Agenda item

This report provides an update on the progress of the High Street Heritage Action Zone shopfront regeneration programme, aimed at helping unlock the heritage potential of the town and assist in economic recovery within Grantham Town Centre. 

The Leader of the Council presented the report which provided an update on the Grantham High Street Heritage Action Zone

The delivery of the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme formally falls within the Economic Development function of the Council, and therefore under the remit of the Finance and Economic Overview and Scrutiny Committee (FEOSC).

        Regular reports are submitted to FEOSC for consideration. The last report to be presented to the committee was in September 2023. This was the first report to be submitted to the committee since the Local Government Elections in May 2023.

Subsequent changes to the Committee resulted in shopfronts and funding being included within the remit of the Rural and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee. It was therefore a recommendation of the FEOSC, the report be shared with the Rural and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The project was in its fourth and final year of delivery, regular reports would be taken to the Council’s Finance and Economic Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration.

It was reported that 9 shopfront regeneration schemes were scheduled for completion by the end of the programme. 3 projects were completed and 4 were currently under delivery and project Officer’s were awaiting confirmation on the commencement date for the remaining two shopfronts.

The Leader of the Council provided program updates on each scheme, ass et out in the appendix A.

One Member raised concern in relation to 71 High Street, AddAction being at risk, however, it was 80% completed. A further update was requested on this specific scheme.

The High Street Heritage Action Zone Project Manager clarified that due to the scale of the project and economic factors that the construction industry was facing, this resulted in unfortunate delays, for example, contractor being over stretched with the number of projects taken on. Through the scheme, the Council were required to use specialist contractors who understood heritage buildings.

The original contractor for the scheme at 71 High Street was no longer working on the project and the property owners were appointing a new contractor to complete the works and would recruit the contractor appropriately within Historic England’s requirements for the grant funding.

It was queried that if the scheme was not completed by March 2024, whether the property owner would take on full cost of the regeneration project.

It was confirmed that the property owner would incur the full cost of the project, if it was not completed by the deadline.

Members raised a query on whether the Council were encouraging more shop fronts to be done. It was noted that there were two pending shopfront opportunities.

The two pending shop front schemes were pending due to the Council awaiting a start date from the contractor for the works to take place. The grant had been agreed.

At this stage of the process, the Council were not looking to take anymore applications for grants through this scheme due to timings and budget available to deliver any other regeneration projects.

Clarification was sought around the recommendation to receive a report on the closure of the programme in six months time.

The Director of Growth and Culture informed the Committee that the Finance and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee requested a three month update on the Future High Street Fund and not the Grantham High Street Heritage Action Zone Project.

ACTION: For the High Street Heritage Action Zone closure report to be added to the Work Programme for six months time.

That the Committee:

1.    Reviews and endorses the report first presented to the Finance and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 19 September 2023.

2.    Agrees to receive a report on the closure of the programme in six months.

3.    Is invited to share any comments they may have on the report with the programme board.