Issue - meetings

(1)       The award of a grant to Birmingham City Council from the WMCA Brownfield Land and Property Development Fund to the Commonwealth Games Village application as set out in Paragraph 4.2 totalling no more than £20.075 million was approved subject to:

(a)       The final independent valuations being in line with the current estimates underpinning the £20.075 million estimate, as detailed in Section 5.

(b)       In the event there is a surplus on the Athletes’ Village scheme following sale of the residential units, this surplus is shared with WMCA up to a maximum of £20.075 million in line with the principles detailed in section 5.

(2)       The elements of the bid with a particular reference to grant conditions A4 (Learning Institutions) were approved as contained in paragraph 4.1 given that this was the first time that this type of expenditure would be funded under the Brownfield Land and Property Development.

(3)       The principle that the contribution be subject to the successful shortlisting of the Housing Infrastructure Fund announcement which provided the 39% (£144 million) of the overall funding for the village was agreed.

(4)       A one off variation to the basis of the Brownfield Land and Private Development Fund be agreed for this project to recognise that the outcomes of this application would not be delivered until 2022 for the Commonwealth Games Village and 2023 to 2025 for the permanent scheme as this fell outside the time period indicated in the originating Fund documents approved by the Board.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe presented a report seeking the approval of £20.075m from the Brownfield Land and Property Fund to help deliver the athletes’ village required to facilitate the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

In December 2017, Birmingham was confirmed as the host city for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The winning bid reflected the requirement for there to be a single athletes’ village constructed for occupancy by athletes, officials and event organisers between April - August 2022. The village would provide temporary accommodation for some 6,510 people, with subsequent modifications to enable the residential accommodation to become mixed tenure homes to deliver a legacy uplift for Perry Barr.

Because the legacy outcomes to be achieved by the investment were outside the operational timing parameters of the fund (occurring between 2023-25 rather than 2017-21), it was proposed that a derogation be agreed in respect of this as part of the approval of the funding.

Councillor Ian Ward welcomed this report, noting its importance in delivering a legacy from hosting the Games to residents across the region. David Jamieson stressed the need to ensure that the police and security services were involved in the construction plans for the proposed site, so as to help ensure the safety of all participants during the course of the Games.

Resolved:

(1)       The award of a grant to Birmingham City Council from the WMCA Brownfield Land and Property Development Fund to the Commonwealth Games Village application totalling no more than £20.075m be approved, subject to:

(i)         The final independent valuations being in line with the current estimates underpinning the £20.075m estimate; and

(ii)        In the event there was a surplus on the athletes’ village scheme following sale of the residential units, this surplus would be shared with WMCA up to a maximum of £20.075m;

(2)       The elements of the bid, with a particular reference to grant conditions A4 (Learning Institutions), be approved, given that this was the first time that this type of expenditure would be funded under the Brownfield Land and Property Development Fund;

(3)       The principle that the contribution be subject to the successful shortlisting of the Housing Infrastructure Fund announcement which provided the 39% (£144m) of the overall funding for the village be agreed; and

(4)       A one off variation to the basis of the Brownfield Land and Property Development Fund be agreed for this project to recognise that the outcomes of this application would not be delivered until 2022 for the Commonwealth Games Village and 2023-25 for the permanent scheme, as this fell outside the time period indicated in the originating fund documents approved by the WMCA Board.