Agenda item

PLEASE NOTE: Should the Council wish to discuss the detail of Appendices 3, 4, 6 or 7 it will be necessary to exclude the press and public and move into confidential (exempt) session. If applicable, the following resolution should be moved:

“That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act and that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs such interest in disclosing the information.”

RECOMMENDED that Council: -

(g)    accepts and approves the remaining allocation of £18.229m Towns Fund grant as outlined in Table 1 for the delivery of the following projects; the Town Centre Masterplan Phase 1, the Royal Arcade, Digital Connectivity and Local Transport projects, subject to the approval of the business cases by DLUHC;

(h)    approves borrowing of £11.784m towards the Phase 1 Masterplan and Royal Arcade project and adjusts the MTFP to reflect the £420k pressure between 2024/25-2028/29;

(i)     acknowledges the allocation of £2.25m of grant from the Local Transport Plan Capital Programme. This funding is profiled to be utilised over the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years.

Note – resolutions (a) to (f) were resolved matters by the Cabinet.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Philip Broadhead, presented the report and recommendations as set out on the agenda.

In doing so, points raised included:

·     The community led regeneration of Boscombe Town Centre;

·     The final business cases for each of the projects were submitted in January 2023;

·     Agreement the new money would result in new homes, a community centre, business park, and medical care facility.

The proposal was seconded by Councillor J Kelly.

Councillor L Lewis left the meeting at 11.17pm.

Councillor A Hadley spoke in debate of the proposal. Points raised included:

·     Concerns over the costs of the required work to refurbish the Royal Arcade;

·     Concerns over the proposed location of the new business park and the industrialisation of the beachfront.

In response, Councillor Broadhead advised:

·     The Beach park had been suggested by the community and were contained in the original proposals go Government;

·     The Royal Arcade was re-provisioning as a central skills hub to promote its use;

·     Changes to the seafront would give further opportunities to small businesses.

Council moved to a vote where the motion as follows was carried.

RESOLVED that Council: -

(g)    accepts and approves the remaining allocation of £18.229m Towns Fund grant as outlined in Table 1 for the delivery of the following projects; the Town Centre Masterplan Phase 1, the Royal Arcade, Digital Connectivity and Local Transport projects, subject to the approval of the business cases by DLUHC;

(h)    approves borrowing of £11.784m towards the Phase 1 Masterplan and Royal Arcade project and adjusts the MTFP to reflect the £420k pressure between 2024/25-2028/29;

(i)      acknowledges the allocation of £2.25m of grant from the Local Transport Plan Capital Programme. This funding is profiled to be utilised over the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years.

Voting: Unanimous.

Note – resolutions (a) to (f) were resolved matters by the Cabinet.

(Councillor J Beesley declared an interest in this item and left the room during the consideration and voting of this item.)