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Subject: |
Greater Brighton Investment Programme – Progress Update |
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Date of Meeting: |
18 July 2023 |
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Report of: |
Chair, Greater Brighton Programme Board |
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Contact Officer: |
Name: |
Andy Hill |
Tel: |
01273 291873 |
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Email: |
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LA(s) affected: |
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 7 February 2023.
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 January -30 June 2023.
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 agrees 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
Work commenced on-site in June on a detailed fire compartmentation survey of the building. This work is essential in informing the design process.
3.1.2 Digital Catapult & 5G Testbed (Brighton) - £1.8m
Most of the work on the large-scale testbed upgrade at its dual locations of Brighton Dome / Corn Exchange and BDX / the FuseBox has now been finished. A dark fibre link between the 2 locations is now complete.
Our current 5G innovation programme, Futurescope: Heritage XR, is supporting 3 businesses to develop 5G-powered immersive content for the heritage sector. The programme is delivered as a partnership between the Digital Catapult, Brighton Dome & Festival and Wired Sussex and is due to complete with a showcase in late July.
Planning (including a business workshop) is underway for the next programme, to be announced in Q3 2023.
3.1.3 Circus Street Innovation Centre & Regeneration (Brighton) - £2.7m
All works complete. Various post Practical Completion snagging works ongoing.
3.1.4 Plus X (Brighton) - £7.7m
Plus X remained operational and continued to grow membership. Since its opening in August 2021, the new ground floor café, Café Domenica, has proved a huge success with members and visitors. The café also provides training opportunities for young people with learning disabilities. The Brighton Research Innovation Technology Exchange (BRITE) programme for ambitious and established businesses primarily based in the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership region continued. Other elements of the Preston Barracks redevelopment are at an advanced stage, with several buildings at or nearing completion. The first residential blocks are due for completion and occupation in the coming months, 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 were completed. Construction of the new pedestrian bridge spanning the Lewes Road was completed in autumn 2022.
3.1.5 Valley Gardens – Phase 3 (Brighton) - £8.0m
The Detailed Design for the scheme has been completed and the project has entered the procurement phase. It has been decided that Procurement will include Early Contractor Involvement, the benefits of which are recognised to include, opportunities for Value Engineering, the development of a more robust scheme cost and opportunities to carry out an in-depth review of the construction programme with key stakeholders such as busand taxi services, thereby minimising the impact on the traffic network. However, the new Administration are planning a review of the scheme to ensure maximum benefit to the city. The timeframe for delivery depends on the length of the review and outcome of this review.
3.1.6 Adur Tidal Walls & Western Harbour Arm Flood Defences (Shoreham-By-Sea) – £10.5m
Demolition of redundant Yacht Club October/November 2021.
Continued pluvial and fluvial modelling to inform design.
3.1.7 A2300 Corridor Improvements (Burgess Hill) - £17.0m
See 3.2.5 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:
Site acquired by Worthing Borough Council for redevelopment in August 2021. Development Strategy and approach involving joint investment with London & Continental Railways confirmed in December 2021. March 2022 Development Partner agreed by JSc Committee – Hyde Housing Group.
3.2.2 Union Place:
S106 agreement drafted and formal planning permission issued. Roffey Homes agreed as Development Partner on the site.
3.2.3 Decoy Farm (Worthing) - £4.8m
Appointment of the full design team including commercial advice, surveying team, architectural team and wider suite of advisers.
Phase 2 of the development and output to deliver employment floorspace is progressing well.
The Strategic Outline Case and Outline Business Case for the development of Decoy Farm are approved.
Approval to progress the project through to Full Business Case in readiness for project delivery received at the Joint Strategic Committee meeting on 13 July 2021.
3.2.4 New Monks Farm & Airport (Shoreham-By-Sea) - £5.7m
There is no further update for this period.
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 2021.
Brookleigh (Northern Arc): The first 50 occupations of shared ownership homes and affordable rented properties on Oakhurst (Previously known as Freeks Farm) have taken place. Works are ongoing on the Eastern and Western Link Road.
