Decision details

York has been allocated £5.1m from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to implement the investment plan that was agreed by DLUHC in January 2023. In October 2022, CYC Executive gave delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Place to implement this Investment Plan, in consultation with the relevant Executive Members and the York UKSPF Partnership Board. This delegation was reconfirmed in October 2023. Due to the senior management restructure, the decision has been made by the Interim Director of City Development who now has responsibility for UKSPF.

Details for Acomb Front Street Phase 2 were approved by the Executive Member for Economy and Culture at his decision session on 24th September 2024. These included a provision for public artwork as part of the scheme, with the agreement of the detailed design and implementation delegated to the Interim Director of City Development. The artwork has been further defined as a mural to mark the new gateway to Acomb Front Street and the refurbishment of 8 benches along the street, with a funding competition launched in November 2024 to find an artist to work with the local community and develop suitable designs which would reflect the local neighbourhood and respond to the views of the local community as revealed in consultation.

The funding competition attracted interest from across the world and has now completed. Eighteen requests were made for the application pack, leading to eleven proposals being received for the development of the mural, and five proposals for the benches. Following appraisal of those proposals, the highest scoring applications for both projects were submitted by Art of Protest, who scored 84/100 for the mural and 78/100 for the benches. Their proposal involves working with The Place at Sanderson House and includes further public consultation on the detailed designs. The proposed cost for both projects is £34,770 plus an allowance for contingencies, and the total costs will be no more than £38,000.

UKSPF funding must all be spent by the end of the current financial year, when the current programme finishes and any unspent funds must be returned to Government.

Decision:
To award up to £38,000 from UKSPF to Art of Protest to work with the local community to design and deliver a mural and transform 8 wooden benches at Acomb Front Street.

Option 1: Award funding to Art of Protest for both projects

Option 2: Do not award funds

Option 2: The Executive Member, Executive and the Partnership have supported the Acomb Front Street project, and the public consultation highlighted local demands for public art work. We have compliant bids at the standard required to award funding, so there is no reason not to award.