Issue - meetings

Report number DCS17 by the Director of Community Services.

(attached)

DECISION: To note the work undertaken by ABL Consulting and to approve the following actions:

(1)     Officers to consider how the development of a Science Discovery Centre could be taken forward as part of future work into the development of the Grantham Canal Basin; and

(2)     To bring forward options for the future use of Conduit Lane car park consistent with the Grantham Town Centre Masterplan;

(3)     To take forward discussion with Lincolnshire County Council to identify initiatives that promote and interpret Grantham’s scientific heritage with the objective of increasing the number of visitors into the town centre.

Considerations/Reasons for Decision:

(1)      Report number DCS17 by the Director of Community Services summarising the results of the feasibility study undertaken by ABL Consulting;

(2)      Oral report made at the meeting by a local ward member in his capacity as the Council’s representative on the Grantham Canal Partnership;

(3)      The study has shown that a significant market exists for a medium sized Science Discovery Centre.  A larger site is therefore needed and the Grantham Canal Basin site offers a real opportunity to combine a visitor attraction with mixed development to create an interesting and exciting scheme;

(4)      The canal basin site has the potential for Section 106 funding contribution to the overall costs.  Combined with a larger development project on this site with greater economic outputs, it may be possible to attract external funding in the longer term;

(5)      By opening up a dialogue with Lincolnshire County Council, opportunities for joint working can be examined.  There may be the potential to develop joint proposals which would deliver a Science Discovery Centre in Grantham.

Other options considered and rejected:

Conduit Lane car park:  This site was surveyed and a mixed development was considered to include the Science Centre and other uses.  The study concluded that there was insufficient demand for anything other than a scheme that combined the Science Centre with residential development on the site.  Given the predicted market for this attraction, the car park site is too small and would make it difficult to generate a significant capital contribution to make it viable.  Without significant external financial support, the project is not deliverable.