Decision details

Decision Maker: Corporate Director (Economy & Place)

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

Tendring District Council were successfully managing the Clacton150 project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2020. Celebrations and events have taken place over the past two years and include: the Clacton 150 trail, Octopus Ahoy!, naming of the bays on Clacton's beaches, installation of the Jubilee Beacon, education projects with local schools, and StreetTag. The total value initially awarded was £250,000 and there is an underspend on the project which has afforded additional opportunity.
As you are aware, the Leading Lighthouses situated in Dovercourt Bay is a project which is listed in the Council’s Heritage Strategy and discussions on their potential refurbishment have taken place with Historic England over recent years. Historic England have requested a further piece of work and additional surveys take place, in order to move this important project forward. National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) have been supportive of this project and have agreed that the under-spend can be used to support this work. As such, it is proposed that the balance of the under-spend will be used to fund an extension of the two funded Clacton150 posts to manage this workstream. These respective Officers will also be in a position to complete the Clacton 150 woodland work, which is reaching its conclusion, together with a full evaluation of the overall project.
No additional funding from the Council is required and the implications of this decision will be funded through the National Lottery Heritage Fund Programme. The total funding remaining is £38,620. The cost of extending the Officer's contracts is £17,620 and the balance of £21,000 will be allocated towards the Leading Lights study and any other associated costs.

Decision:

To spend the £38,620 balance of the National Lottery Heritage Funding, which was allocated to the Clacton 150 project as follows:
-Extend the two Clacton 150 Programme Officer roles to 30th June 2023 with a revised set of project priorities as set out below:
•Procure, fund and project manage a structural and condition Survey and community consultation on the Dovercourt Leading Lighthouses in Dovercourt Bay;
•Complete the Clacton150 woodland Project;
•Complete the outstanding Clacton150 evaluation process.

Alternative options considered:

Option 1 - the only alternative option would be to refund the balance of the Clacton 150 funding back to NLHF. This project was agreed with the funding body (National Lottery Heritage Fund) as an appropriate use of the money they allocated to the Council.

Publication date: 24/01/2023

Date of decision: 24/01/2023