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Subject:
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Greater Brighton Investment
Programme – Progress Update
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Date of Meeting:
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19 October 2021
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Report of:
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Chair, Greater Brighton Officer
Programme Board
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Contact Officer:
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Name:
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Nick Hibberd
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Tel:
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01273 293756
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Email:
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Nick.Hibberd@brighton-hove.gov.uk
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LA(s) affected:
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All
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FOR GENERAL RELEASE
1.
PURPOSE OF REPORT AND POLICY
CONTEXT
1.1
The purpose of the Investment Plan
Update is to provide the Greater Brighton Economic Board
(“the Board”) with an update on progress on the Greater
Brighton Investment Programme (“the Investment
Programme”) since the Board’s last meeting on 20 July
2021.
1.2
Updates are included on the Local
Growth Fund (LGF) allocations made as part of the Growth Deal
Rounds 1, 2 and 3. The period covered by this report is 1 July 2021
to 30 September 2021.
1.3
This cover report provides some
context on the LGF Funding Rounds and narrative updates on the
Investment Programme projects. Further details on the individual
projects can be found in the Investment Programme Update report at
Appendix 1.
2.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
2.1
That the Board note the report and
the Investment Programme Update at Appendix 1.
3.
CONTEXT/BACKGROUND INFORMATION
LGF Growth Deal Rounds 1 & 2
3.1
A total of
approximately £90m was allocated to projects across the City
Region from LGF Growth Deal rounds 1 & 2. These projects will
deliver a total investment of approximately £376m into the
City Region, unlocking an estimated 14,000 jobs, 8,200 homes and
450,000m2
of employment
floor-space. Current active projects are listed below with a
summary of progress since the last update.
3.1.1
New England House Growth Centre
(Brighton) - £4.9m
Design team still on hold to allow for completion of all necessary
survey work. Commissioning of fire compartmentation is being sought
via existing partnership, following lack of interest at tendering
stage. Design process will recommence once this has been
realised.
3.1.2
Digital Catapult & 5G Testbed
(Brighton) - £1.8m
The continuing
focus of Digital Catapult Brighton is the 5G Festival - a DCMS-
supported programme to develop emerging technologies to support the
production, distribution and consumption of music in new ways. An
additional strand of the project called “Alternative
Stages” was launched in the previous period. Its goal is to
help smaller labels, studios and venues in the music industry
commercially benefit from virtual production and distribution
technologies and from aligned regional developments including the
Research & Innovation Fibre Ring. Work continues on the
technical development of various aspects of this project including
distributed live and as-live music concerts, virtual versions of
venues (including Brighton Dome), and enhanced fan experiences. A
series of workshops for the regional music industry has been
designed and will commence in October.
In last period we also began a strategic review of DCB in order to
reflect on and respond to the recent Parliamentary Report on
Catapults. This report requires us to ensure that we align the
national innovation priorities with regional strengths, needs and
opportunities.
3.1.3
Circus Street Innovation Centre
& Regeneration (Brighton) - £2.7m
Further substantial progress has been made on both the office the
office block and The Dance Space (the final 2 buildings to be
completed) as well as offsite and onsite public realm works.
3.1.4
Plus X (Brighton) -
£7.7m
Plus X remained operational and continued to grow membership. Plus
X signed an agreement with a cafe provider to operate the ground
floor café. The café, which opened in August,
provides locally sourced and nutritious food to members and
visitors. The Brighton Research Innovation Technology Exchange
programme for ambitious and established businesses primarily based
in the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership region
continued. Other elements of the comprehensive redevelopment
reached an advanced stage, with several buildings at or nearing
completion. The first two residential blocks are due for completion
by the end of 2021, and external works to other residential blocks
continues. The University of Brighton’s adjacent development
also progressed well. The new student halls on the Mithras House
site are due for completion in September 2021. The
University’s new academic building, Elm House, was completed
and was handed over to the University. Construction of the
pedestrian bridge spanning the Lewes Road has begun and is due for
completion in the early part of 2022.
3.1.5
Valley Gardens – Phase 3
(Brighton) - £8.0m
There has been no
further update since last meeting and the last position is as
follows:
The third public
consultation exercise for Valley Gardens Phase 3 has completed in
late 2020, which will inform the detailed design stage.
Following a
tendering process that completed in late 2020 through the
council’s new Transport Professional Services Framework the
next stage of the scheme design commenced in January 2021.
It is now planned for the detailed design of the scheme and the
construction contract procurement will be completed by end of this
calendar year.
3.1.6
Adur Tidal Walls & Western
Harbour Arm Flood Defences (Shoreham-By-Sea)–
£10.5m
Flood wall construction has been delayed due to further flood water
modelling. Work is expected to start in Winter 2021 on the new
flood defence wall.
