Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Heritage seeking approval to transfer a capital budget from the Resources Capital Programme to the Leisure and Culture Capital Programme, give scheme approval under the Financial Procedure Rules for the total amount of the scheme and seek approval to instigate a procurement exercise to identify a management partner and give delegated authority to the relevant officers to consider tenders and appoint the preferred bidder to externally manage the new Sea City Museum and any other actions required to implement this scheme.

Cabinet on 23^rd November 2009 approved the submission of the bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to continue to develop the project until a decision was made on the submission in March 2010.  In March 2010 the Council was successfully awarded the funding from the HLF.

This decision is needed to enable the project to progress to completion by April 2012.

(i)  That, in accordance with Finance Procedure Rules, to approve the transfer of a ringfenced capped sum of £1.283m from the Resources portfolio into the Leisure and Culture Capital Programme per the approval to carry our repairs to the fabric of the building, any underspends will be transferred back to the ASAP project. 

(ii)  That, in accordance with Finance Procedure Rules, to approve the increase in the total spend on the implementation of this scheme by £14,793,997 (to a total scheme value of £16,209,000) to be phased £4,185,565 in 2010/2011, £9,878,424 in 2011/2012 and £452,168 in 2012/2013 and £277,840 in 2013/2014;

(iii)  To note that the additional capital financing costs in 2010/11 of £40,000 can be met from existing capital financing budgets but that a sum to cover the additional capital financing costs in subsequent years will need to be allocated from the £2M allowance made for additional pressures that was included in the high level General Fund forecast reported to Cabinet on 5 July and that this may need to be increased if the circumstances set out in the report to Council in February materialise;

(iv) To approve the implementation of a procurement exercise to identify a management partner for Sea City Museum, with the option of including other heritage venues, subject to an economic assessment of the costs and benefits being completed in accordance with the councils approved project appraisal process and, on the basis that the procurement proceeds:

• Agrees to draw up to £150,000 from contingencies to fund the procurement exercise in 2010/11 and
• Delegate authority to the Executive Director of Neighbourhoods, following consultation with the Executive Director of Resources and the Solicitor to the Council, to do anything necessary to conclude the procurement including, but not limited to the evaluation of tenders, selection of the preferred bidder and contractual and financial close.

(v)  To delegate authority to the Executive Director for Neighbourhoods, following consultation with the Solicitor to the Council and the Executive Director of Resources,  to enter into any agreements or undertake any other actions necessary to implement this project to completion.

To enable the implementation of the project, which is necessary at this time if the target completion date of 2012 is to be achieved.

Not to authorise the expenditure required to implement the project. This would prevent the project proceeding.