FOR GENERAL RELEASE
1. PURPOSE OF REPORT AND POLICY CONTEXT
1.1 The purpose of the Investment Plan Update is to provide the Greater Brighton Economic Board (“the Board”) with an update on progress on the Greater Brighton Investment Programme (“the Investment Programme”) since the Board’s last meeting on 18 October 2022.
1.2 Updates are included on the Local Growth Fund (LGF) allocations made as part of the Growth Deal Rounds 1, 2 and 3. The period covered by this report is 1 October 2022 to 31 December 2022.
1.3 This cover report provides some context on the LGF Funding Rounds and narrative updates on the Investment Programme projects. Further details on the individual projects can be found in the Investment Programme Update report at Appendix 1.
2. RECOMMENDATIONS:
2.1 That the Board note the report and the Investment Programme Update at Appendix 1.
3. CONTEXT/BACKGROUND INFORMATION
LGF Growth Deal Rounds 1 & 2
3.1 A total of approximately £90m was allocated to projects across the City Region from LGF Growth Deal rounds 1 & 2. These projects will deliver a total investment of approximately £376m into the City Region, unlocking an estimated 14,000 jobs, 8,200 homes and 450,000m2 of employment floor-space. Current active projects are listed below with a summary of progress since the last update.
3.1.1 New England House Growth Centre (Brighton) - £4.9m
Contractual details for further fire compartmentation survey work agreed with Morgan Sindall in December, with survey work now expected to commence in February 2023. Design process will recommence once this has been completed. ‘A House for New England’ - a 28 minute film on businesses in the building, was shown as part of CineCity (Brighton Festival) in November 2022.
3.1.2 Digital Catapult & 5G Testbed (Brighton) - £1.8m
Work continues on a substantial upgrade of the technology for the testbed at its dual locations of Brighton Dome / Corn Exchange and BDX / the FuseBox. Due to challenges primarily linked to the Corn Exchange’s wider refurbishment works, that specific element of the tech upgrade is running 3 months behind schedule. A live fibre link between the 2 locations is also in the process of being laid.
We have publicly launched a new 5G innovation programme in this quarter. Called Futurescope: Heritage XR, its goal is to support regional businesses to develop 5G-powered immersive content for the heritage sector. The programme is delivered as a partnership between the Digital Catapult, Brighton Dome & Festival and Wired Sussex.
Futurescope: Heritage XR will provide 3 businesses with funding and a bespoke 4-month support programme. A competitive open call attracted significant interest and the initial assessment of applications is currently underway.
3.1.3 Circus Street Innovation Centre & Regeneration (Brighton) - £2.7m
All works complete. Various post Practical Completion snagging works ongoing.
3.1.4 Plus X (Brighton) - £7.7m
Plus X remained operational and continued to grow membership. Since its opening in August 2021, the new ground floor café, Café Domenica, has proved a huge success with members and visitors. The café also provides training opportunities for young people with learning disabilities. The Brighton Research Innovation Technology Exchange (BRITE) programme for ambitious and established businesses primarily based in the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership region continued. Other elements of the Preston Barracks redevelopment are at an advanced stage, with several buildings at or nearing completion. The first residential blocks are due for completion and occupation in the coming months, and external works to other residential blocks continues. The University of Brighton’s adjacent development also progressed well. The new student halls on the Mithras House site were completed. Construction of the new pedestrian bridge spanning the Lewes Road was completed in autumn 2022.
3.1.5 Valley Gardens – Phase 3 (Brighton) - £8.0m
Review of the detailed design deliverables are ongoing with meetings undertaken with Brighton Officers to agree the design. Delivery of the works is expected to be done using the Council’s Highway Service Contract. An expression of interest has been sent to the three contractors to confirm their interest in delivering the scheme. Following this process a mini-tender will be undertaken in January 2023 with the view that the works contract will be awarded in April 2023.
In parallel, the scheme will be going out for permanent traffic order consultation in January 2023 with any objection reported to the March 2023 ETS committee meeting.
3.1.6 Adur Tidal Walls & Western Harbour Arm Flood Defences (Shoreham-By-Sea) – £10.5m
Demolition of redundant Yacht Club October/November 2021.
Continued pluvial and fluvial modelling to inform design.
