Agenda item

This report:

·         presents the current financial position of spend against the 2022/23 Capital Programme as at 31st December 2022;

·         updates on the position regarding the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) capital grant allocation and provides Members with details of activity proposed under the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) capital grant allocation – a rural ‘top-up’ to the UKSPF programme – added to the Capital Programme;

·         updates on the position regarding the Bakewell Road, Matlock scheme following the recent tender process and sets out proposals for consideration for utilising additional UKSPF/REPF grant to support the scheme;

·         explains other proposed changes to the capital programme for 2022/23 to 2026/27 and associated financing;

·         seeks approval for the updated capital programme for 2022/23 to 2026/27 and associated financing.

The Director of Resources introduced a report which:

·         Presented the current financial position of spend against the 2022/23 Capital Programme as at 31st December 2022;

·         Updated Members on the position regarding the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) capital grant allocation and provided Members with details of activity proposed under the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) capital grant allocation – a rural ‘top-up’ to the UKSPF programme – added to the Capital Programme;

·         Updated Members on the position regarding the Bakewell Road, Matlock scheme following the recent tender process and set out proposals for consideration for utilising additional UKSPF/REPF grant to support the scheme;

·         Explained other proposed changes to the capital programme for 2022/23 to 2026/27 and associated financing;

·         Sought approval for the updated capital programme for 2022/23 to 2026/27 and associated financing.

The first part of the report presented the current financial position of spend against the 2022/23 Capital Programme as at 31^st December 2022.The remainder of the report described new bids and other updates to the capital programme for 2022/23 to 2026/27 and associated funding.

With the Chairs agreement, the Regeneration and Place Manager gave an update to Members regarding the Land at Bakewell Road, Matlock: Proposed Conversion of Former Market Hall and Public Realm Improvements which was detailed in Appendix E to the report.

Members were informed that an Invitation To Tender (ITT) was published on 3 November 2022. Unfortunately, following a review of compliance, quality and price, an acceptable / affordable tender had not been received to deliver the core scheme. It was noted that the tender process had illustrated the challenge of delivering the proposed scheme within the current market impacted by the volatile situation within the construction industry and high inflation.

Due to the recognised significant commitment of the District Council to the Bakewell Road scheme and to avoid further delay, the allocation of UKSPF capital funding of £273,000 to support delivery of the scheme was proposed, with a further provisional allocation of REPF funding of up to £135,737 subject to the outcome of the tender process. Following this, a final Capital programme allocation would be determined based on the minimum funding necessary for the scheme to proceed.

The recommendations as set out in the report were moved by Councillor Neil Buttle and seconded by Councillor Steve Wain with the addition of the following amendment to recommendation 6:

“6. That authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Policy in consultation with group leaders to enter into the required contract documentation for the Bakewell Road shell construction and public realm works subject to an acceptable tender being received and the tendered costs being within the amended Capital Programme budget. Should tendered costs for these works exceed the amended budget, a report will be bought back to Council for consideration.”

The motion was then put to the vote and

RESOLVED (unanimously)

1.    That the Capital Programme spend to 31^st December 2022 be noted.

2.    That new projects totalling £16,016,396 (set out in paragraph 3.1 of the report) and other revisions set out in paragraph 3.2 and Appendix C of the report, be approved for inclusion in the Capital Programme.

3.    That the updated capital programme for 2022/23 to 2026/27 set out in Appendix B to the report totalling £35,858,944 be approved.

4.    That financing of the Capital Programme from the sources summarised at paragraph 3.3 be approved.

5.    That further UK Shared Prosperity Fund capital of £273,000 be included within the Capital Programme to support delivery of the Bakewell Road, Matlock scheme, along with a further provisional allocation of Rural England Prosperity Funding (a rural top-up to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation) of up to £135,737 subject to the outcome of the tender process and review of final scheme proposals.

6.    That authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Policy, in consultation with group leaders, to enter into the required contract documentation for the Bakewell Road shell construction and public realm works subject to an acceptable tender being received and the tendered costs being within the amended Capital Programme budget. Should tendered costs for these works exceed the amended budget, a report will be bought back to Council for consideration.

The Chairman declared the motion CARRIED.

Councillor Richard Bright left the meeting at 19:08pm