Decision - Seafront Investment Programme - Governance Arrangements

1)            That the committee notes the Programme Brief (Appendix 1), Current Significant Projects (Appendix 2) and Governance Structure (Appendix 3) for the Seafront Investment Programme.

2)            That the committee approves an allocation of £30,000 from the council’s 2014/15 Strategic Investment Fund to support progress of the project.

The seafront is of significant strategic importance to the city. Therefore, it is essential that the seafront is maintained and developed to ensure that the city benefits fully from this primary asset.

This report outlines a new approach to co-ordinating all activity and investment in relation to the seafront, through establishing a Seafront Investment Programme that will oversee the development of a new Seafront Investment Plan.  Within the context of the difficult financial climate, it is essential that new models of investment and delivery are identified and that they are used in the most effective way through a planned and co-ordinated investment programme.

Policy & Resources Committee agreed on the 22^nd January 2015, in response to the recommendations made by the Seafront Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel, that a report would be brought to the 19^th March 2015 meeting outlining the governance arrangements for the new Seafront Investment Programme. 

As the delivery of the co-ordinated programme progresses and the new Seafront Investment Plan is developed, it is anticipated that there will be opportunities to consider new models of investment.  The draft Seafront Investment Plan will be presented to Policy & Resources Committee in September 2015 and will aim to consider a number of investment and delivery options for the future sustainability of the City’s Seafront.   It is proposed that an allocation of £30,000 is made from the 2015/16 Strategic Investment Fund to commission specialist support for an options appraisal of new investment models.