Decision details

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Bryning)

The Corporate Director (Regeneration) submitted a report to advise members that the NorthWest Development Agency has offered funding for the Council to prepare detailed design proposals to enhance streets and places in the city centre that are its priorities for improvement and to seek authority to proceed.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment, were set out in the report as follows:

Option 1 - To proceed as set out in this report and prepare designs for the locations proposed, utilising the funding available from the NWDA.

Option 2 - Not to proceed and decline the funding offer from NWDA.

A comprehensive policy review and close liaison with the NWDA informs Option 1 and its priorities for design work. Option 2 would lose for the Council any opportunity to drive forward improvements to public realm in the city centre.

The Officer preferred option was Option 1 given what is proposed fits very well to the Council’s policy framework and has won the funding support of the NWDA and the encouragement of the Highway Authority.

It was moved by Councillor Bryning and seconded by Councillor Blamire:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Members then voted as follows:-

Resolved:

9 Members (Councillors Barry, Blamire, Bryning, Burns, Charles, Fletcher, Gilbert, Kerr and Mace) voted in favour, 1 Member (Councillor Archer) abstained.

(1)        That the Head of Financial Services is authorised to amend the Council’s General Fund Revenue Budget for 2008/09 and that proposed for 2009/2010 to provide for expenditures in preparing design proposals for the city centre subject to these expenditures being fully funded by grant income from the NorthWest Development Agency (NWDA) up to a maximum of £90,000 in costs

(2)        That, to meet NWDA programming requirements, Cabinet delegates to the Corporate Director (Regeneration) authority to select and commission consultants for the required design work after a proper competitive process in accordance with Council procedures.

(3)        That the Head of Planning Services to report to Cabinet on the design options prepared and subsequent public consultation into these in order that Cabinet can then select its preferred options.

(4)        That Cabinet notes there are issues concerning the management of traffic on adopted highways within the pedestrian zone that may require resolution before any designs can be finalised and request a further report on this be submitted to Cabinet as early as possible in the New Year.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Corporate Director (Regeneration)

Head of Planning Services

Head of Financial Services

Reasons for making the decision:

The decision made fits well with the Council’s policy framework and has won the funding support of the NWDA and the encouragement of the Highway Authority.