Issue - meetings

To note progress of the Officer investigations into the opportunity to bring forward the Milton Road element of the Dovercourt scheme from the Capital Regeneration Project funding, and to agree the demolition of Milton Road car park, and to agree drawdown of Capital Regeneration grant funding to progress this work.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

a)     agrees, subject to the full level of required funding being allocated, to the demolition of the Milton Road, Dovercourt car park;

b)     agrees, subject to the full level of required funding being allocated, to the demolition of the dangerous structure at 20 Victoria Street, Dovercourt;

c)      although subject to the decision set out within report item A.9 elsewhere on the agenda, agrees to allocate the additional identified sum of £250,000 to increase the overall budget to £3,798,751;

d)     subject to a) to c) above, agrees to draw down a budget of £0.450m from within the overall sum of £3,798,751 to progress demolition and associated works; and

e)    subject to (a) to (d) above, agrees that an external contractor will be commissioned to undertake the demolition works in accordance with the Council’s Procurement Procedure Rules.

Cabinet considered a report of the Economic Growth, Regeneration & Tourism Portfolio Holder (A.5), which noted the progress of the Officer investigations into the opportunity to bring forward the Milton Road element of the Dovercourt scheme from the Capital Regeneration Project funding, and which sought Cabinet’s agreement to the demolition of Milton Road car park and 20 Victoria Street, Dovercourt and also its agreement to the drawdown of Capital Regeneration grant funding complemented by £250,000 to progress this work.

Capital Regeneration Project Funding

It was reported that, on 23 June 2023, Cabinet had considered a report titled ‘Clacton Civic Quarter Levelling Up Fund (LUF) Bid, Dovercourt Town Centre Improvement Corridor Capital Regeneration Project (CRP) Bid’. This report had recommended approval of the Heads of Terms for two funding agreements to be developed between Tendring District Council (TDC) and Essex County Council (ECC).

It was further reported that, on 6 October 2023, Cabinet had considered a report titled ‘Levelling Up Fund and Capital Regeneration Projects - Progressing the Projects to Planning Permission’. This report had recommended drawing down a further £1,898,421 from the remaining match funding of £2,041,460, to cover professional fees for all stages of the project.

It was also reported that, on 19 April 2024, Cabinet had considered a report titled ‘Financial Performance Report 2023/24 - General Update at the end of December 2023’ and had agreed to determine the mix of funding from the Council’s own approved contribution and the money made available by the Government to support both the LUF Scheme in Clacton and the CRP Scheme in Dovercourt, within financial parameters previously agreed and until the next significant project milestones were reported to Cabinet.

Dovercourt Town Centre Improvement Corridor Change Request and Homes in Dovercourt scheme

Cabinet recalled that, on 7 February 2024, the Council had submitted a change request to Government in relation to the delivery of the Dovercourt Town Centre Improvement Corridor CRP scheme. This change request sought to allow the Council to relocate the housing element of the scheme. At time of the bid submission, the housing element had been planned to be sited at the location of Milton Road car park, however the change request had suggested the relocation of the housing element to the two derelict sites at Victoria Street, Dovercourt, and the demolition of the existing structure at Milton Road car park, with the subsequent reinstatement of ground level car parking. Cabinet had agreed the acquisition of those sites on 17 June 2022, and the Council had completed the acquisition on 8 February 2024. On 7 May 2024, Government had advised the Council that the change request had been approved.

Following the approval of the change request, on 24 May 2024, Cabinet had requested that Officers investigated the opportunity to bring forward the Milton Road element of the Dovercourt scheme.

Cabinet was made aware that the change request brought with it additional pressure on the project budget as the scheme now included the regeneration / development of two sites  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34