Minutes:
The board considered a report from Sean Pearce, Director of Finance, on a proposed contribution from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Brownfield Land & Property Development Fund to help deliver the athletes village required to facilitate the Commonwealth Games 2022.
The Brownfield Land & Property Development Fund invested in individual strategic projects that supported the re-use of brownfield land, buildings and associated infrastructure across the West Midlands Combined Authority area. It was funded by allocations from the Land Remediation Fund totalling £50m and was to be operational between 2017-21. To date, £14.7m had been allocated to five projects in the region.
The funding proposal required the West Midlands Combined Authority to fund the acquisition, relocation, remediation and demolition costs, at a cost of £20.075m, for a village to provide temporary accommodation for some 6,510 athletes, coaches and team administrators. Post-Commonwealth Games modifications would then enable the residential accommodation to become mixed tenure new homes to deliver a legacy uplift for Perry Barr. The proposals had been considered by the Investment Advisory Group on 5 February 2018.
Councillor Majid Mahmood noted that Birmingham was the no. 1 destination for people leaving London and currently had a shortfall of 89,000 housing units. Gary Taylor stressed the importance of ensuring that the housing provided on the site met the needs of post-Commonwealth Games occupation, rather than being designed only for the needs of athletes. This had been a concern with a number of athletes villages provided for previous sporting events. Ian Macleod, Birmingham City Council, indicated that this was a key consideration as part of the process to procure a contractor to deliver the project.
Councillor Robert Hulland noted the need to ensure the region had the necessary skills capacity and technical expertise to deliver this ambitious project. Paul Brown enquired about the governance arrangements that provided the required oversight for the delivery process and Ian Macleod explained that this would be undertaken through the Commonwealth Games Delivery Unit. He undertook to provide the board with further details of governance arrangements of the unit at the next meeting. Councillor Izzi Seccombe requested a general update on the latest developments at the next meeting.
Resolved:
(1) That Finance Birmingham, the s.151 Officer, Portfolio Lead for Finance & Investments and Monitoring Officer continue to work to conclude the application into the Brownfield Land & Property Development Fund from Birmingham City Council as part of the normal assurance process.
(2) That the submission of a report to the WMCA Board on 9 March 2018 for the approval of the £20.075m grant proposal be agreed, subject to the issues contained within the report be resolved in line with the Investment Board’s expectations.
(3) That the elements of the bid be approved, with a particular reference to grant conditions A4 as set out within the report, given that this was the first time that this type of expenditure would be funded under the Brownfield Land & Property Development Fund.
(4) The principle that the contribution would 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 endorsed.
(5) It be noted that the contributions outlined in the report were in addition to the previously agreed £25m West Midlands Combined Authority contribution towards the wider Commonwealth Games budget, which would pass through the normal assurance framework process.
(6) That it be noted that the approval for the scheme would be based on the outcomes being delivered after 2021, which fell outside the time period indicated in the fund documents.