Issue - meetings

Members gave consideration to a report which set out a summary of the bid to the Levelling Up Fund (LUF), prepared by West Lindsey District Council (WLDC), which sought to secure investment in the regeneration of Gainsborough Town Centre. The report provided an overview of the financial model and sought approval for the use of Council resources to support the project. 

WLDC had developed a range of investment propositions, based on a robust Theory of Change, designed to act as a further catalyst to the regeneration of Gainsborough Town Centre.

The investment propositions were set across five strategic themes:

1.  A thriving Market Place

2.  Heritage re-use and re-purpose

3.  Placemaking and a green public realm

4.  Transformed movement and connectivity

5.  A place to live

In support of the published report, Members received a presentation from the Assistant Director of Planning and Regeneration and the Council’s S151 Officer.

During the presentation, Members received information relating to: -

Ø  A Re-cap of the Levelling Up Fund

Ø  Progress to date and support from stakeholders

Ø  Thriving Gainsborough 2024 – overview of the project

Ø  Financial model

Ø  Updates from 4^th June to note

Ø  Next steps

The West Lindsey Levelling Up Fund bid had been informed by 10 weeks of concentrated work to develop a high-quality submission.

The bid had been informed by West Lindsey’s evidence base, Officer input, Member workshops, stakeholder discussions and quality assurance from the Council’s consultant partners.

Members were advised the bid was being considered in closed session due to the inclusion of confidential financial data, which could impact on future tenders for commercial contracts, but Councillors were assured public appropriate communications were being prepared. If the bid was successful, it was a criterion of the fund, that it be published in full in due course.

Set within the context of the emerging Public Realm strategy Thriving Gainsborough 2024, the the bid if successful, would set out to deliver:-

Ø  The construction of a 4-screen cinema, two retail and one restaurant unit in the town centre – a redeveloped Lindsey Centre

Ø  A Redesigned use and streetscape of the Market Place with the aim of re-establishing the area as the town’s thriving heart

Ø  The extension of the Townscape Heritage Initiative, involving the refurbishment of heritage buildings and wider shop fronts

Ø  The creation of a green public realm including a new pocket park along the riverside and undertaking improvements to the existing park –

Ø  The implementation of our wayfinding strategy –

Ø  The refurbishment of the bus station -

Ø  Extending the live above the shop programme

The Section 151 Officer addressed the meeting and advised of the amended total cost of the overall bid. She placed on record her opinion of assurance that the funding strategy was robust and that the Council would support £2.962m of the project from identified funds.  The breakdown and the allocation to each project was provided to Members

The Council would also support the project with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4