Agenda item

Report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing which provided details to submit the Second Round application (Second stage of a two stage process) to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Townscape Heritage funding stream for Southport Town Centre including Lord Street and the Promenade Conservation Areas.

Decision Made: That

(1)      approval be given to the submission of a Second Round application for Heritage LotteryFunding for Southport Town Centre to the value of £1.63m as part of an overall project valued at £2.36m; and

(2)      subject to Heritage Lottery Fund approval of the Second Round application:

a)    approval be given to the submission of the Second Round bid

b)    approval be given to the provision of £200,000 of match funding over the course of the 5 year project; and

c)    it be noted that the Head of Economic Growth and Housing, will provide regular progress updates in briefings to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control, and will deliver the project over the subsequent 5 years.

Reasons for Decision:

At the meeting on 2 November 2017, the Cabinet agreed to the recommendations set out which included:

1. Cabinet agrees to the resubmission of a Stage 1 application for Heritage Lottery Funding for Southport Town Centre;

2. That subject to approval of the Stage 1 application:

a) the Chief Planning Officer, in consultation with Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control, is granted delegated authority to develop the Project for a Second Round application and that

b) prior to submission of the Second Round application, a further report is presented to Cabinet seeking its approval to proceed with the application and setting out the Partnership Funding arrangements and any required Council contribution.

c) £30,000 revenue funding is earmarked from within the Council’s Economic Growth Programme to support the application.

d) Note that based upon the current financial forecast for the £2.3m programme of works, that gap funding of £200,000 currently exists. In the event that this sum cannot be identified from external sources, the Council will be required to provide for this from its future years capital programme.

The First Round application was submitted in December 2017 and approved in June 2018 with Heritage Lottery Fund grant funding of £70,100 and Southport BID funding of £30,000. Since that time the Second Round application has been, and continues to be, worked up in order for submission in June 2019. Alternative external sources of match funding for the £200,000 required has not been able to be identified. The full value of the project is £2.36m.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The two Conservation Areas highlighted within the report were selected over others within the borough as they are currently classified as being "at risk" and so are in priority need of investment. The other four Conservation Areas "at risk" within the authority are not located within any Town Centre and do not have the identified need that would suit the individual eligibility criteria and outcomes required as part of the Townscape Heritage funding stream.

This was the last opportunity to apply for the Townscape Heritage funding stream, which has now been discontinued by Heritage Lottery Fund.