Agenda item

The Panel will consider a report on the progress of the Cultural Heart programme following Cabinet approval to proceed on the 22^nd June 2021.

Contact:

David Glover , Senior Responsible Officer, Cultural Heart

The Panel considered a report setting out the progress of the Cultural Heart programme which was presented by David Glover, Senior Responsible Officer-Economy and Skills and David Shepherd, Strategic Director, Growth and Regeneration.

Cllr Peter McBride - Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Cllr Paul Davies - Cabinet Member for Corporate were also in attendance. Cllr McBride gave an overview of the Cultural Heart explaining that it was an ambitious programme which aimed to transform the town centre of Huddersfield. Due to the complexity, of the developments the Council had employed consultants to provide guidance on various aspects of the plan, such as costing and staging, for example. Cllr Davies explained that reflecting local culture was a priority of the scheme, and engagement with local people was essential to create a town centre which celebrated what Kirklees had to offer, built local esteem, and established Kirklees as a place nationally. The plans also included a focus on sustainability and the creation of a greener town centre.

David Shepherd advised that the Cabinet had identified accelerated delivery of the Cultural Heart as a priority. To achieve this, a ‘Gateway System’ had been designed to ensure that Cabinet continued to lead the process at each critical stage of its delivery. Using this approach, the scheme could not progress through the identified ‘Gateways’ without Cabinet approval.

David Glover gave a presentation which set out an overview of the Huddersfield Blueprint and the Cultural Heart and the progress to date. It was noted that:

·       The Huddersfield Blueprint was a £250m programme launched in 2019 and included 24 core regeneration projects.

·       The Cultural Heart programme was one of 4 flagship projects within the Blueprint

·       The purpose of the Cultural Heart programme was to reset Huddersfield Town Centre through the introduction of a new event space and food court, a high-quality urban park, a modified or new library, an art gallery and museum, improved connections to the university and new car parking facilities.

·       Cabinet approved for the for the scheme to progress to Gateway 2 on the 22^nd June 2021.

·       The approved report set out the strategy for developing the Strategic Outline Case (Gateway 1), a robust master plan and the Outline Business Case (Gateway 2).

·       November 2021 was the target for Gateway 1. To meet this, work was ongoing such as stakeholder consultations, procurement of Architects and Engineers, heritage impact assessments and initial planning consultations.

·       July 2022 was the target for Gateway 2 and the total estimated timescale for completion of the programme was from 2021 to 2026.

·       The programme had an estimated total value of between £170m and £200m.

·       A sustainability review had commenced to ensure the development of the Cultural Heart was in line with new and existing Council policies.

·       This included plans to connect the Cultural Heart with the proposed town centre heat network and electricity project to reduce the town centres carbon footprint.

·       Social value was also important and increased social opportunities would become deliverable as the project moved into the construction phase.

Questions and comments were invited from Panel Members and the following issues were raised.

In response to a question about ensuring Cabinet’s oversite throughout the process (referring more specifically to recommendations and the scheme of delegation in the report), David Shepherd advised that the recommendations in terms of delegation were made to ensure Cabinet’s key priority of accelerated delivery. 

The Panel highlighted the importance of measurable environmental outcomes.  David Shepherd responded saying that it was important to consider resilience for the future throughout the delivery of the programme. This was to be achieved through building to exacting environmental standards, and the plans to link the Cultural Heart to any future district heat and electricity network to ensure that energy comes from the most sustainable sources. The development of a travel plan also aimed to allow visitors to access the town centre in sustainable ways by encouraging active travel and by providing sufficient electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

The Panel asked what changes had been made since the Blueprints introduction in 2019. David Shepherd explained that it was there could be positional changes that would be identified through site interrogation as developments progressed but assured members that they would be informed of any changes.

Responding to concerns about the strain on internal and external council services as resources were drawn into Huddersfield, David Shepherd agreed it was important to ensure that other regeneration projects across Kirklees were not hindered by the delivery of the Cultural Heart. A team of external consultants had been established to work alongside the officer teams to provide support.   Cllr McBride empathised that in recognising the size, scale and the complexity of the proposals that external expertise had been commissioned to provide guidance and feedback on the delivery of the programme. Cllr Davies added further assurance that Cabinet understood and took on board accountability for the project.

The Panel asked further questions about stakeholders and the provision of market-based information. David Shepherd explained that key stakeholders included the Huddersfield Bid (business improvement district), the Civic Society, the Huddersfield University, Public Sector Partners (i.e.- police and health partners), educational providers as well as all elected members. Work was also ongoing with the Mayor of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to ensure that the Cultural heart was integrated with a co-ordinated stream of investment into the town centre. 

