Agenda item

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its two appendices (the background paper is confidential Part II exempt* material and is available in an agenda supplement for online viewing by members and relevant officers only) and to make the following resolutions and the recommendation to the Council:

A – RESOLUTIONS BY THE CABINET

(1)  That option three and the associated PID in appendix 1 to the agenda report for the proposed enhancement scheme in the North West corner of Priory Park be approved.

(2)  That the allocation of £72,274 of section 106 funding, as outlined in the PID in appendix one be approved to part fund the project and that £62,000 of General Fund reserves be allocated to cover the remaining estimated cost for the project.

B – RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL

That the Council gives its approval to forward fund £450,000 from the Asset Replacement Programme for the refurbishment of the buildings in Priory Park to part fund the project.

*[Note Paragraph 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)) of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972]

RESOLVED

(1)  That the implementation of the proposed enhancement scheme for the north west corner of Priory Park, option 3 and the associated actions within the PID be put on hold with the exception of the works to the current depot area, until the planning position regarding the temporary café facility (the permission for which is due to expire in 2020) in its current location is resolved.

(2)  That £57,000 be approved from reserves to complete the demolition of the current depot, provision of a storage facility and associated landscape works, and carry out repairs to the Coade stone statue.  

The Cabinet received and considered the agenda report and its two appendices.

A background paper, which was confidential Part II exempt material, had been published for online viewing by members and relevant officers only.  

This item was introduced by Mr Dignum.

Mrs Hotchkiss and Mrs McKay were in attendance for this matter.

Mr Dignum referred to (a) the self-evident need for refurbishment of the buildings in the north-west area of Priory Park (PP) and the pavilion on the southern edge and (b) the consensus in favour of ensuring the quiet enjoyment and security of PP by retaining the boundary enclosures and locking it each night. In section 6 of the report officers had recommended selecting preferred option 3. However, in his judgment this approach presented problems at this particular stage, namely until it was known whether the café would continue to operate beyond its temporary permission and, if so, in which location within PP, it was not sensible to refurbish the brick building without knowing the use to which it would be put. He considered that all redevelopment of PP would have to be placed on hold until the future of the café was determined. Accordingly he was proposing a revised recommendation, details of which he had circulated to members of the Cabinet ie to replace the three recommendations in paras 3.1 to 3.3 of the report (the second of which was a recommendation to the Council) with two recommendations (neither of which involved a recommendation to the Council).

Mr Dignum’s proposal, which was seconded by Mr Barrow, was as follows:

(1)  That the implementation of the proposed enhancement scheme for the north west corner of Priory Park, option 3 and the associated actions within the PID be put on hold with the exception of the works to the current depot area, until the planning position regarding the temporary café facility (the permission for which is due to expire in 2020) in its current location is resolved.

(2)  That £57,000 be approved from reserves to complete the demolition of the current depot, provision of a storage facility and associated landscape works, and carry out repairs to the Coade stone statue.  

Mrs Kilby supported Mr Dignum’s proposal: the need for refurbishment was unarguable but there were currently too many imponderables which must first be resolved. During her comments she emphasised the importance of continuing to have adequate public conveniences in PP and sought more information about the bowling club.

Mr Wilding supported the revised recommendation and said that the planning position of the café needed to be resolved before the improvements works programme commenced.

Mr Barrow supported the revised recommendation and mentioned the popularity of the café.

Mr Connor spoke in support of the revised recommendation. He advocated retaining the air raid shelters as (a) being an important part of the city’s and area’s World War II heritage and (b) affording possible uses. He emphasised that it was vitally important not to reduce the current level of public convenience provision in PP. 

Mrs Hotchkiss, Mrs McKay and Mr Dignum responded to the debate with reference to the options appraisal process, the situation vis-à-vis the bowling club and the public conveniences.

Decision

The Cabinet voted unanimously on a show of hands in favour of the revised recommendations proposed by Mr Dignum and so made the resolutions set out below. 

RESOLVED

(1)  That the implementation of the proposed enhancement scheme for the north west corner of Priory Park, option 3 and the associated actions within the PID be put on hold with the exception of the works to the current depot area, until the planning position regarding the temporary café facility (the permission for which is due to expire in 2020) in its current location is resolved.

(2)  That £57,000 be approved from reserves to complete the demolition of the current depot, provision of a storage facility and associated landscape works, and carry out repairs to the Coade stone statue.