3.1.7 A2300 Corridor Improvements (Burgess Hill) - £17.0m
See 3.2.5 below
LGF Growth Deal Round 3
3.2 In February 2017 Coast to Capital announced that it has secured £66m through Round 3 of the Growth Deal. All six projects put forward by the Board were allocated funding - totalling £48.77m. The project updates are as follows:
Worthing Central Phase 1 (Worthing) - £5.6m
3.2.1 Teville Gate:
Site acquired by Worthing Borough Council for redevelopment in August 2021. Development Strategy and approach involving joint investment with London & Continental Railways confirmed in December 2021. March 2022 Development Partner agreed by JSc Committee – Hyde Housing Group.
3.2.2 Union Place:
S106 agreement drafted and formal planning permission issued. Roffey Homes agreed as Development Partner on the site
3.2.3 Decoy Farm (Worthing) - £4.8m
Appointment of the full design team including commercial advice, surveying team, architectural team and wider suite of advisers.
Phase 2 of the development and output to deliver employment floorspace is progressing well.
The Strategic Outline Case and Outline Business Case for the development of Decoy Farm are approved.
Approval to progress the project through to Full Business Case in readiness for project delivery received at the Joint Strategic Committee meeting on 13 July 2021.
3.2.4 New Monks Farm & Airport (Shoreham-By-Sea) - £5.7m
There is no further update for this period. Previous report is as follows:
· Housing and infrastructure development has continued at pace with a number of units completed and occupied on the site.
· Work is due to commence on the A27 roundabout in autumn 2021 for completion in late 2022.
· Ikea announced that they will not continue with their proposed new store and that they will market the site for a suitable development in September 2021.
3.2.5 Growth Location (Burgess Hill) - £14.9m
Town Centre Regeneration: Completion of the S106 agreement and planning permission for the redevelopment of the Martlets Shopping Centre was issued on the 2nd July 2021.
Brookleigh (Northern Arc): The development has been re-named from the Northern Arc to Brookleigh. First occupations of shared ownership homes on Freeks Farm have taken place. The first occupations of affordable rented properties are anticipated early in the new year. The bridge on the Eastern Bridge and Link Road was lowered into position on 22nd August 2022. The road is due to be completed by February 2023.
Discussions are ongoing between Homes England and the Department for Education regarding procuring a developer for the first primary school on the site.
A feasibility study for the Centre for Outdoor Sports has been completed and next stage plans agreed with facilities to be developed for use by the public by 2025.
Place and Connectivity: Work continues on delivery of the MSDC Led Phase 1 schemes including public art and other public realm improvements to the underpass at Wivelsfield Railway station. WSCC Phase 1 schemes are currently in delivery and are due to complete Spring/Summer 2023; communications and stakeholder management is ongoing. Delivery near completion on Green Link (99% complete, 6.7km/6.8km) and Green Circle routes (100% complete, 4.55km).
Goddards Green Waste Water Treatment Works: Phase 1 of the project has been completed delivering most of the odour reduction benefits. All the £4m LGF-funding has been spent, alongside the £6.54m HIF grant. The remainder of the project will be funded by private Southern Water investment (£13.6m).
A2300 corridor improvements: Construction began in spring 2020; programme now complete with both carriageways officially opened on the 8th April 2022.
Employment space, The Hub: The site was purchased by developers Panattoni and renamed Panattoni Park Burgess Hill. The second phase of development (a 5,000m2 warehouse for Roche Diagnostics) was completed in early February 2022. Outline planning permission for the remaining 40,000m2 has been approved, and issued.
Digital Infrastructure: Works to implement the Digital Infrastructure across and around Burgess Hill, including a southern link to Brighton and a northern link via Horsham to Crawley, are well progressed. The Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN) project has now been delivered totalling 15km of dark fibre and the Burgess Hill Fibre Exchange. Customer enquiries being received and are responded to through the CNI co-operative partners.
One public estate (OPE) 7: The Brow - redevelopment of an extended Brow site in Burgess Hill will provide enhanced accommodation for the emergency and primary care services and to create space for 440 new homes (led by WSCC). Consultants Faithful and Gould have completed a draft viability study which is currently being reviewed to agree next steps.
Land adjacent to Burgess Hill Station: - Officers are working with key stakeholders including Network Rail and The Arch Company (the principal landowner at the site). Review of feasibility and appraisal work is underway.
