Decision details

An update on the development of the Cultural Heart programme as part of the wider Huddersfield Blueprint.

On the 16.11.21 Cabinet approved the Strategic Outline Case and gave approval to proceed to the Outline Business Case (Gateway 2) with the programme to be presented to Cabinet at this next Gateway for review and approval.

The purpose of the Outline Business Case is to re-confirm the strategic case for the project and to outline and test the detail of the preferred option, the Preferred Way Forward setting out its masterplan and the associated financial case. This Outline Business Case has been prepared using the UK Government’s Treasury Five Case Model methodology.

This report updates members about the Cultural Heart programme and sets out the justification for the programme’s continuation to Gateway 3.

1)      That approval be given to proceed to the next stage, in line with the proposals and recommendations as set out in the Outline Business Case.

2)      That approval be given to proceed in line with the Preferred Way Forward masterplan, and the associated RIBA Stage 2 design.

3)      That approval be given to the Gateway 2 to Gateway 3 budget of up to £10.5m.

4)      That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration), in consultation with the Cabinet Member (Regeneration), to take decisions on the programme timeline so that the Cultural Heart masterplan and the associated strategic objectives can be completed within an appropriate timescale, reflecting the Council’s financial position.

5)      That necessary Council staff and resources be allocated to support the programme, and that it be noted that, in the absence of sufficient internal resources, additional resources will be sourced from existing/future framework agreements.

6)      That approval be given to extend the appointment of the Strategic Development Partner/Project Manager to Gateway 3 under direct award from the SCAPE, Place Shaping Framework in compliance with Contract Procedure Rules and Financial Procedure Rules.

7)      That approval be given to extending the appointments of the architect and the engineer to Gateway 3 in compliance with the Contract Procedure Rules and Finance Procedure Rules.

8)      That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration) to conclude the construction contractor strategy, as set out at section 2.5, and to progress that strategy for the Cultural Heart to the next stage.

9)      That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration) to conclude the strategy on all necessary third party operators, as set out at section 2.6, and to progress that strategy for the Cultural Heart to the next stage.

10)  That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration), in consultation with the Cabinet Member (Regeneration) and the Cabinet Member (Corporate Services), to conclude the Social Value Strategy, and then implement the same for the Cultural Heart, to include the mechanism for administration of the trust fund.

11)  That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration), in consultation with the Cabinet Member (Regeneration), the Service Director (Legal, Governance and Commissioning) and the Service Director (Finance), to appoint third parties in compliance with Contract Procedure Rules and Financial Procedure Rules.

12)  That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration), in liaison with the Head of Procurement, to work within approved budgets to deliver the programme to Gateway 3.