Issue - meetings

To consider an update on work to bring forward the delivery of public realm improvements in Horley Town Centre.

RESOLVED that: 

(i)            The progress, made to date, to bring forward the delivery of the third phase of public realm improvement in Horley town centre be noted;

(ii)          The Director of Place be authorised to increase the total budget for the project to £750,000, which would be provided by an additional allocation of funding of £120,000 from Surrey County Council; and 

(iii)             The Director of Place be authorised, in consultation with the Executive Member for Business and Economy, to make any further minor changes to the scope of the scheme and terms of the contract within the approved budget.

Councillor E. Humphreys, Executive Member for Business and Economy, provided an update on plans to deliver major improvements to the Horley High Street pedestrian precinct.

Councillor Humphreys explained that the Executive, on 13 July 2017, had agreed the scope of the third phase of improvements to create a high quality, attractive and flexible space. It was noted a contractor had been selected and the necessary statutory consents were in place.  However, it was highlighted that the total costs of the scheme had exceeded the budget previously agreed by the Executive.

The Executive was informed that while some cost savings had been achieved, additional funding was required to avoid reducing the scope or the quality of the improvements. In response to questions, the Executive Member provided information on the following matters:

-       The total budget agreed by Executive in July 2017 was £630,000. This included £530,000 from the Council’s capital programme and £100,000 of Section 106 funding from Surrey County Council.

-       The total revised budget was £750,000. The Council’s contribution remained the same - £530,000. However, Surrey County Council had agreed to contribute up to £220,000 from Section 106 funding.

-       Work was expected to start in early January 2019 and would take twenty four weeks to complete.

In conclusion, Councillor Humphreys explained that the provision of comprehensive improvements to the Horley High Street pedestrian precinct would enable the space to be used for a variety of activities and would improve public perception and business confidence, helping to attract visitors and investment to the town centre.

RESOLVED that: 

(i)            The progress, made to date, to bring forward the delivery of the third phase of public realm improvement in Horley town centre be noted;

(ii)          The Director of Place be authorised to increase the total budget for the project to £750,000, which would be provided by an additional allocation of funding of £120,000 from Surrey County Council; and 

(iii)         The Director of Place be authorised, in consultation with the Executive Member for Business and Economy, to make any further minor changes to the scope of the scheme and terms of the contract within the approved budget.

Reason for decision: On 13 July 2017 Executive agreed the scope for the third phase of public realm improvements to the Horley High Street pedestrian precinct to create a high quality, attractive and flexible space. Since then, and following the appointment of Surrey County Council (Highways Authority) to lead the delivery of the project, the scheme had been fully designed and costed. Unfortunately, despite a number of refinements, the total cost of the scheme exceeded the budget previously agreed by the Executive. As a result, in order to bring forward the scheme, authority was sought to increase the budget. Importantly, Surrey County Council agreed to increase their allocation of Section 106 contributions to the scheme and no additional funding was being sought from the Borough Council’s capital programme. 

Alternative options: Design and deliver a scaled back scheme within the original budget or defer the delivery  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64