Issue - meetings

This report is to update Members on the risk that the decision for the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) bid could be delayed until November 2019.  With this in mind, it is proposed that additional funding from reserves are allocated to complete the planned works within the programme to continue to meet the 2024 spend deadline.

The Cabinet has recommended to Full Council the addition of £850,000 to the Revenue Budget, initially funded from reserves subject to the Council being awarded the HIF bid.

Discussion:

This report provided details of a proposal for additional funding of £850,000 from reserves to be allocated to complete the planned Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) works within the programme to continue to meet the 2024 spend deadline. The funding would enable the Council to continue programmed works to complete RIBA stage 3, which was a developed design, including coordinated and updated proposals which are required for outline-planning submission for the road scheme. It would also enable the Council to continue programmed works relating to GRIP 2, which related to Project Feasibility for the rail scheme. This would define the preferred option and would produce outline designs, at risk until the end of 2019.

The Cabinet considered the report on 24 September 2019 and its comments were set out in section 5 of the report.

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

Decision:

The Council approved the addition of £850,000 to the revenue budget to:

(i)            Continue programmed works to complete RIBA stage 3 (road scheme) and GRIP 2 (rail scheme) at risk until the end of December 2019, as detailed in paragraphs 3.5 – 3.12 of the report.

(ii)          Undertake other works at risk until the end of December 2019, as detailed in paragraphs 3.13 – 3.16 of the report.

Background:

This report updated the Cabinet on the risk that the decision for the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) bid could be delayed until November 2019 and therefore requested the Cabinet to recommend to Full Council the addition of £850,000 to the Revenue Budget, initially funded from reserves subject to the Council being awarded the HIF bid. 

The report stated that the funding would enable the Council to continue programmed works to complete RIBA stage 3, which was a developed design, including coordinated and updated proposals which were required for outline-planning submission for the road scheme.  It would also enable the Council to continue programmed works relating to GRIP 2, which was Project Feasibility for the rail scheme. 

Reasons:

To enable the work to continue on the HIF Bid project to ensure that if successful with the HIF funding that Medway Council are still able to meet the March 2024 spend deadline currently required within the HIF funding agreement.