3.1.7
A2300 Corridor Improvements
(Burgess Hill) - £17.0m
See 4.13 below
LGF Growth Deal
Round 3
3.2
In February 2017 Coast to Capital
announced that it has secured £66m through Round 3 of the
Growth Deal. All six projects put forward by the Board were
allocated funding - totalling £48.77m. The project updates
are as follows:
Worthing Central Phase 1 (Worthing) -
£5.6m
3.2.1
Teville Gate:
Following the
grant of planning permission in March 2020 Mosaic Capital choose to
market the scheme for sale. A number of challenges have been
identified with the consented scheme which rendered it
undeliverable and unviable. To prevent recurring and sustained
market failure on the site Worthing Borough Council stepped in and
completed the purchase of the 1.47ha site on 23rd August
2021 and will bring forward a new development strategy for the
site.
3.2.2
Union Place:
Following the
grant of planning permission Worthing Borough Council along with
partner LCR have commenced the marketing of the site in June 2021.
The review and shortlisting of developers will take place in
October and a preferred developer contracted by Christmas 2021
3.2.3
Decoy Farm (Worthing) -
£4.8m
There has been no further update since the last meeting and the
last position is as follows:
Remediation of
the landfill completed as at 26 March 2021.
The Phase 1 output to
remediate Decoy Farm and bring 7 hectares of land back into use has
been achieved. Full use of Local Growth Funding has enabled the
site to be unlocked, ready for commercial development.
Full use of
Coast to Capital Local Growth Funding achieved by the
31st
March 2021 deadline.
3.2.4
New Monks Farm & Airport
(Shoreham-By-Sea) - £5.7m
Housing and infrastructure development has continued at pace with a
number of units completed and occupied on the site.
Work is due to
commence on the A27 roundabout in Autumn 2021 for completion in
late 2022.
Ikea announced
that they will not continue with their proposed new store and that
they will market the site for a suitable development in September
2021
3.2.5
Growth Location (Burgess Hill) -
£14.9m
Town Centre Regeneration: Completion of the S106 agreement
and planning permission for the redevelopment of the Martlets
Shopping Centre was issued on the 2nd
July.
Northern
Arc: Work is continuing on site with housebuilder Countryside
Properties. Work on both the Eastern Bridge and Link Road and the
Western Link Road is set to continue, with the whole on these links
scheduled for completion by the end of 2021. Homes England
progressing the feasibility for the first primary school on the
site. Pre-application discussions have commenced for secondary
school on site. Planning application has now been received for the
pedestrian and cycle bridge that will link Freeks Farm with the
eastern neighbourhood centre.
A feasibility
study is being progressed for the Centre for Community Sports which
is to be delivered on the site.
Place and Connectivity: Work continues delivery of the first
of the phase 1 schemes including public art and other public realm
improvements to the underpass at Wivelsfield Railway station.
Detailed design work continues for highway improvements at Burgess
Hill and Wivelsfield Stations, public realm improvements for Church
Walk / Church Road, and access & connectivity improvements for
Victoria Business Park. Delivery continues on Green Link (70%
complete, 5km/7km) and Green Circle routes (90% complete,
4km/4.35km).
A2300
corridor improvements: Construction began in spring 2020 and is
progressing to programme (Northern carriageway completion date
anticipated for Summer 2021; both carriageways anticipated to be
completed by Winter 2021).
Employment
space, The Hub: The second phase of development (a
5,000m2 warehouse
for Roche Diagnostics) was completed in early February. Outline
planning permission for the remaining 40,000m2 has been
approved, and issued. Digital Infrastructure: Works to
implement the Digital Infrastructure across and around Burgess
Hill, including a southern link to Brighton and a northern link via
Horsham to Crawley, are well progressed. The Local Full Fibre
Network (LFFN) project has now been delivered totalling 15km of
dark fibre and the Burgess Hill Fibre Exchange. Customer Enquiries
are now being received and first customer connections expected
soon.
One public
estate (OPE) 7: The Brow - redevelopment of an extended Brow
site in Burgess Hill will provide enhanced accommodation for the
emergency and primary care services and to create space for 440 new
homes (led by WSCC).
Consultants
Faithful and Gould have completed a draft viability study which is
currently being reviewed to agree next steps.
Land
adjacent to Burgess Hill station - Officers are working with
key stakeholders including Network Rail and The Arch Company (the
principal land- owner at the site). Review of feasibility and
appraisal work commenced April 2021 for completion by October
2021.
Goddards Green Waste-Water
Treatment Works: Phase 1
of the project has been completed delivering most of the odour
reduction benefits. All the £4m LGF-funding has
been spent, alongside the £6.54m HIF
grant. The remainder of the project will be funded by private
Southern Water investment (£13.6m)
3.2.6
Black Rock /Waterfront (Brighton)
- £12.1m Dukes
Mound works are nearing completion.
Sea wall works
package awarded and starts 11 October.
A short film about the project has been produced
Black Rock rejuvenation
(brighton-hove.gov.uk)
Engagement with stakeholders continues and direct communications
via Blackrockcommunity.com website is ongoing.
The local wildlife site has now been relocated and vegetated
shingle is growing well in the new location. 2nd and
3rd phases in
the Autumn will use seed plugs from Millennium Seed Bank and
original sea kale growth from LWS. A short film to describe this
part of the project has been launched on the website The relocation and expansion of Black Rock's Local
Wildlife Site - YouTube.
