Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer attached

The Executive considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer, which informed Members of requests to increase the capital programme, sought approval for those schemes that could be approved under authority delegated to the Executive and asked the Executive to recommend to Council proposals that required specific Council approval.

The proposals which did not require Council approval and only required Executive approval were those which were funded by the use of external resources, use of capital receipts, use of reserves below £10.0m, where the proposal could be funded from existing revenue budgets or where the use of borrowing on a spend to save basis is required.  The following proposals require Executive approval for changes to the City Council’s capital programme:

·                Growth and Development – Our Town Hall Levels five and six. A capital budget increase of £1.170m was requested, funded by Capital Receipts for the fit out of levels five and six for the Our Town Hall Project. The original proposal was for a commercial tenant to fund the works but following market advice that the accommodation was more suitable for the public sector, the accommodation had now been incorporated into the Council’s wider estates strategy

·                Growth and Development – Back of Ancoats: Public Realm and Mobility Hub. Subject to final approval of the Council’s bid for grant funding by Government, a capital budget increase of £32.7m was requested.  The Back of Ancoats programme would deliver an innovative Mobility Hub, new public realm, and land acquisition/remediation in order to facilitate the regeneration of the area with the delivery of 1,500 new homes. The regeneration of the Back of Ancoats was a major opportunity to initiate a programme of transformational growth across the Eastern Gateway in Manchester.

·                Neighbourhoods - Wythenshawe Park - Commercial Master Plan and Strategic Transport Plan. A capital budget decrease from Parks Development Programme Budget of £0.080m was requested and approval of a corresponding transfer of £0.080m to the revenue budget, funded by Capital Fund.  The commercial plan would  identify and set out investment opportunities into the park informing priorities across the site to build on the existing offer and activate the existing infrastructure. The Strategic Transport Plan would inform the external and internal traffic management requirements and active travel plans in partnership with Highways to look to accommodate an increase in visits for ongoing and future developments to the site.

The report highlighted that there had been increases to the programme totalling £0.490m as a result of delegated approvals since the previous report to the Executive on 16 February 2022 and if the recommendations in the report were approved the General Fund capital budget would increase by £33.7591 across financial years which would also result in an increase in the prudential indicator for Capital Expenditure in corresponding years.

Approval had also been given for the following capital budget virements:-

·                £0.300m from Highways Improvement Budget for 40mph Speed Limit Reduction Programme to implement new reduced speed limits from 40mph to 30mph at ten locations across the city;

·                £0.069m funding from within the Northwards Programme budget to carry out the immediate heat meter replacement at 159 properties.

Councillor Leech sought further clarity on the proposals surrounding 40mph Speed Limit Reduction Programme to which the Leader advised that as this was a capital programme update it did not go into policy details and noted that this was reflected in reports elsewhere.

Decision

The Executive:-

(1)      Approve the following changes to the Council’s capital programme:

·                Growth and Development – Our Town Hall Levels 5 and 6. A capital budget increase of £1.170m, funded by Capital Receipts, for the fit out of levels five and six for the Our Town Hall Project

·                Growth and Development – Back of Ancoats: Public Realm and Mobility Hub. Subject to final approval of the Council’s bid for grant funding by Government, a capital budget increase of £32.7m to deliver an innovative Mobility Hub, new public realm, and land acquisition/remediation in order to facilitate the regeneration of the area with the delivery of 1,500 new homes, noting that acceptance of the bid and any conditions be delegated to the Strategic Director for Growth and Development in consultation with the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer and the Executive Member for Finance

·                Neighbourhoods - Wythenshawe Park - Commercial Master Plan and Strategic Transport Plan. A capital budget decrease from Parks Development Programme Budget of £0.080m and approval of a corresponding transfer of £0.080m to the revenue budget, funded by Capital Fund.

(2)      Notes the increases to the programme of £0.490m as a result of delegated approvals.

(3)      Notes the virements in the programme of £0.369m as a result of virements from approved budgets.