Agenda item

(Report of the Leader of the Council)

The Chair welcomed the Deputy Leader of the Council who is on the Future High Street Board, the Assistant Growth and Regeneration and Future High Street Fund Project Officer to provide an update on the Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) programme of works.

The Deputy Leader introduced the report highlighting that they are seeing good progress on delivering the vision as the project transitions from design to implementation, before handing over to Officers who provided a summary of the report, highlighting that Nationwide’s contractor had gone in to administration but that they had since appointed a new contractor and were expecting to be back on site in October.

The Committee made the following comments/observations and asked the following questions:

1.     Further to the news that the contractors ISG had gone into administration the Committee were reassured that a new contractor had been appointed and asked if any ISG employees affected were to be employed under the new contractor?

Officers confirmed that as this is Nationwide’s contractor and that they have no direct engagement with them however this was something that they could check.

2.     How likely it was that they would go over the spend deadlines?

Officers confirmed that whilst works would go beyond the spends deadline of March 2025 they expect to have spent the Future High Street Grant funding by the deadline. There could be a small proportion remaining that would need to spent highlighting that the project does not allow for funding to move across budgets and that this would likely sit within the Castle Gateway/Market Street properties. If there were any potential delays these would need to be reported back to the department.

It was noted that works continuing beyond the March deadline were funded from other sources and not subject to the same deadlines.

3.     Whether any communications were being put out to reassure the public around who ISG are and that there are no issues with the Council appointed contractors?

The Officer confirmed that they believed there were some communications being circulated for approval around Nationwide and ISG.

4.     Were any delays expected like those seen with the bandstand due to unforeseen works?

Officers confirmed that investigation works have been carried out and so far nothing has been found to be of archaeological interest and so they do not envisage any major delays with delivering the project.

5.     Some Members had attended an event at the college site and that it was a great addition to the town centre.

6.     The Committee acknowledged the hard work of the team and the progress being made on the project.

It was highlighted that an invitation to the Planning committee to a site visit around the back of the Nationwide building had also been extended to the Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Clarke arrive at 18:27pm.

The Chair thanked the Officers and Portfolio Holder and invited them to leave.