The University of Brighton Academy Trust has been chosen as the academy sponsor for the first primary and the secondary school. The secondary school will be constructed to Passivhaus standards and is due to open September 2025. Detailed design work is taking place on the Secondary school to enable construction to commence once the land has been transferred to WSCC from Homes England.
A feasibility study for the Centre for Outdoor Sports has been completed and next stage plans agreed with facilities to be developed for use by the public by 2025.
Place and Connectivity: Work is coming to a close on delivery of the MSDC Led Phase 1 schemes including public art, public realm improvements to the underpass at Wivelsfield Railway station alongside townwide infrastructure improvements across Burgess Hill and the Green Circle, totalling 14km.
WSCC Phase 1 schemes are currently in delivery and are due to complete Spring/Summer 2023; communications and stakeholder management is ongoing.
A2300 corridor improvements: Construction began in spring 2020; programme now complete with both carriageways officially opened on the 8th April 2022.
Employment space, Panattoni Park (The Hub): The site was purchased by developers Panattoni and renamed Panattoni Park Burgess Hill. The second phase of development (a 5,000m2 warehouse for Roche Diagnostics) was completed in early February 2022. Outline planning permission for the remaining 40,000m2 has been approved, and issued with view to complete construction early 2024.
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 20km of dark fibre and the Burgess Hill Fibre Exchange. Customer enquiries being received and are responded to through the CNI co-operative partners.
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 is underway.
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) and is due for completion by the end of 2023.
3.2.6 Black Rock /Waterfront (Brighton) - £12.1m
The new Promenade link began with temporary closure of one of the main car access ramps into the Marina to allow for the new bridge link to be introduced to link to Black Rock. The final stage of the Black Rock project (site decontamination and utility relocation) will complete in autumn 23.
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
Phase 2: Public consultation on proposed development by Hyde Housing took place on 20/02/2020 and detailed design work was undertaken throughout 2021.
3.3.2 Springman House (Lewes) – £2.0m
Springman is an enabling site for the North Street Quarter (NSQ) and is inseparably linked to the delivery of this wider scheme. The NSQ is a strategic allocation in the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) Local Plan. Lewes District Council purchased the Springman site in March 2017 to enable the comprehensive redevelopment of the NSQ for a mix of uses including residential and employment.
The developer (Human Nature, Lewes) has submitted a planning application for the NSQ which includes plans for 700 new homes. As part of the scheme, new affordable homes are proposed at the Springman site. Details of the proposals can be found in the ‘live planning application reference: SDNP/23/00526/OUT which is currently being assessed by SDNPA.
3.3.3 Railway Quay (Newhaven) - £1.5m
LDC has acquired the former UTC Harbourside – now renamed Marine Workshops – following successfully securing £1.3m from the Getting Building Fund. The building is being recommissioned and updated 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 £1.05m from LDC.
The building purchase completed on 17 June 2022 and phase 1 recommissioning works have completed. The next phase of works will be to create car park improvements and works associated with tenants moving into the building. A soft launch for LDC staff will commence early 2023 alongside a tender process for an operator/operators to run parts of the building.
3.3.4 Heritage Centre Stage – Corn Exchange & Studio Theatre (Brighton) - £3.0m
The project reached Partial Possession on 19 May 2023 with the restored 200-year-old Grade I listed Corn Exchange, Grade II listed 1930’s Studio Theatre and new gallery bars and foyers reopening to the public. The Van Gogh Attraction is now occupying all the spaces until September when some remaining works will be carried out to achieve Practical Completion. Covid-19, Brexit and the conflict in Ukraine significantly affected the project’s progress impacting availability of materials with longer lead in and delivery times, associated delays and increased costs, compounded by inflationary pressures. Practical Completion is now anticipated in October 2023.
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 agree 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.
Finance Officer Consulted: James Hengeveld, Head of Finance
Date Consulted: 07/07/2023
Legal Implications:
None arising from this report.
Lawyer Consulted: Wendy McRae-Smith, Senior Lawyer
Date Consulted: 05/07/2023
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 July 2023.
Background Documents:
None