Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The Cabinet considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) that would also be considered by Council at their meeting on 13^th March 2018, that provided detailed works for schemes in Coventry City Centre Public Realm Phase 5, as set out in the appendices to the report, and their prioritisation for implementation. It also sought agreement of the detailed works for additional Public Realm Phase 5 schemes if further funding was secured and to the addition of £1.94m Council Capital Receipts to the 5 year Capital Programme, to contribute to the Charterhouse restoration.

Since 2011 the Council had transformed the City Centre through a £57m programme of investment in the public realm. The impact of this work had been significant, attracting developers to invest in the City such as Shearers Property Group who were transforming Cathedral Lanes into a vibrant restaurant quarter. This investment would be complemented by Phase 4 of the public realm improvements due to be completed later this year, using Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Local Growth Deal grant.

The award of UK City of Culture provided a fantastic opportunity to further enhance the City Centre in preparation for 2021 to ensure people gained a positive image of the City, and to create a lasting legacy for residents and businesses beyond 2021. Given the investment already made in public realm, Coventry has the opportunity to consider the delivery of an even more ambitious programme of public realm improvements. A series of transformational public realm improvements were proposed to be delivered under a new Public Realm Phase 5 Programme. The proposed schemes would deliver enhancements to key strategic areas of the City, improve accessibility and connectivity across the City and also enhance the setting of the key events venues and visitor attractions. 

To develop the Programme for Phase 5, the likely venues for City of Culture had been mapped, along with completed Public Realm Schemes and other visitor attractions, as set out in Appendix A to the report. To maximize the potential of the City Centre, it was essential to ensure the links between attractions were high quality, greener, designed for people, and accessible to all. The proposed priority order, as outlined below, reflected location and likely footfall. Further detail on the Schemes was included in Appendices B and C to the report. 

·  Transformation of Upper Precinct, delivering public realm enhancements which would de-clutter, create a high quality attractive space and complement Shearer Property Group’s recently approved plans for Upper Precinct.

·  Improvements to the public realm outside the new waterpark and leisure centre.

·  An extension of public realm improvements in Upper Precinct to Smithford Way and Market Way.

·  Public realm improvements to complement Salt Lane Multi-Storey Car Park including improvements to Shrub Walk, Warwick Lane and links to Hertford Street Pepper Lane –

·  mirroring the public realm created in Greyfriars Lane to create an attractive walking route to the Cathedral quarter.

·  A public art programme which would include restoration of pieces currently in store to be put back on display, alongside restoring the Canal arts trail and upgrading the canal tow path.

·  Upgrade of New Union Street Multi-Storey car park and associated public realm.

·  A funding contribution towards a Heritage Lottery Funded Scheme to de-culvert the River Sherbourne in Palmer Lane, as part of the wider improvements to the Burges area.

·  Ring Road enhancements and junction upgrades in strategic locations, improving connectivity between the outer ring road and City Centre and unlocking development land and cleaning to improve the appearance of the ring road.

·  Improvements to Far Gosford Street and the setting of Fargo village, including improving links to Two Tone Village.

·  Improvements to the public realm on key links to events venues including Far Gosford Street, Fairfax Street and Bayley Lane.

·  Improvements to Corporation Street and Queen Victoria Road, complementing the redevelopment of the former Co-operative Building.

·  Works to complement Coventry University’s masterplan, including public realm enhancements to Cox Street, Ford Street and Lower Ford Street.

·  Work to support the Sherbourne Loop proposal, including a funding contribution towards the Charterhouse refurbishment and a pedestrian crossing to connect Charterhouse and London Road cemetery.

Alongside the above projects, the Programme also included the following:

·  Upgrade of coach parking facilities across the City Centre.

·  Improved wayfinding and digital signage strategy.

·  Improvements to cycling infrastructure, including the Canal towpath.

·  Improve the attractiveness of key radial routes into the City.

·  Refresh previous public realm schemes delivered in the City Centre.

