Agenda item

Report from the Interim Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendations:

1.    That Cabinet approves the altered scope, the updated costs and additional funding for the Country Parks Project as shown in Appendix 1.

Consideration was given to the report which provided details on the development of the regeneration projects for Thrybergh Country Park and Rother Valley Country Park (both Council facilities and assets), which had been awarded funding via the Leisure Economy Levelling Up Fund (LUF). The report contained details of the altered scope of the projects, updated costs, and timeframes.

The report also sought a variation to increase the project budgets in line with the figures in exempt Appendix 1. These budget variations were in line with the Pathfinder Pilot local assurance processes and were necessary owing to inflation and cost increases since the bid was submitted. Consequently, officers from Culture Sport & Tourism and Regeneration worked up alternative proposals with scope changes including the preferred option to proceed with the construction of the new build waterfront café and new car park at Rother Valley Country Park (Appendix 2), and a refurbished café and outside space for up to 100 people at Thrybergh Country Park.

This option delivered most closely the original intentions of the LUF

scheme in that it would achieve improvements at both sites, creating impact

for residents and delivering the greatest economic benefits and supporting

the financial recovery of Rother Valley Country Park. However, this was at a

reduced scope to that set out to Cabinet in August 2023 and it came at an

additional cost.

Sub-contract work packages had been tendered for Rother Valley and

Kier would proceed with construction of the new facilities post Cabinet in

September 2024 with completion in October 2025. The proposal for

Thrybergh was not to proceed into the Stage 2 contract with I&G Ltd. Instead, the scope of this scheme would change to a refurbishment scheme which was

being designed by the Building Consultancy Service in consultation with

Culture, Sport and Tourism. The scheme would be designed within the budget

set out in Appendix 1 and would be subject to a procurement procedure in

terms of the build. This solution would enable both projects to proceed within

the available budget envelope.

Resolved:

1.    That Cabinet approve the altered scope, the updated costs and additional funding for the Country Parks Project as shown in Appendix 1.