Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Regeneration and the Director of Regeneration and Culture submitted a report for the Executive’s consideration. The purpose of the report was to seek approval to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to secure funding to support the regeneration of the Old Town Hall (OTH).

The Town’s Fund investment planned to enable an element of restoration, but it would only ensure that the building was structurally safe and water tight. The current condition of disrepair was such that without additional funding from the HLF or alternative sources, the Council would be unable to fully redevelop the asset and bring it back in to use for economic and community benefit.

In order to fulfil the objectives of strategic priority (TOC 04) it was imperative that Middlesbrough Council submitted an EOI to the HLF to secure funding to fully develop the asset. Without permission to bid for funding, or in the instance of an unsuccessful bid, the OTH would be made structurally sound using the current allocation of Town’s Fund money but the building would not be brought back in to an operational use. The longer the building remained without a commercial use, the more it was at risk of future deterioration.

OPTIONS

1.                Do nothing - the OTH’s condition would have continued to deteriorate and placed the buildings future at risk, which would have been detrimental to the wider development ambitions of the Boho/Middlehaven area.

2.                To progress immediately with the structural and remedial works identified as part of the Towns Fund allocation - That would have safeguarded the building and ensured it was structurally safe. The building could then have been marketed to potential tenants, however, the works would not have been sufficient to bring the building back in to an operational use and there would have been the requirement for a significant capital investment from any potential tenant.

ORDERED

1.                That an Expression of Interest to the Heritage Lottery Fund be submitted, to support the restoration and redevelopment of the Old Town Hall.

REASON

The needs of the OTH and the desire to bring the building back into use outstrip the funding available from the Towns Fund.

Uniquely, the Towns Fund sum provided the Council with the availability of a significant match funding contribution, as required by the HLF. Should the opportunity to utilise that match funding now be missed, then further development work required to bring the OTH back into use (in line with the strategic priority TOC 04) would need to be sought from the capital pot.

Should the EOI be unsuccessful, the Council would progress at once with works to ensure the building was structurally sound, utilising the available Towns Fund budget.