3.2.6 Black Rock /Waterfront (Brighton) - £12.1m
The new Promenade link began with temporary closure of one of the main car access ramps into the Marina to allow for the new bridge link to be introduced to link to Black Rock.
LGF Growth Deal Unallocated Funds Rounds 1 & 2 – December 2016 Call
3.3 In December 2016 Coast to Capital announced that it had approximately £46.65m of unallocated funds available to support capital growth projects. The Greater Brighton Economic Board put forward eight bids, five of which received funding totalling approximately £9.9m. The project updates are as follows:
3.3.1 Adur Civic Centre (Shoreham-By-Sea) - £1.8m
Phase 2: Public consultation on proposed development by Hyde Housing took place on 20/02/2020 and detailed design work was undertaken throughout 2021.
3.3.2 Springman House (Lewes) – £2.0m
There has been no further update since the last meeting and the last position is as follows:
Following the purchase of the site by Lewes District Council, plans were drawn up with the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service Sussex Police and the South East Coast Ambulance Service. NSQL, the majority landowner at the NSQ site, has now sold its land to the developer – Human Nature. In December 2020, the Council’s Cabinet agreed heads of terms for the sale of its own land to this same developer in order that it can comprehensively redevelop the site. Human Nature has confirmed that it will submit a new planning application for the NSQ and the Council is now liaising with the developer to understand its plans and timescales for the site, including the fire station.
3.3.3 Railway Quay (Newhaven) - £1.5m
LDC has acquired the former UTC Harbourside – now renamed Marine Workshops – following successfully securing £1.3m from the Getting Building Fund. The building is being recommissioned and updated into a maritime and sustainable technology hub, offering education / training space and commercial facilities for SME’s. This has been augmented by a commitment of £1.05m from LDC.
The building purchase completed on 17 June 2022 and phase 1 recommissioning works have completed. The next phase of works will be to create car park improvements and works associated with tenants moving into the building. A soft launch for LDC staff will commence early 2023 alongside a tender process for an operator/operators to run parts of the building.
3.3.4 Heritage Centre Stage – Corn Exchange & Studio Theatre (Brighton) - £3.0m
The Council’s appointed Management Contractor, Westridge Construction Limited, continues to progress works to the 200-year-old Corn Exchange timber framed building and the 1930’s Studio Theatre. The Studio theatre fibrous plaster ceiling and copper roof had reached the end of their useful lives and were brought into scope and have been completed. Further discoveries on site requiring remedial works have delayed the programme. Finishing and completion works are continuing with the Corn Exchange, Studio Theatre and upper gallery oak timber floors, and seating installed and public WCs fitted out. 2nd fix and decoration of 29 New Road, Corn Exchange foyer offices, basement dressing rooms and Creation Space are continuing. Theatre trusses have been installed in the Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre with audio and electrical theatre systems progressing. Covid-19 and possibly Brexit appear to be impacting availability of materials with longer lead in and delivery times, associated delays and increasing costs with inflation now an additional issue. These impacts remain an on-going risk. In line with Government guidance on site measures related to Covid-19 have been relaxed
4. ANALYSIS & CONSIDERATION OF ANY ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
4.1 None required.
5. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & CONSULTATION
5.1 None required.
6. CONCLUSION
6.1 The Board is asked to note the contents of this report.
7. FINANCIAL & OTHER IMPLICATIONS:
Financial Implications:
7.1 There are no direct financial implications associated with this report regarding the progress made in the third quarter of this financial year on approved schemes within the Greater Brighton Investment Programme. Schemes already included within the Greater Brighton Investment Programme have approved business cases in place with funding options identified and these have been reported to their respective bodies. The progress of each scheme including any financial and funding implications are detailed within the Investment Update Report in appendix 1 and in paragraphs 3.1,3.2 and 3.3 above. Future or revised business plans will be reported accordingly within the timescales of the project timetables.
Finance Officer Consulted: Rob Allen, Principal Accountant
Date: 27/01/23
Legal Implications:
None arising from this report.
Lawyer Consulted: Wendy McRae-Smith, Senior Lawyer
Date: 26/01/23
Equalities Implications:
7.2 None arising from this report. Equalities issues will be addressed on a project-by-project basis.
Sustainability Implications:
7.3 None arising from this report. Sustainability issues will be addressed on a project-by-project basis.
Any Other Significant Implications:
7.4 None.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Appendices:
Greater Brighton Investment Update Report February 2023.
Background Documents:
None