Decision details

Approve the Grant Funding Agreement for the Towns Fund Manor Royal Business Environment Improvement Programme.

Decision Maker: Head of Economy and Planning

Decision status: For Determination

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

Crawley Borough Council signed a Heads of Terms on 24th March 2021 with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (now the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, DLUHC) that the Government would provide Crawley with up to a total of £21.1 million from the Towns Fund, subject to submission of robust project business cases.

Following the Full Council approval of Crawley Towns Fund Project Business Cases on 30 March 2022, the Manor Royal Business Environment Improvement project was endorsed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The overall objective of this project is to deliver a programme of Business Environment upgrades and modernisation in Manor Royal Business District which include: a network of new and connected “Micro-Parks” to improve the public realm, visual amenity and outdoor facilities and open space accessible to all within a comfortable (5 minute) walk regardless of where they work in the Business District, and in the immediate vicinity of transformed bus waiting area “super hub” investments, in addition to upgrading visually weak points of entry to the Business District.

The amount of funding allocated to this project, as approved by Full Council is: £1.5 million.

A legal agreement with MRBD (Manor Royal Bid Company Ltd sets out the delivery of this work, in accordance with the project business case and guidance from DLUHC.

On 6th March 2022, the Head of Economy and Planning under generic delegation 3, took the decision to approve the Council signing of the Grant Funding Agreement DLUHC Funded Project: Manor Royal Business Environment Improvement Programme (4B Micro Parks) between Crawley Borough Council and MRBD (Manor Royal Bid Company Ltd. This allows the Manor Royal BID, now successfully returned for another 5 years by BID levy payers, to progress delivery of the project.

Decision:

To approve the Grant Funding Agreement for the Towns Fund Manor Royal Business Environment Improvement Programme

Alternative options considered:

Not implementing this decision would see the Manor Royal BID unable to deliver this project in adherence with the requirements agreed with DLUHC and the Council unable to fulfil part of the aforementioned Towns Fund Heads of Terms.

Publication date: 07/03/2023

Date of decision: 06/03/2023