Issue - decisions

Matter for Decision: To consider the options for the use of City-Wide Developer Contributions

 

Decision of the Executive Councillor for Community Development and Health, and Executive Councillor for Arts, Sport and Public Places.

 

The Executive Councillors resolved to

.

Arts, Sport and Public Places

 

i.        Prioritise for delivery the following projects from the City-wide Developer Contributions Programme, subject to project appraisal and the identification of appropriate funding to meet any related revenue and maintenance costs:

·          Logan’s Meadow Local Nature Reserve extension (£160,000)

·          Paradise Local Nature Reserve improvements (£100,000)

·          Drainage of Jesus Green (£95,000 or, if possible, up to £119,000).

 

ii.      Note the Logan’s Meadow LNR extension and Upper River Cam Biodiversity projects will come off the Capital Plan on-hold list.)

 

iii.    Confirm the allocation of two specific public art contributions with expiry dates in the short-term (totalling c.£88,000) to a public art project to mark both the 150th anniversary of the city’s role in formulating the rules of Association Football and the 400th anniversary of the city’s acquisition of Parker’s Piece;

 

iv.   Assign the full amount of city-wide developer contributions funding for provision for children and teenagers (based on the mid-December 2012 analysis) to the North Area Committee (£40,000 or, if possible, up to £52,000) and the East Area Committee (£35,000 or, if possible, up to £47,000), in recognition of the levels of funding currently available to those areas for play provision.

 

v.     Allocate £100,000 of city-wide funding from outdoor sports/formal open space contributions for the longer-term development of the Rouse Ball Pavilion on Jesus Green, subject to project appraisal and the identification of appropriate funding to meet any related revenue and maintenance costs.

 

vi.   Confirm that that all three of the water play projects at Abbey, Coleridge and Kings Hedges, which have already been approved, should each have £50,000 of developer contributions for public art assigned to them and that this be included in the Council’s Capital Plan for 2013/14.

 

 

Community Development and Health

 

vii. Prioritise for delivery the following projects from the City-wide Developer Contributions Programme, subject to project appraisal and the identification of appropriate funding to meet any related revenue and maintenance costs:

·          Grant for the Centre at St Paul’s development – phase 3 (£50,000)

·          Grant for the Cherry Trees Centre refurbishment (£50,000) and

·          Grant for the extension of St Andrew’s Hall (£140,000).

 

 

viii.                       Allocate £85,000 (or, if possible, up to £109,000) of city-wide funding from community facilities contributionsfor the longer-term development of the Rouse Ball Pavilion on Jesus Green, subject to project appraisal and the identification of appropriate funding to meet any related revenue and maintenance costs.

 

Reason for the Decision:

 

As per the officer report

 

Any alternative options considered and rejected:

 

N/A

 

Scrutiny Considerations:

 

The committee received a report from the Urban Growth Project Manager regarding options for City Wide Developers Contributions.

The officer provided an update that, since the publication of the report, the South Area Committee had agreed the minutes of its 12 November meeting. All the five projects that it identified have equal priority, with the South Area Committee believing that the three projects in the Cherry Hinton ward should be taken as one priority.

 

The Director of Environment had written to the Chair of South Area Committee in mid-January, proposing arrangements for taking forward all five priority projects. In the context of available staffing resources and the overall project programme, the Director had advised that three projects could be delivered in 2013/14 (the skate park in Cherry Hinton, the trim trail in Queen Edith’s and the community meeting space in Trumpington). The other two projects (five-a-side goals and additional new play area equipment at Cherry Hinton) could be delivered in 2014/15. Meanwhile, the existing Cherry Hinton play area will be refurbished by the end of March 2013, using repairs and renewals money.

 

 

The committee made the following comments regarding the report.

 

i.        The proposals regarding Jesus Green were welcomed, but advice was sought from officers on what type of drainage had been proposed in the Heritage Lottery Fund bid. The committee were advised that that element of the bid had been developed by the Sustainable Drainage Engineer. It was suggested that full consultation should be undertaken on any drainage proposals, as flooding had its own beauty. The committee were also advised that the project would require Secretary of State Approval because Jesus Green is a registered common.

 

ii.      The proposed projects were welcomed and members thanked officers for the work to date.

 

The Executive Councillors spoke in support of the recommendations.

 

The committee endorsed the recommendations unanimously.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

 

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensation granted):

 

N/A