As part of the conservation and required maintenance to the green
wall, the council’s parks team is going to be carrying out
trimming of the lower branches of the fig tree and tying it in to
newly installed training wires. This is part of the agreed plan
which will look after and maintain the plants on the wall going
forward.
This work will support the tree and encourage it to grow up the
retaining wall rather than out into the road. There have been some
issues with availability of materials (composite decking) and
longer lead in times for steel and concrete. Current programme is
working well with no major issues reported.
LGF Growth Deal
Unallocated Funds Rounds 1 & 2 – December 2016
Call
3.3
In December 2016 Coast to Capital
announced that it had approximately
£46.65m of unallocated funds available
to support capital growth projects. The Greater Brighton Economic
Board put forward eight bids, five of which received funding
totalling approximately £9.9m. The project updates are as
follows:
3.3.1
Adur Civic Centre
(Shoreham-By-Sea) - £1.8m
Planning
application for phase 2 was submitted by Hyde Housing Group in
August 2021 following a delay caused by Covid 19. It is expected to
be considered by a planning committee in Autumn 2021 with a view to
commencing on site in Spring 2022.
Completion of the 172 homes and business
space is expected by April 2024.
3.3.2
Springman House (Lewes) –
£2.0m
There has been no further update since the last
meeting and the last position is as follows:
Following the
purchase of the site by Lewes District Council, plans were drawn up
with the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service Sussex Police and the
South East Coast Ambulance Service. NSQL, the majority landowner at
the NSQ site, has now sold its land to the developer – Human
Nature. In December 2020, the Council’s Cabinet agreed heads
of terms for the sale of its own land to this same developer in
order that it can comprehensively redevelop the site. Human Nature
has confirmed that it will submit a new planning application for
the NSQ and the Council is now liaising with the developer to
understand its plans and timescales for the site, including the
fire station.
3.3.3
Railway Quay (Newhaven) -
£1.5m
Flood defence works on site now completed and negotiations underway
with existing tenant re: relocation. LDC has secured £1.3m
from the Getting Building Fund to convert the former UTC building
into a maritime and sustainable technology hub, offering education
/ training space and commercial facilities for SME’s. This
has been augmented by a commitment of £500k from LDC towards
the estimated £1.8m project costs. Lease negotiations with
DfE are being finalised and hopeful of taking possession before end
of 2021. A final layout plan is being prepared and it is planned to
undertake an Expression of Interest process to elicit appropriate
commercial partners for the project.
Phase 1 of Railway Quay is now complete, funded through the Towns
Fund and CiL to deliver The Sidings - offering new visitor,
community and sustainability facilities, including a café
and a base for the local gig rowing club. Lease negotiations are
being finalised to add an active travel hub and funding has been
secured from DfT towards a trial of e-cargo bikes to be based at
the site.
3.3.4
Heritage Centre Stage –
Corn Exchange & Studio Theatre (Brighton) -
£3.0m
The Council’s appointed Management Contractor, Westridge
Construction Limited, has completed remedial works to achieve
weatherproof buildings. All structural remedial works to the
200-year-old Corn Exchange timber frame and roofing works have been
completed to secure the building envelope. The Studio theatre
fibrous plaster ceiling and copper roof require replacement as they
have reached the end of their useful lives and have been brought
into scope. Finishing and completion works are progressing with the
installation of the Corn Exchange oak wall boarding substantially
completed. Covid-19 and possibly Brexit appear to be impacting
availability of materials with longer delivery times and further
delays remain a risk. On site measures including physical
distancing, track and trace venue check-in, increased cleaning
regime and visitors asked to wear facemasks are continuing.
Practical Completion is now anticipated in May 2022.
4.
ANALYSIS & CONSIDERATION OF ANY ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
4.1
None required.
5.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & CONSULTATION
5.1
None required.
6.
CONCLUSION
6.1
The Board is asked to note the
contents of this report.
7.
FINANCIAL & OTHER IMPLICATIONS:
Financial Implications:
7.1
There are no direct financial
implications associated with this report regarding the progress
made in the fourth quarter of this financial year on approved
schemes within the Greater Brighton Investment Programme. Schemes
already included within the Greater Brighton Investment Programme
have approved business cases in place with funding options
identified and these have been reported to their respective bodies.
The progress of each scheme is detailed within the Investment plan
Update Report in appendix 1. Unallocated LGF Growth Deal Funds of
£9.1m were available from June 2019 with 6 bids (totalling
£6.248m) being awarded to schemes within the Greater Brighton
region, these are shown at paragraph 3.6 above. Future or revised
business plans will be reported accordingly within the timescales
of the project timetables.
Finance Officer
Consulted: Rob Allen, Principal Accountant Date: 04/10/21
Legal Implications:
7.2 None.
Lawyer
Consulted: Joanne Dunyaglo, Senior Property Lawyer Date:
04/10/21
Equalities Implications:
7.2
None arising from this report.
Equalities issues will be addressed on a project-by- project
basis.
Sustainability Implications:
7.3
None arising from this report.
Sustainability issues will be addressed on a project-by-project
basis.
Any Other Significant
Implications:
7.4
None.
SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTATION
Appendices:
Greater Brighton
Investment Update Report October 2021
Background
Documents:
None