Agenda, decisions and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interest they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda.  Cllr Waller declared a personal, non prejudicial interest in agenda item 5 (Lendal Bridge Cycle Hub Station), as a member of the Regional Flood Defence Committee.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Executive meeting held on 16 February 2010.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Executive meeting held on 16 February 2010 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or a matter within the Executive’s remit can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5:00 pm on Monday 1 March 2010.

It was reported that there had been one registration to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Bernie Cullen, Project Manager and Director of the Bike Rescue Project, spoke in relation to agenda item 5 (Lendal Bridge Hub Station).  She outlined the Project’s role and its status as a Community Interest Company (CIC), and generally expanded upon the information provided in the business plan at Annex 2 to the report.

To receive details of those items that are listed on the Forward Plan for the next two Executive meetings.

Members received and noted details of those items that were listed on the Forward Plan for the next two Executive meetings at the time the agenda was published.

The report provides an update on the progress made towards converting the former electricity sub station at Lendal Bridge to a secure cycle park, and seeks approval to release funds for the project from the capital programme and to make a supplementary loan to enable the scheme to proceed.

Members considered a report which provided an update on progress made towards converting the former electricity sub-station at Lendal Bridge to a secure cycle path, and sought approval for funding to progress the project.

On 12 June 2007, the Executive had agreed to lease the former sub-station to the Bike Rescue Project CIC for use as a secure cycle park, subject to them obtaining planning permission and sufficient grant funding.  Planning consent had now been obtained and funding for the proposed alterations and building refurbishment was being allocated by the Council through its Cycling England award and Transport Planning budget.  However, the lowest tender for this work had come in higher than the budget allocation of £270k.  This would leave a funding shortfall of approximately £30k for implementation of the full scheme (including upper level cycle storage decking and hoist) or £15k for a pared down scheme providing a reduced storage capacity.

As an alternative to Bike Rescue arranging a bank loan to cover the shortfall, it was suggested that the Council provide a loan, to a maximum of either £30k or £15k depending on which scheme was adopted, to be paid back over the initial years of the lease.  Approval was also sought to release funding of £270k from the 2009/10 Capital Programme, to enable the project to proceed.

In making their decisions, Members noted that the scheme represented significant expenditure but had the potential to create a city centre focal point for cycling and to help promote York as a progressive centre for sustainable transport.  They stressed the importance of ensuring that the scheme would operate in co-operation with the cycle proposals for the Railway Station.

RESOLVED: (i)         That approval be given to release £270,000 from the 2009/10 City Strategy Capital Programme, in stages, to fund the conversion of Lendal Bridge former sub station to a secure cycle park and to bring into beneficial use a vacant city centre building.

                        (ii)        That a loan up to a maximum of £30,000 be made to Bike Rescue, to be repaid within ten years and, in the unlikely case of a default, to be repaid from the proceeds of a sale or re-letting of the building.

REASON:      To enable the next phase of the project to be undertaken and to allow physical works to commence on site.

Members considered a report which provided an update on progress made towards converting the former electricity sub-station at Lendal Bridge to a secure cycle path, and sought approval for funding to progress the project.

On 12 June 2007, the Executive had agreed to lease the former sub-station to the Bike Rescue Project CIC for use as a secure cycle park, subject to them obtaining planning permission and sufficient grant funding.  Planning consent had now been obtained and funding for the proposed alterations and building refurbishment was being allocated by the Council through its Cycling England award and Transport Planning budget.  However, the lowest tender for this work had come in higher than the budget allocation of £270k.  This would leave a funding shortfall of approximately £30k for implementation of the full scheme (including upper level cycle storage decking and hoist) or £15k for a pared down scheme providing a reduced storage capacity.

As an alternative to Bike Rescue arranging a bank loan to cover the shortfall, it was suggested that the Council provide a loan, to a maximum of either £30k or £15k depending on which scheme was adopted, to be paid back over the initial years of the lease.  Approval was also sought to release funding of £270k from the 2009/10 Capital Programme, to enable the project to proceed.

In making their decisions, Members noted that the scheme represented significant expenditure but had the potential to create a city centre focal point for cycling and to help promote York as a progressive centre for sustainable transport.  They stressed the importance of ensuring that the scheme would operate in co-operation with the cycle proposals for the Railway Station.

RESOLVED: (i)         That approval be given to release £270,000 from the 2009/10 City Strategy Capital Programme, in stages, to fund the conversion of Lendal Bridge former sub station to a secure cycle park and to bring into beneficial use a vacant city centre building.¹

                        (ii)        That a loan up to a maximum of £30,000 be made to Bike Rescue, to be repaid within ten years and, in the unlikely case of a default, to be repaid from the proceeds of a sale or re-letting of the building. ²

REASON:      To enable the next phase of the project to be undertaken and to allow physical works to commence on site.