Decision details

RESOLVED that:

Energising Blyth Programme – Culture Hub and Market Place

a)       Cabinet approve the amended budget, shown in table 6.16, for inclusion in the Capital Programme of £16.546 million including £6.135 million from the Energising Blyth Project Delivery Support budget which is included in the Medium-Term Financial Plan;

b)       authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Place and Regeneration to enter into the main construction contract relating to the project, subject to the appropriate procurement processes being followed.

c)       Subject to approval by North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA) of the £2.5m Business Case, this be added to the Culture Hub & Market Place budget within the Medium-Term Financial Plan, and the associated financial profiles be approved as set out in the report; and  

d)       Cabinet approve the transfer of funding of £0.388 million from the 2024-25 Climate Change Fund to the Culture Hub Project.

Gilesgate Structural Works

a)       Cabinet approve the spend of £0.100 million to undertake the structural works at 2 Gilesgate, Hexham.  This spend will be funded from the Property Stewardship budget within the Capital Programme;

b)       Cabinet approve the amendment to the Capital Programme to reallocate the funding from the Property Stewardship budget to the 2 Gilesgate, Hexham project.

Broadband Connectivity and Oracle Upgrade

a)       Cabinet note the receipt of a Gainshare payment from BT of £3.707 million;

b)       Cabinet approve the payment of a portion of the Gainshare receipt of £1.723 million to BDUK as per the terms of the funding agreement. Approve the allocation of the remaining Gainshare receipt of £1.984 million to the Community Broadband project in the Capital Programme. The £1.984 million will be profiled with £0.044 million in 2023-24 and the remaining £1.940 million in 2024-25;

c)       Cabinet approve the spend of £0.088 million for the implementation of new functionality in the Oracle system. This will be funded as follows:

•         A reallocation of £0.044 million from the Community Broadband project in 2023-24.

•         A reallocation of £0.042 million from the Microsoft 365 project in 2024-25.

•         A reallocation of £0.002 million from the Computer Hardware project in 2024-25; and

d)       Cabinet approve the amendments to the capital programme as per the above.