Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

The Cabinet Member Finance was pleased to introduce the report and move the recommendations on the supplementary paper that had been circulated in advance of the meeting.  The resolutions had been amended as those that Council needed to agree were different to those that Cabinet had passed previously. 

Cabinet strongly supported Friends of Pittville (F.O.P) in their charge to restore the Gates and the surrounding area which had become somewhat neglected.  Both Cabinet and F.O.P saw the restoration of the Gates and surrounding area as marking the Jubilee Year. 

The Council had supported F.O.P in their efforts as much as possible through an initial allocation of £20k from the Environmental Improvement Fund 2011 which had enabled the design, planning consent and procurement to progress and F.O.P had applied for a further £20k from the Environmental Improvement Fund 2012. 

In excess of £134k had been raised by F.O.P so far and these funds would used to appoint a Project Manager and initiate Phase 1 which would include replacement pillars, lamps and some landscaping.  It was important to note that some of the funding that had been secured by F.O.P required works to have commenced by the end of November 2012. 

Finally, the Cabinet Member Finance commended the generosity of the funders, the support of the ward Councillors and Officers and above all the tenacity of the F.O.P. 

Councillor Hibbert, as Ward Councillor for Pittville, echoed the comments of the Cabinet Member.  She informed members that the F.O.P had worked tirelessly to secure funding and had to date secured in region of £155k and already had plans underway for Phases 2 and 3 and she reiterated the importance of work commencing soon.  

Councillor Hibbert proposed an amendment to the resolution, namely the addition of the following wording:-

“and wishes to put on record its thanks for the valuable work that has been done by the Friends of Pittville.”

The Cabinet Member Finance welcomed and accepted the amendment. 

Members commended F.O.P, especially for their planned restoration of the gates. 

Upon a vote it was unanimously

RESOLVED that Council agrees to allocate the funding for this project over the 2 phases as set out in Sections 2.9 and 2.10 of the report be agreed and wishes to put on record its thanks for the valuable work that has been done by the Friends of Pittville. 

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

RESOLVEDto :

1.      enter into an agreement with The Friends’ of Pittville for the restoration of  the Pittville Gates.

2. authorise the Head of Property and Asset Management to carry out the procurement to appoint the contractor to carry out the works to Pittville Gates and a project manager to manage the construction project, subject to sufficient funding for each phase being in place.

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to :

3. allocate the funding for this project.

The Cabinet Member Finance introduced the report and explained that whilst the Borough Council had limited resources in terms of finance for the project, it had provided officer time and allocated funds via the Environmental Improvement Fund. He paid tribute to the efforts of the Friends’ of Pittville in raising funds and recognised the importance of the Gates to the town’s history and heritage.

The Cabinet member explained that implementation would be in two phases in order to achieve improvement to the site as soon as possible. It was proposed that the Council take on the role of partner to the project to procure and deliver the improvements. He clarified that Council approval was required to allocate the funding.

RESOLVEDto :

1.      enter into an agreement with The Friends’ of Pittville for the restoration of  the Pittville Gates.

2. authorise the Head of Property and Asset Management to carry out the procurement to appoint the contractor to carry out the works to Pittville Gates and a project manager to manage the construction project, subject to sufficient funding for each phase being in place.

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to :

1. allocate the funding for this project.