Agenda item

This report provides an update to the Cranbrook Sport Pavilion Delivery.

Councillor Matt Osborn from Cranbrook Town Council (CTC) spoke about the Ingrams facility/project – the sports hub at Cranbrook. He wished for members to consider a third option originally proposed by CTC, that was the facility supported 220 children of varying age groups a week and the most used facility in the town for young people. The facility had no medical room, toilets or hot water. The CTC wished to take on this project with the budget available to which through negotiations a fund had now been agreed. CTC had a strong track record of successful negotiations and had the resource, experience and capability to oversee this project by working to a budget. They wished to be allowed to complete this project once planning consent had been granted; hopefully before the start of the next football season.

The report provided members with an update to the Cabinet report that was considered on the 27 November 2019 where it was resolved that:

1.     East Devon District Council take the transfer of a plot of serviced land at the Ingram’s sports hub in Cranbrook and procure and project manage the delivery of a sports pavilion at the sports hub (to a design to be agreed with Cranbrook Town Council) using identified Section 106 monies and external funding, and

2.     Delegated authority be given to the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Strategic Leads for Governance and Licensing and Finance, to carry out appropriate due diligence, agree satisfactory heads of terms with relevant parties, secure external funding and thereafter to progress the transfer of the land, delivery of the project and transfer of the completed sports pavilion to Cranbrook Town Council, upon practical completion of the building.

Over the past 12 months East Devon District Council had undertaken the due diligence promised within the 2019 report and identified two funding challenges. Firstly that the monies that were proposed by the developer consortium in lieu of their onsite obligations were lower than could be expected and that the costs of delivering the 6-changing room pavilion building that was aspired to, had increased. This left a gap in funding.

As explored in more detail within the report two options resulted;

1.     that which leaves the responsibility for delivering the basic changing room building with the developer consortium (and for either the Town Council or this Council to then try to rework and extend that building with the remaining monies)

2.     or for this Council or the town council to deliver a building which is of an appropriate size and specification to meet the requirements of the various sports governing bodies (whilst still maintaining the provision of a function room) but recognising that the final building may be smaller than that which was originally hoped for to meet budgetary constraints.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1.     On the basis of the views expressed by Cranbrook Town Council and their willingness to take responsibility for working with the NCP to deliver the enhanced requirements, Cabinet resolves that Option 1 represents the right approach to deliver the best changing room pavilion facilities for the residents of Cranbrook. Cabinet therefore give delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the PH for Economy & Assets and PH for Strategic Development, to agree appropriate arrangements to ensure the transfer of land and / or the facility to Cranbrook Town Council together with the identified S106 funding that is available to be put towards delivering the enhanced facility. In the absence of being able to secure the necessary arrangements a report shall be brought back to Cabinet for a further decision.

REASON:

It has been accepted that Cranbrook Town Council are best placed to deliver the project and that they have appropriate resources to enable them to do so.