Agenda item

To update Cabinet on the Levelling Up Fund and Capital Regeneration Projects following the June 2023 report and to request Officers to investigate the opportunity to bring forward that delivery of the demolition of Milton Road car park in Dovercourt.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    notes the acceptance of the two funding agreements between TDC and ECC for the delivery of the ECC led schemes within the LUF and CRP projects respectively; and

(b)   requests officers to investigate the opportunity to bring forward the Milton Road element of the Dovercourt scheme from the Capital Regeneration Project funding and report the outcome back to Cabinet in the context of the wider scheme.

Cabinet considered a detailed report of the Economic Growth, Regeneration & Tourism Portfolio Holder (A.2), which updated it on the Levelling Up Fund and Capital Regeneration Projects following the June 2023 report and sought to formally request Officers to investigate the opportunity to bring forward that delivery of the demolition of Milton Road car park in Dovercourt.

Agreement with Essex County Council

Cabinet recalled that, at its meeting held on 23 June 2023, it had considered and approved a report titled: ‘Clacton Civic Quarter Levelling Up Fund (LUF) Bid, Dovercourt Town Centre Improvement Corridor Capital Regeneration Project (CRP) Bid’. That report and decision had delegated authority to the Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Regeneration and Tourism, in consultation with the Corporate Director (Place and Economy), the Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer, to approve the Heads of Terms for two funding agreements to be developed between Tendring District Council (TDC) and Essex County Council (ECC), and authorised the Corporate Director (Place and Economy) to approve the final terms and conditions of the agreements, in consultation with the Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer.

It was reported that the Heads of Terms had subsequently been approved by the Portfolio Holder on 2 January 2024, and the final terms and conditions of the funding agreements had been approved on 22 January 2024.

Members were informed that ECC had gained approvals to sign the funding agreements on 19 January 2024, and the funding agreement had been sealed on 20 February 2024 by TDC. The agreements allowed ECC to commission and deliver the three projects within the two schemes where ECC owned the land and ran services, which were Clacton Hub (Clacton LUF), and Harwich Library and Kingsway Improvements (Dovercourt CRP).

Funding draw down

Cabinet further recalled that, on 6 October 2023, it had considered and approved a report titled: ‘Levelling Up Fund and Capital Regeneration Projects - Progressing the Projects to Planning Permission’. That 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.

Subsequently, on 19 April 2024, Cabinet had considered and approved the Quarter 3 Finance Update Report that had enabled spend of both the Council’s match funding contribution, and the LUF and CRP grant funding received from Government on the projects. That report had recommended delegating the determination of 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 the £1,898,421 previously drawn down, until the next significant project milestones were reported to Cabinet. The delegation was to the Corporate Director (Place and Economy), in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer. As result the Council could draw down on the LUF and CRP funding to the value of 1,898,421.

As set out in the report to Cabinet on October 6 2023, a further report would be brought for Cabinet’s consideration on the detailed projects. That report would seek approval to develop technical designs to the level of detail required to go out to the market for procurement of main build-contracts, and for agreement of the drawdown of LUF and CRP funds to support delivery of the two TDC led projects within the overall programme, namely Carnarvon Terrace in Clacton and Milton Road in Dovercourt.

Dovercourt Town Centre Improvement Corridor (CRP)

It was reported that, on 7 February 2024, the Council had submitted a change request to Government in relation to delivery of the Dovercourt Town Centre Improvement Corridor CRP scheme. This change request was to allow the Council to relocate the housing element of the scheme. At time of bid submission, the housing element had been planned to be sited at the location of Milton Road car park, however the change request suggested the relocation of the housing element, to the two derelict sites at Victoria Street, Dovercourt. Cabinet had agreed the acquisition of those sites on 17 June 2022, and the Council had completed the acquisition on February 8 2024.

Cabinet was made aware that, on 7 May 2024, Government had advised the Council that their change request had been approved.

Members were reminded that, in September 2019, Cabinet had approved concept designs and project proposals for the Starlings site in Dovercourt Town Centre and the demolition of the two-storey decked carpark on Milton Road (the site to be used subsequently for residential development), and allocated funding to secure delivery.

Subsequently, on 28 January 2022, Cabinet had agreed to postpone the demolition of Milton Road Car Park and to bring forward options for the site later in 2022/23. The Milton Road Car Park project was then included in the Council’s round 2 bid to the Levelling Up Fund, which was then awarded in a sister fund, namely Capital Regeneration Projects.

Cabinet was advised that, following the approval of the change request, this report asked Cabinet to agree of the upcoming demolition of Milton Road Car Park and subsequent reinstatement of car parking at the site, with the number of spaces to be confirmed as designs progressed. There were significant benefits to the change of site for the Dovercourt Town Centre scheme from Milton Road, as it had the potential to bring further brownfield sites within the town into regeneration. However, there could be cost implications, as works to Milton Road carpark and the works to any alternative sites would both be completed under those proposals.

It was felt that initiating the demolition of the existing car park on the Milton Road site, as well as site clearance, surveys and demolition as needed for the two Victoria Street sites, would ensure the sites were ready for development in time for commencement of the main works, whilst ensuring the sites were made safe for the sites’ neighbours as well as the general public.

It was moved by Councillor I J Henderson, seconded by Councillor M E Stephensonand:-

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    notes the acceptance of the two funding agreements between TDC and ECC for the delivery of the ECC led schemes within the LUF and CRP projects respectively; and

(b)   requests officers to investigate the opportunity to bring forward the Milton Road element of the Dovercourt scheme from the Capital Regeneration Project funding and report the outcome back to Cabinet in the context of the wider scheme.