Agenda item

The Radstock Capital Funding project has a capital budget allowance of £500,000. £160,000 of this fund has full approval to be spent on Victoria Hall, leaving £340,000 to be allocated between other uses. Community consultation has now been undertaken around the allocation of these funds and suggestions received and reviewed. This report presents the suggested allocations between Economic Development, Community facilities and Streets, Highways and Public Realm and seeks Cabinet approval for the allocations.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson in a statement expressed some concerns about the delays and uncertainty about deciding and announcing how the £500K would be used.  She was unhappy that the Economic Forum had many members who were not from the area and who might not have the best interests of the area in mind.

Amanda Leon (Radstock Action Group) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to the Minutes as Appendix 9 and on the Council's website] congratulated the Council on identifying key works which required urgent attention in Radstock.  She emphasised the importance of the proposed public realm improvements and stressed the need for ongoing maintenance of the fabric of the town.  She expressed reservations about the unaccountable nature of the Economic Forum.

George Bailey (Radstock Action Group) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to the Minutes as Appendix 10 and on the Council's website] asked for an explanation for the decrease in the published allocation for Frome Road improvements; and the increase in the published allocation for the Economic Forum.  He said that the Forum was undemocratic and that no list of members existed.  He observed that the widening of Morley Terrace and the Haydon 20mph speed limit both appeared to have been forgotten.

Lesley Mansell (Chair, Radstock Town Council) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to the Minutes as Appendix 11 and on the Council's website] welcomed the Capital Funding and asked for more partnership working between B&NES and the town Council to ensure that local people would have a real say in the changes.

Councillor Peter Edwards in an ad hoc statement said that he was intrigued by the order in which the matter had been progressed; he felt that the needs should be identified first, then the funds should be allocated later to meet those needs.

Councillor Robin Moss in an ad hoc statement said that he was dissatisfied that local traders, manufacturers and local people had not been adequately consulted.

Councillor Cherry Beath in proposing the item, said that the funds had been allocated in the previous year’s budget, including funding for Victoria Hall.  The consultation feedback from the community had been given full consideration.  One suggestion from the community had been additional heritage signage, which had been included in the plans.  The Economic Forum had held some lively debates and it was anticipated that the Forum would help in the administration of the funding.  Councillor Beath was delighted that the plans would bring regeneration to Radstock and one of the first indications of that would be the public realm improvements.

Councillor Paul Crossley seconded the proposal.  He was pleased to see the plans for regeneration of the town and refurbishment of Victoria Hall.  He thanked the local community for their contribution to the debate.  In response to George Bailey he explained that the earlier figures had been estimates which had been firmed up by later thinking.  He emphasised that local people could apply for funding and he welcomed the engagement of the community in the regeneration of their own town.

Councillor Simon Allen welcomed this good news for Radstock.  He acknowledged that people had questions about the working of the Economic Forum, but the emphasis was on ensuring that the plans were workable and had the support of local people.

On a motion from Councillor Cherry Beath, seconded by Councillor Paul Crossley, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously)

(1) To APPROVE the allocation of the remaining £340,000 of capital funds as follows:

(a) Economic Development

·  £135,000 to support the work of the Radstock and Westfield Economic Development Forum.

·  £15,000 towards the provision of Heritage signage in Radstock.

(b) Community Facilities

·  £50,000 for investment into additional community facilities.  The recipients of this investment are to be identified through a competitive bidding process.

(c) Streets, Highways and Public realm

·  £140,000 for investment into streets, highways and public realm initiatives to enable projects identified by Highways/Traffic Management and facilitate initiatives suggested through the community consultation process. 

(d) The Radstock & Westfield Economic Development Forum oversees and manages the delivery of an economic development action plan of interventions, aimed at increasing economic and social/ community growth in Radstock and Westfield. The forum is made up of local and B&NES Councillors, business representatives, Radstock Town Team, Writhlington School and Norton Radstock College

(e) In order to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of the funds, Officers recommend that a clear set of criteria, terms & conditions and an appropriate scoring matrix are developed with the Radstock and Westfield Economic Development Forum, and a competitive, open bidding process is administered by officers to distribute the Economic Development allocation over the next year.

(f) Officers also recommend that the £50,000 towards additional community facilities should also be awarded through a competitive bidding process. A clear set of criteria, terms & conditions and an appropriate scoring matrix will also need to be developed to support this process.