltenham-centric growth hub would support local businesses and encourage entrepreneurship.

The Leader moved to a vote, where it was unanimously:

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    The council accepting the award of the Getting Building Fund grant from the GFirst LEP of £3.114m be approved, and authority be delegated to the Executive Director Finance & Assets, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance and the Borough Solicitor, to agree final terms and contract for the Getting Building Fund grant with the LEP;

2.    The council accepting the award of the Tier 2 Growth Hub residual grant of £433,638 and taking over the role of promoter of the Growth Hub be approved, and authority be delegated to the Managing Director Place and Growth, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance and the Borough Solicitor, to agree final terms and contract for the Growth Hub grant with the LEP;

3.    The council entering into a joint venture (including the incorporation of the new limited liability partnership (LLP)) with WSC to manage MIE be approved, and authority be delegated to the Executive Director Finance & Assets, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Finance and the Borough Solicitor, to:

a.    agree the final terms of the Joint Venture;

b.    approve the form of and the council entering into any documents required to put in place or otherwise facilitate the creation of the Joint Venture;

c.    take any decisions (to include, without limitation, the approval of all documents) considered necessary by the Executive Director Finance & Assets to facilitate the creation and/or operation of the Joint Venture.

4.    The council entering into a contract with WSC for WSC to deliver the design and build of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9