Agenda item

Contact: Michelle Illingworth, ER Project Officer – Dewsbury Town Investment Plan.

Officers attending the meeting to update the Board on the projects.

In relation to the market, Joanne Bartholomew advised the Board that a report would be brought to the September meeting outlining proposals including cost viability and delivery timescales. 

The Daisy Hill project was progressing with several ongoing acquisitions, although nothing further to update following on from the update at May’s Board meeting. Ms Bartholomew reiterated that the project should not be rushed and advised that there was a set of master planning considerations such as the viability of potential developments to work through.  Thomas Fish, Strategic Partnership Lead explained that the focus of attention was on the key acquisitions that were adjacent to the ones already owned to de-risk the future of those.  Mr Fish advised that conversations were taking place with Historic England, Homes England and the Combined Authority to help identify and accelerate funding for housing led schemes.

Mr Duffill explained that officers had met the builders involved in the Fieldhouse project with it almost ready to commence.  In response to questions from the Board about when the project would begin, Ms Bartholomew advised that there was some level of bureaucracy to satisfy the government with different funding streams being blended which required different legal agreements.  Due to the amount of money being invested into the property, this was quite an involved process to get the legal agreements aligned.  It was also noted that the increasing construction industry costs played a factor.  Peter Thompson, Economic Project Officer confirmed that there was just one issue to be resolved, and once that was resolved and principle agreements were signed off, the project would commence.  The target was still to be on site this year.

RESOLVED –

1)    That officers be thanked for the updates.

2)    That the market project be considered at the September meeting of the Board.