Agenda item - Madeira Terrace Restoration - update

Report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture

RESOLVED – (1) That the Committee notes the current status of the project and the steps taken towards appointment of a design team, a crucial next step in restoration delivery which will start with the three arches;

(2) That the Committee recommends to Policy & Resources Committee that it introduces a Project Board, with cross party representation for Madeira Terrace.

26.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment and Culture which sought to update members on the current status of the first phase of the restoration of Madeira Terrace including the procurement process and responded to the recommendations agreed at the Tourism Development and Culture Committee meeting held on 20 June 2019.

26.2    It was noted that at that committee meeting members had agreed to delegate authority to the Executive Director for Economy, Environment and culture to procure and award a contract for early design stage work and engineering of 30 of the total of 151 Madeira Arches. The report before the Committee that day set out that when the designs were ready and the costings for construction established, the council would move immediately to deliver the three arches paid for by crowd funding and would not wait for the funds to be available to implement 30 arches. Following delivery of the three arches the council would deliver as many arches as possible with the funding available at the time. The Committee had instructed officers to specify innovative renewable technology such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting so that this had been made a priority for the award of any contract awarded. It was considered that this would help to reduce costs in the long term and would help the city to meet its commitment to achieving a carbon neutral status by 2030.

26.3    It was noted that the report also set out the steps necessary to appoint the design team and the work being done with community stakeholders and was requesting that members support a request to Policy and Resources Committee for a cross party project board to be set up to offer governance for Madeira Terrace.

26.4    Councillors Nemeth and Mears supported the approach requested but hoped that funding could be found by whatever means to enable works to be undertaken to all of the arches at the earliest possible time to avoid a part finished scheme.

26.5    Councillors Rainey and Ebel echoed those concerned and hoped that crowd-finding and any other potential funding streams could be utilised in order to facilitate this scheme. It was agreed that the Committee would be provided with periodic updates.

26.6    RESOLVED – (1) That the Committee notes the current status of the project and the steps taken towards appointment of a design team, a crucial next step in restoration delivery which will start with the three arches; and

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE:

(2) That the Committee recommends to Policy & Resources Committee that it introduces a Project Board, with cross party representation for Madeira Terrace.