Agenda item

Further to Minute 139 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which 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. The report also sought agreement to 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. This investment would be completed 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 impact of this work had been significant, attracting developers to invest in the City, such as the developers transforming Cathedral Lanes into a vibrant restaurant quarter.

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. 

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, the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration and the Section 151 officer, to agree the detailed Programme of works should  funding become available.

Currently the Council had successfully secured £11.8M Local Growth Deal funds from CWLEP.  Of this £7.75m was allocated to deliver the initial Phase 5 of City Centre Public Realm improvements. As this funding was time limited, it would be allocated to the top priority project or projects as set out in the report. The remaining £4m was allocated to deliver other key infrastructure projects as set out in the Connecting Coventry Update Report, as detailed in Minute 117 below. 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 City Council:

1)  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. 

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

3)  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

4)  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).

5)  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.