Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)

Report of the Head of Regeneration and Policy

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)

Cabinet received a report from the Head of Regeneration and Policy which proposed a further initiative to improve main streets and spaces in and around Morecambe’s established centre as part of work to support delivery of the emerging Morecambe Area Action Plan.

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

Option 1 – To rely on the private sector for any investment to improve New Town Square and Euston Road in line with the emerging Morecambe Area Action Plan.

This option would mean that the council would not take a lead in effecting improvements in with and to support delivery of the emerging Morecambe Area Action Plan.It would mean not undertaking outline design work and preparing budget estimates and not seeking to bring forward considered proposals via appropriate community engagement. It would not necessarily mean that nothing happens but the council would be entirely reliant on the private sector to achieve improvements. Recent history evidences relatively low levels of private sector investment in Morecambe centre but the recent Travellodge development shows that it can be instrumental in effecting improvements to public realm. In addition the option would still permit the council to directly bring forward improvements to public realm as possible as part of “A View for Eric”, the second Morecambe Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) 2. These must be within the area of the THI and will likely be focused on Victoria Street and Market Street.

The advantages are that the option will lead to no additional demands on the General Capital Fund and reliance on the private sector to fund extra investment and improvements is in principle appropriate in circumstances where the public sector cannot afford to commit resources.

The disadvantages are that given national and local economic circumstances and that Morecambe evidences generally limited levels of private sector investment no assurance can be given that New Town Square and Euston Road can be improved within any timescale.

The risks are that without a delivery lead from the council the private sector will not fill the gap and improvements cannot be achieved within at least the short to medium term meaning the town centre is not positioned well and competitively for the future. In this event this option would not support the trajectory of the emerging Morecambe Area Action Plan.

Option 2 – The Head of Regeneration and Policy work up outline proposals and cost estimates to improve New Town Square and Euston Road and, as part of preparing its budget recommendations, Cabinet uses these as a basis to consider whether appropriate budget provision be included in its draft General Fund Capital Programme for 2012/13.

This option would mean the council takes a lead to vision what improvements may be possible. At minimum it would make for preparation of outline proposals that should fit to the emerging Morecambe Area Action Plan and might set a template for the council and others to work to into the future. Further, the option provides that as part of the budget process and preparing its recommendations to council Cabinet might consider whether the council might also take a funding lead and direct and programme implementation.

This option would by no means preclude the council from working to secure private sector funding contributions to the improvements and contributions that if secured might mean the council can reduce its outturn expenditure.

The advantages include that improvement of New Town Square and Euston Road will likely be integral to any options brought forward through the emerging Morecambe Area Action Plan and Option 2 is therefore likely to be highly supportive of plan delivery.

Works to New Town Square and Euston Road would make for an environment fitting to its functions, a place more active, pleasant and safe to spend time in. This should add significantly to the attraction of the established centre to the benefit of business trading and its general competitiveness in difficult economic conditions. Taken together with works to public realm anticipated via THI2, this should be quite transformative for the main streets and spaces in and around Morecambe’s established commercial centre.

Option 2 provides for partnership working and for securing funding contributions from the private sector.  Even if a funding lead by the council proves unaffordable for the council to vision what might be achieved should encourage the private sector to step forward. Further, should the council prove able to provide funding, lead private contributions as can be secured should make for reductions in net outturn expenditure by the council.

The main disadvantage of option 2 as compared to option 1 is that this option requires more commitment of officer time in bringing forward outline proposals and in due course and, subject to the budget process might have cost implications via an additional demand on the General Fund Capital Programme.

Turning to risks, one is that option 2 will unduly raise stakeholder and community expectations only for these not to be met if it proves unaffordable for the council for it to take a funding lead. A further riskidentified is that the desired regeneration will not happen because the net affect of wider adverse factors e.g. the decline of established small centres in the face of changing consumer trends and competition proves stronger.

Option 2 was the officer preferred option as it would inform Cabinet, in preparing its recommendations to council as part of the budget process, in considering an important aspect of how the council might provide support to the performance of Morecambe’s established centre, very likely to be an early priority for the emerging Morecambe Area Action Plan.  Taken together with works to other public realm via THI2 improvement of New Town Square and Euston Road it should make for a coherent programme of phased works to streets and spaces over three years.

Councillor Hanson proposed, seconded by Councillor Bryning:-

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

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)        That the  Head of Regeneration and Policy  work up outline proposals and cost estimates to improve New Town Square and Euston Road and, as part of preparing its budget recommendations,  Cabinet  uses these as a basis to consider whether appropriate budget provision be included in its General Fund Capital Programme for 2012/13.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Head of Regeneration and Policy

Reasons for making the decision:

The 2010-2014 Corporate Plan sets Economic Regeneration Priority as one of four priorities for the council and the second Morecambe THI is identified as one of the actions under “Visitor Economy”.  In spatial terms the Lancaster District Core Strategy, 2003-2021 (adopted 2008) made central Morecambe the regeneration priority for the council and the community (Policy ER2).  Work on the Morecambe Area Action Plan reflects these priorities and is central to achieving on them.  The September 2011 Cabinet meeting considered a report on a Priorities Review that detailed on a number of areas of activity that cabinet members had requested be considered in more detail. This was to be fed into the corporate plan and budget process (Minute 34). As an established spatial planning and regeneration priority this proposal might reasonably be considered as part of the corporate plan and budget considerations.