Issue - meetings

This report provides details of the Strood Flood Management Works scheme which requires Full Council approval to be added to the Capital Programme.

Discussion:

This report provided details of the proposed addition to the capital programme with regards to the Strood Flood Management Works scheme, following consideration by the Cabinet on 16 January 2018.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Jarrett, supported by the Portfolio Holder for Inward Investment, Strategic Regeneration and Partnerships, Councillor Rodney Chambers OBE, proposed the recommendation in the report.

Decision:

The Council agreed to add the supplementary project costs in respect of the Strood Flood Management Works scheme, as set out in section 2 of the report, to the Capital Programme.

Background:

This report provided details of the Strood Flood Management Works scheme which would require Full Council approval to be added to the Capital Programme.

The report noted that planning permission was secured in 2008 for the construction of a river wall around Strood Waterfront. However, owing to changing market conditions at the time, the site was not bought forward and the requirement of the Environment Agency was such that the river wall costs would now exceed the budget. A flood mitigation optioneering study was undertaken in August 2015 and a proposed solution had been reached to complete the flood defences for Strood in two phases. Planning applications for the flood risk management works were submitted in May 2017 and approval was given at Planning Committee on 22 November 2017.

The report stated that the total cost of the project would be £13.85m. The scheme would be funded by £4m of Council approved borrowing (in lieu of future capital receipts), investment of £3.5m which has been secured from the Local Growth Fund for the flood risk management works at the Civic Centre site; dependent on approval of the final business case, which was submitted to the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) at the end of December 2017.  This would be presented at the LEP Accountability Board on 23 February 2018. Additional Council approved borrowing against future capital receipts of £550,000 for the demolition of the Civic site and a further bid for £5.8m was submitted on 3 November 2017 for the Land Release Fund, as part of the One Public Estate (OPE), to provide capital funding to contribute to the cost of the works on the Riverside site on Canal Road. The outcome of this bid was due on 8 December 2017, but had been delayed.  Should part or all of the OPE bid be unsuccessful further borrowing against future capital receipts would be required.

Reasons:

Additions to the Capital Programme are a matter for Full Council.