Agenda item

The Committee gave consideration to a report which set out the capital budget and staffing resources required to deliver ‘Thriving Gainsborough 2024’, LDCs Levelling Up Fund programme. Following a competitive bid process West Lindsey District Council had been awarded £10.275m from the government’s flagship Levelling Up Programme, with Officers engaged with government officials to agree the details a memorandum of understanding which would set out the terms and conditions of the funding and what was expected from the Council. The timeframes for delivery were challenging, with some spend expected this financial year. In order to achieve this, Officers were working quickly to establish the project team and to gear up the first elements of delivery. The bid made provisions for project resources to be employed by the council. This would include the following roles:

·         Programme Manager

·         Project Officer

·         Project Support Officer

·         Townscape Heritage Project Officer

·         Procurement Officer

·         Contract Manager

·         Project / Grant Accountant

Members heard that the job descriptions and person specifications were being used to agree the appropriate banding for the roles through the job evaluation process and, subject to job evaluation and the approvals sought within this paper, it was the aim to have recruited fully to the LUF team by March 2022.

In response to concerns raised that the roles were already being advertised prior to the agreement of the Committee, it was explained that the funding for the posts had been agreed in principle through previous reports regarding the Levelling Up Fund and the timescales involved had driven the need to initiate the recruitment process. However, it was noted that should agreement not be made at this point, the recruitment would be withdrawn. It was further highlighted by a Member of the Committee that the posts had been agreed in a previous paper and the paper under consideration at this point was regarding amendments to the budgets involved.

Members sought clarification regarding the funding of the cinema complex and it was confirmed that, owing to the Levelling Up Fund, there had been enhancements made to the original proposal and the contribution from the Council had not changed. The was widespread support for the planned regeneration of Gainsborough and the opportunities this would attract now and in the future.

In response to a request for assurance that planned retail and hospitality units would be suitably filled and not left empty, it was explained that, whilst the markets were still a changing entity, there was already interest in the proposed units and Officers were in dialogue with the developer to consider all opportunities.

With further support for the scheme, and having been moved and seconded, the Chairman took the vote and it was unanimously

            RESOLVED that

a)    a revised Capital Budget for the Cinema of £5.730m be approved; and

b)    additional Capital Budgets of £6.736m be approved, in line with the Levelling Up Fund Programme to be included in the Capital Programme 2021/22 and MTFP 2022/23 onwards; and

c)    the resources and expenditure of £389k to enable commencement of delivery during 2021/22 be approved; and

d)    the Committee receive a further paper once the Memorandum of Understanding be agreed with Department of Levelling Up Homes and Communities to approve spend of the remainder of the Levelling Up Fund grant funding; and

e)    the Committee receive further reports to approve the expenditure of specific projects within the Programme.