Agenda item

1.    The investment of a maximum of £1m for the carrying out of enabling works to the Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall taking into account the assessment of doing so, and not doing so, as set out in the report be approved and

2.    Authority be delegated to the Interim Executive Director of Housing, Property & Regeneration in consultation with the Director of Law and Governance to agree the terms of the investment to made to with the Royal Sutton Coldfield Trust (RSCTHCT) in accordance with the terms of this report as approved by the Investment Board;

3.    That funding is required for the emergency and enabling works to proceed be noted and

4.    That the WMCA continue to work with the Royal Sutton Coldfield Trust with regards to obtaining other sources of grant funding with a view to some grant funding being returned to the Brownfield Land and Property Development Fund be agreed. 

The board considered a report of the interim Executive Director of Housing, Property and Regeneration that sought approval for grant funding of up to £1m from the Brownfield Land and Property Development Fund to support emergency and enabling works to be carried out at Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall.

The interim Executive Director of Housing, Property and Regeneration, John Godfrey outlined the report and advised the board that this was an unusual project, in that, it was a heritage building that needed its roof replacing along with other emergency works. He reported that support in principle was given to the project in July 2023. The project did not provide any housing outputs but would safeguard 16 jobs and create a further 9 jobs. A partnership would be undertaken with the Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall Community Trust to mitigate risks and any payments of funds would be made in arrears.

Councillor Burden reported that he was not opposed to the report but considered its approval would set a precedent for similar projects to come forward and felt the project did not provide real brownfield remediation. He enquired whether all other funds have been exhausted as this project did not seem to fit the core aims of the Brownfield Land and Property Development Fund.

The interim Executive Director of Housing, Property and Regeneration advised that all other funding options have been explored and that was why funding was being sought from the Brownfield Land and Property Development Fund.

Councillors Hughes, Bird and Grinsell concurred with the comments made by Councillor Burden and noted the lack of housing outputs. Councillor Bird also enquired whether funding had been sought from Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund and the Heritage and Community Pillar.

The Executive Director of Finance and Business Hub, Linda Horne reported that she had asked why funding could not be allocated from the Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund and had been told that funding was already allocated, and the project did not meet the criteria for funding.

In relation to an enquiry from Councillor Bird as to what schemes would miss out on funding if the project was taken forward, the Director of Commercial and Investment, Ian Martin, reported that the Brownfield Land and Property Development Fund was an opportunity/market driven fund that was until the last meeting oversubscribed; the decision taken to no longer extend ring-fenced funding for Shard End released £4.36m for available projects. He gave an example of what sort of project would receive and advised that if funding was allocated to Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, the remaining £3.38m funding could be used for a large brownfield site project, this project was expected to be considered at the next meeting.

Councillor Bird asked that the WMCA continue to work with the Royal Sutton Coldfield Trust to see whether any funding could be found from other sources so that it could returned to the fund.

Resolved that:

1.    The investment of a maximum of £1m for the carrying out of enabling works to the Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Hall taking into account the assessment of doing so, and not doing so, as set out in the report be approved and

2.    Authority be delegated to the Interim Executive Director of Housing, Property & Regeneration in consultation with the Director of Law and Governance to agree the terms of the investment to made to with the Royal Sutton Coldfield Trust (RSCTHCT) in accordance with the terms of this report as approved by the Investment Board;

3.    That funding is required for the emergency and enabling works to proceed be noted and

4.    That the WMCA continue to work with the Royal Sutton Coldfield Trust with regards to obtaining other sources of grant funding with a view to some grant funding being returned to the Brownfield Land and Property Development Fund be agreed.