In the discussion to follow the Panel, suggested that further engagement be undertaken with local groups such as the Street Angels, as well as the Visual Impairment Network and the Guide Dog Association to ensure an accessible town centre. The use of Braille placed in key locations to describe what can be seen was suggested as an example of good, inclusive, and accessible to design.

In response to the question about market-based information David Shepherd advised that IPW and Queensbury had been commissioned to provide high level market intelligence, with a particular focus on the event space and food venues, to create a town centre that was successful locally, regionally, at present and in the future.

Responding to Panel members comments regarding inclusivity for all types of visitors, David Shepherd highlighted that designing welcoming, well maintained and safe spaces and facilities were essential. Inclusivity was to be factored into the wider travel plan to break down any mobility barriers that might prevent a person from accessing the town centre. The Panel agreed that the transport plans needed to receive the same amount of focus and planning as the physical creation of the town centre.

The Panel also welcomed comments about the heat and electricity district network but wanted to know what other options were being considered to ensure sustainability, and in the discussion to follow, the use of solar panels and wind turbines were suggested.  David Shepherd agreed that it was important to continue to review the scheme as it developed to ensure it supported the Councils Climate Emergency target to be net 0 by 2038. It was acknowledged that there would be financial implications involved and so it was important that the Cabinet were well informed throughout the process.

The Panel highlighted welcomed the plans to create a high-quality urban park and expressed in relation to place-shaping that it was important to be ambitious to create a town centre that Kirklees could be proud of and a place that people wanted to visit.

The Panel also requested that:   

·       The link from the Lawrence Batley Theatre to the Cultural Heart was defined and made clear in future reports.

·       Regular quarterly progress reports be provided to the Panel.

·       That consideration was given to the issue of surface water in the early design phases.

In response to a question about communications and engagement with the public, Cllr Davies explained that the communications strategy would take a multifaceted approach, and the Council was seeking expertise on how to ensure meaningful engagement with the public.  In the discussion to follow, the Panel suggested that a that a 3D model of the Cultural Heart be displayed in Huddersfield Town Hall to communicate and engage with residents who don’t have internet access.

David Shepherd responded to a question concerning the demolition of concrete with embedded CO2. He agreed that the correct disposal of concrete was important, but also highlighted that some concrete was listed. In such cases, this concrete would be preserved. Other options included the effective reuse of concrete such as in road building programmes. It was important to consider sustainable building materials going forwards. Linking to the discussion about measurable outcomes, David noted that it would be important to measure both the immediate carbon impact and the lifetime carbon impact of the town centre.

The Panel also suggested:

·       That consideration be given to providing better narrow boat facilities, such as moorings to allow people to visit the town by boat. It was suggested that engagement be held with the Canal and Riverbank Trust

·       That the town centre be created and marketed in a way that encouraged visitors to explore the surrounding towns and villages across Kirklees. 

David Shepherd welcomed the Panels suggestions, explaining that the museum offer could be a used to increase visitor interest in other areas of Kirklees. In response to a question about making the town centre unique, David added that plans to design green spaces in a way which highlighted Kirklees’s rural character within an urban setting could be the towns unique selling point.

RESOLVED –

The Panel noted the contents of the report and requested that the following key observations and recommendations be noted:

1)    In relation to sustainability and social values, the Panel requested that thecorrect metrics were put in place to measure outcomes. 

2)    The Panel noted that it was important to focus on the development of sustainable travel options, such as active travel and EV facilities, but that there also needed to be adequate parking facilities to meet current demand.

3)    In relation to communications, the Panel noted that it was important to ensure the purpose and vision for the Cultural Heart was made clear to all stakeholders, including those without internet access.

4)    The Panel suggested that engagement be undertaken with the following local groups: the Street Angels, the Visual Impairment Network, the Guide Dog Association and the Canal and Riverbank Trust.

5)    The Panel requested that the link from the Lawrence Batley Theatre to the Cultural Heart was included in future reports.

6)    The Panel noted the importance of elected accountability and scrutiny and agreed that regular quarterly written progress reports be provided to the Panel.

7)    The Panel noted that consideration should be given to the issue of surface water in the early design phases.

8)    The Panel suggested that the town centre is built and marketed in a way that encourages and attracts visitors to the surrounding towns and villages across Kirklees.