Issue - meetings

This report provides an update on Hawkwood Road, which is a priority project for the Boscombe Towns Fund. In February 2025 Council, resolved to approve the funding strategy for a mixed-use residential-led scheme with a clinical facility in collaboration with the NHS (Option 1).

The Cabinet recommendation to Council included an obligation to have a contract in place with the NHS prior to award of the build works contract for the main construction. Despite a Memorandum of Understanding between the NHS and BCP Council being signed in December 2024 and best endeavours, a final contract has not been entered into with the NHS. To maintain delivery, this report seeks authority to proceed to award the build contract for the main construction to ensure that the grant milestones for the Towns Fund programme and Homes England are satisfied and thereby safeguard the total grant of £17.3m.

This will allow for continued discussions with the NHS and ensure that the significant social and physical regeneration to the ward of Boscombe West and the local need is not lost.

There is a continued commitment to have a health provision at Hawkwood Road, but in the event the NHS cannot proceed, this report seeks authority to market the property as general commercial use as the preferred alternative strategy now due to funding timelines being unachievable for a new residential scheme which would require planning. The 100% residential scheme (Option 2 in the previous Cabinet report) would require a new design and planning application and tender, which is likely to result in higher pricing and therefore is not deliverable within the immediate need to start on site in 2026/2027 and deliver by 2028/2029.

[PLEASE NOTE: Should Cabinet wish to discuss the detail of the confidential appendices at Appendix 1 and 2 the meeting will be required to move into Confidential (Exempt) Session].