Agenda item

The Chair, Councillor Gunner, will present the Minutes containing recommendations from the meeting of the Policy & Finance Committee held on 9 December 2021.

There is one recommendation for Council to consider at Minute 504 [Urgent Items – Levelling-Up Fund Projects]- to view the Officer’s report – please click on this link: Report

            The Chair of the Policy & Finance Committee, Councillor Gunner, presented recommendations following the meeting of the Policy & Finance Committee held on 9 December 2021.

            Councillor Gunner alerted Members to four recommendations at Minute 504 [Urgent Items – Levelling-Up Fund Projects] and in proposing these recommendations confirmed that he wished to make an amendment to Recommendation (5).  Councillor Gunner confirmed that the wording to this amendment had been emailed to Members prior to the meeting.  The wording to this amendment is as set out below:

            The additional wording added to this recommendation is shown using bold:

            Recommendation (5) - As per Part 4 – Officers Scheme of Delegation (4.3 to 4.7 refers) and under Part 7 of the Council’s Constitution, delegate authority to the Director of Place and Director of Services to plan, drawdown as well as make budgetary decisions on the expenditure of external spending of Levelling Up Funds in accordance with the terms and conditions and in consultation with the Chair of the Policy and Finance Committee and Section 151 Officer; and following the procurement process to appoint consultants (as set out in the approved heads of terms in section 2.1 of the report), Full Council is requested to approve authority to enter into an agreement for pre-construction services with the successful bidders for the Alexandra Theatre project and Littlehampton seafront and riverside project.

Councillor Gunner explained that this additional wording was required due to the need to make rapid progress on the Levelling Up Fund projects.  The additional wording had been suggested for clarification purposes.  It would ensure that all aspects of the consultant appointment were covered and included specific reference to the entering into a contract with the appointed consultant team.  The wording of Recommendation 1 approved by the Policy & Finance Committee inferred this to be the case, but this additional wording made this explicit. Councillor Gunner also outlined that should the amendment not be accepted, a delay in progressing the project by a couple of months could not be avoided.

            Councillor Gunner then formally proposed this amendment which was then seconded by Councillor Pendleton.

            The Chair then invited debate on this amendment. Statements made saw full support for the amendment with Councillors recognising the need to be able to press on and deliver the projects. Questions were asked as to whether Members would have opportunity to be involved in the next steps of this project. The Director of Services confirmed the need to be able to appoint consultants for the pre-construction stages and the importance of keeping to Government induced project timelines.  Members were reassured that continuous updates would be made to the Policy & Finance Committee and when required, recommendations would be taken to Full Council.

            Having undertaken a vote on this amendment, it was declared CARRIED.

            The Chair then returned to the substantive recommendations which were proposed and seconded by Councillors Gunner and Pendleton.  These attracted further debate. A point was made that the supporting report and minutes referred to two different names for the project being the Regis Centre and Alexandra Theatre. In terms of the project moving forward, a request was made to either refer to the project site as the Alexandra Theatre or the renovation of the Regis Centre and not to use both names. This request was supported by other Councillors stating that the site had always been referred to as the Regis Centre including the Alexandra Theatre. In focusing upon the refurbishment of this building, further requests were made to ensure that the project would ensure to deliver a high quality finish and that the use of second rate materials that could lead to future maintenance issues be avoided. Further discussion concurred with these points where concerns were expressed over the need to replace the roof of the Regis Centre and to provide or reinstate the Alexandra Hall which would attract events and exhibitions. 

            The Council

                                    RESOLVED – That

(1)          The Levelling Up Fund Grant Award of £19,042,597 be accepted for improvements to the Alexandra Theatre, Bognor Regis and the public realm at Littlehampton seafront and riverside;

(2)          Approved authority be given to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding/funding agreement with Central Government and approve the drawdown and expenditure of external funding and that the terms and conditions of the Memorandum of Understanding/funding agreement are to be reviewed and agreed by Legal Services in consultation with the Monitoring Officer;

(3)          [Recommendation 5 in the minutes] As per Part 4 – Officers Scheme of Delegation (4.3 to 4.7 refers) and under Part 7 of the Council’s Constitution, delegate authority to the Director of Place and Director of Services to plan, drawdown as well as make budgetary decisions on the expenditure of external spending of Levelling Up Funds in accordance with the terms and conditions and in consultation with the Chair of the Policy and Finance Committee and Section 151 Officer; and following the procurement process to appoint consultants (as set out in the approved heads of terms in section 2.1 of the report), approve authority to enter into an agreement for pre-construction services with the successful bidders for the Alexandra Theatre project and Littlehampton seafront and riverside project; and

(4)          Authority be given for the Policy & Finance Committee to manage and lead on the Levelling-Up Fund as part of its name key plan objectives and strategies.