·  Funding for the development of additional schemes to attract further funding.

·  Top slice the available budget to fund staff to deliver the Programme.

The priority order may be amended in response to funding availability and deliverability of the projects. The aspiration was to deliver as many transformational schemes as practical by 2021, with a longer term aim to deliver the remaining schemes post 2021 to create a lasting legacy. The total programme cost was estimated to be in the region of £120m, which included the funding necessary to provide for the estimated additional 14 posts required to deliver the ambitious programme ahead of 2021. The costs were estimates at present, the list of projects wasn’t exhaustive and adequate funding to deliver the Schemes did not currently exist. It was recognised that a Programme of this significance would have impact upon the Capital Programme and external funding would need to be secured. Therefore, delegated authority was sought in order for the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), following consultation with the Cabinet Member for City Services and Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration and Section 151 officer, to agree the detailed Programme of works should  funding become available.

The Public Realm Phase 5 Programme delivery would need to be carefully co-ordinated to ensure the City Centre remained open for business and disruption was kept to a minimum. The work would also need to be co-ordinated around major events that would take place in the run up to City of Culture.

Currently the Council had successfully secured £11.8M Local Growth Deal funds from Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP).  Of this £7.75m was allocated to deliver the initial Phase 5 of City Centre Public Realm improvements. As the CWLEP funding was time limited, it would be allocated to the top priority project or projects as set out in this report. The remaining £4m was allocated to deliver other key infrastructure projects as set out in the Connecting Coventry Update Cabinet Report, also considered by Cabinet on 6^th March 2018. The Council had also identified £1.94m capital receipts to match fund the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Bid to restore the Grade I listed Charterhouse and re-open to the public as part of proposals to create a new heritage park.

In addition, to support Coventry’s City of Culture status, it was proposed that further funding would be sought from other sources, including WMCA for funding from within Coventry’s £284m Devolution Deal allocation (which included £37m from the HS2 connectivity package), along with exploring other government funding opportunities. A funding bid would be required to be submitted for additional funding for Public Realm. If WMCA funding was sought, a business case would be required and approval would be subject to WMCA’s assurance framework process. 

RESOLVED that the Cabinet:

1)  Agrees the draft scheme list and delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), following consultation with Cabinet Members for City Services and Jobs and Regeneration, to agree the detailed works for Schemes in Coventry City Centre Public Realm Phase 5, as set out in the appendices to the report and their prioritisation for implementation. 

2)  Delegates authority to the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), following consultation with Cabinet Members for City Services and Jobs and Regeneration and the Director of Finance and Corporate Services, to agree the detailed works for additional Public Realm Phase 5 Schemes if further funding is secured.

3)  Recommends that Council:

i)  Authorises the Council to enter into Local Growth Deal funding agreements for £7.75m Growth Deal 3 for the top priority schemes in the Public Realm Phase 5 Programme. 

ii)  Approves the addition of £1.94m Council Capital Receipts to the 5 year Capital Programme, to contribute to the Charterhouse restoration.

iii)  Delegates authority to the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) and the Director of Finance and Corporate Services following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration and the Cabinet Member for City Services to enter into future WMCA funding agreements secured and deemed necessary to deliver the Public Realm 5 schemes which shall include the authority to:

·  Determine the final content of the relevant Outline and Full Business Cases and submit funding bids to the West Midlands Combined Authority in relation to the work to be delivered within the Public Realm 5 scheme; and

·  If the funding bids are successful to agree the final terms of the grant agreement with the WMCA

iv)  Notes the addition of the Growth Deal 3 £7.75m Public Realm Phase 5 Programme of works, as set out in Appendix B to the report, has been approved as part of the Capital 5 Year Programme that was taken to Council as part of the Budget Report 2018-2019 on 20th February 2018 (their minute 128/17 refers).

v)  Delegates authority to the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), following consultation with Cabinet Members for City Services and Jobs and Regeneration, alongside Procurement Board to agree the most appropriate procurement route for the works to be delivered.