Decision details

To provide an update on the Hengrove Park Delivery approach and to seek approval to accept and spend  the WECA DIF Funding award, on the delivery of enabling infrastructure work packages at Hengrove Park and repay the repayable grant element.

That Cabinet

1.      Noted the Council’s overall delivery strategy for the redevelopment of Hengrove Park to deliver up to 1435 new homes (up to 50% of which will be Affordable Homes), a 22-hectare new public park plus high-quality community, sports and employment facilities, as set out in this and previous Cabinet Reports.

2.      Noted the Council’s successful Full Business Case submission to WECA which has secured £19.8m of WECA Development Infrastructure Funding (WECA DIF), to deliver enabling infrastructure to accelerate the redevelopment of Hengrove Park.

3.      Noted the agreed WECA DIF Hengrove Park project scope, delivery approach and funding award which, as a result of in-depth planning and design work and development of the Full Business Case funding application, have now been developed in greater detail since the previous Cabinet approval in September 2020 to submit the initial Outline Business Case (OBC).

4.      Authorised the Executive Director Growth and Regeneration, in consultation with the Director of Finance, Cabinet Member for Finance Governance and Performance and Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery and Homes to take all steps required to draw down and spend the £19.8m WECA DIF funding award, including to procure and award contracts over the key decision threshold and negotiate and conclude all appropriate grant or other agreements, for the delivery of the Hengrove Park enabling infrastructure work packages, and to repay the £5m repayable grant element, in accordance with the approved Full Business Case and Funding Award and as outlined in this Report.