Agenda and minutes

Liam Scully, Chair of the Lincoln Town Deal Board, opened the meeting and welcomed attendees.

Apologies for absence were received from:

·       Tim Chambers

·       Lord Cormack

·       Wing Commander Gary Donnelly

·       Steve Galjaard

·       Caroline Killeavy

·       Karen Stanton

The Democratic Services Officer confirmed the quorum of 6 members. The Chair warmly welcomed the following new members to the Board:

·       Edward Chambers

·       Neil Corner

·       Wing Commander Gary Donnelly

·       Matthew Russell

·       Karen Stanton

·       Crispin Vitoria

It was confirmed that there we no outstanding actions or resolutions.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Lincoln Town Deal Board held on 9 June 2023 be confirmed as a true record.

It was confirmed that work was ongoing by the City of Lincoln Council’s S151 Officer with regard to a brief update on funds received to date and the associated Governance finance rules.

RESOLVED that the City of Lincoln Council’s S151 officer would provide an update at the next meeting of the Board in December 2023.

Kate Ellis, Major Development Director, presented a report to summarise proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference. The report had been circulated as a supplement to members, further to the meeting agenda. During consideration of the presentation, the following points were noted: -

·       The redraft aimed to merge the two existing sets of Terms of Reference and aimed to present the Board’s role as steering the vision and priorities for the City across a more generic scope than just Town Deal or UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) programmes

·       A significant change within the revised the terms of reference included the Board’s power to appoint new members of the Investment Sub-Committee.

·       It was proposed that the name of the Board be changed to ‘Lincoln Place Board’.

·       Proposals had been made to streamline the business of the Board and to ensure transparency.

RESOLVED that comments and feedback received from Members of the Board would be considered and proposals formalised at the next meeting of the Lincoln Town Deal Board.

Kate Ellis, Major Development Director presented a full progress report of which had been circulated to Members of the Board ahead of the meeting. The following points were noted:

·        HEAT, The Drill and Store of Stories had reached completion stage and had been supported by Town Funds of £2.35M.

·        The Store of Stories had experienced daily visitor numbers of approximately 90 per day.

·        The Lincoln Central Market was underway and there had been approximately 120 expressions of interest received for trading. Consideration of converting stand out traders from applications, was underway. Turtle Bay restaurant had a taster day planned and would open in September.

·        Work had commenced on site at the Lincoln City Football Club Community Hub.

·        Permissions were in place for The Barbican and refurbishment was due to commence in Autumn.

·        Lincoln Be Smarter and Lincoln Connected were in delivery with Town Funds support of £2.77M

·        Greyfriars and LSIP were in the pre delivery stage and were both going through the tender process. Cost certainties were awaited.

·        It was agreed that Tentercroft Street be deferred and work was due to commence in April 2024.

·        Wigford Way and Sincil Bank were Lincolnshire County Council led projects of which had been rescoped and re-costed. Both projects would be considered at agenda items 14 and 15 respectively.

The Chair thanked Kate Ellis for the update and welcomed comments and questions from Members of the Board.

RESOLVED that the progress report be noted with thanks.

Angela Andrews, Chair of the Investment Sub-Committee, provided the Board with a brief update following the most recent Investment Sub-Committee meeting held on 15 August 2023. During consideration of the update, the following points were noted: -

·       The Investment Sub-Committee ensured that due diligence was appropriate

·       All Members of the Board were welcome to attend and observe the proceedings of the Sub-Committee

·       Consideration had been given to the risk register, project RAG ratings and further work was commissioned on two projects.

RESOLVED that:

1)    the Democratic Services Officer be tasked with the circulation of an invitation to all Board members to future meetings of the Investment Sub-Committee.

2)    the update be noted with thanks.

Angela Andrews, Chair of the Investment Sub-Committee:

a)    provided the Board with a brief update further to Charlotte Goy’s attendance to the meeting of the Investment Sub-Committee held on 15 August 2023. During consideration of the update, the following points were noted: -

·       The project had experienced slippage and there had been a change in the programme. The in-principle approval of a delivery partner change had been agreed on the basis that the project costs, objectives and outputs remained the same

·       The total project investment was £1.4M and an assured delivery and cost plan for the suggested proposals was brought before the Investment Sub-Committee in January 2023

·       There were no changes from the original business plan and the projects outputs and costs remained the same

·       The project would be delivered by Destination Lincolnshire & Threshold Studios, which had been through the appropriate due diligence process

·       The project had been developed to an assured final delivery and costed stage, of which had been subjected to a review by the independent consultant, Thomas Lister Limited.

·       Members of the Investment Sub-Committee supported the approval to the existing Grant Fund Agreement further to the receipt of satisfactory proposal rescope assurances.

b)    welcomed comments and questions from Members of the Board.

Comment: Charlotte Goy’s presentation to the Investment Sub-Committee in August 2023, was very valuable.

(Note: In the interests of transparency, Charlotte Goy wished it be noted that she held the position of Chief Executive for Destination Lincoln and was also a Member of the Lincoln Town Deal Board)

Comment from Charlotte Goy, Chief Executive - Destination Lincoln: Attendance to Investment Sub-Committee in August 2023 had offered assurance of the robust process.

RESOLVED that:

1)    the updated project proposals and assurance be approved.

2)    the final project delivery and cost plans as approved, be the basis for officers to undertake a variation to the existing Grand Funding Agreement.

Kirsty Cheetham, Senior Communications Officer:

a)    provided the Board with a Communications Update presentation. During consideration of the update, the following points were noted: -

·       Work with the software company, Granicus had begun on the creation of an

e-newsletter to be used a direct form of communication for the public, Board Members and stakeholders

·       A monthly e-letter for Members was hoped to be in placed by the end of September/October

·       A video that highlighted the benefits of the Lincoln Community Grocery Store had been created and featured an interview with a store member and volunteer

·       Work would be continued on the redesign of the Town Deal section of the website which reflected the aims of Town Deal, Levelling Up and UKSPF funding and projects

·       Lincoln Central Market was due to be opened in the Autumn. The ongoing work towards the opening date included a tour of the building.

b)    welcomed comments and questions from Members of the Board.

Comment: The Lincoln Community Grocery Store video was fantastic and showcased the project well.

Note: Charlotte Goy wished it be noted that the suggestion of a newsletter was made by Caroline Killeavy.

Comment from Liam Scully, Chair of the Lincoln Town Deal Board: The video shone a light on the fabulous work of the project and thanks were offered to Kirsty Cheetham and the Communications Team for their hard work.

Comment: Referred to the rebranding of the website. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) had received updated guidance and as such, there was an opportunity for collaborative work between Communications Officers and BEIS representatives.

Question: Had consideration been given to the possibility of a Lincoln Town Deal Board Annual General Meeting (AGM)? It was not a requirement but offered the opportunity of further engagement with the community.

Response: A Lincoln Town Deal Board AGM would be considered.

RESOLVED that:

1)    the Senior Communications Officer be tasked with collaborative work with BEIS representatives in support of the website rebranding.

2)    consideration be given to the possibility of a Lincoln Town Deal Board AGM.

Kate Ellis, Major Developments Director:

a)    provided the Board with a UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) Programme update. During consideration of the update, the following points were noted:

·       Round 1 of the programme was approved for development and delivery at the City of Lincoln Council’s meeting of the Executive in March 2023. The projected combined value totalled £1,453,725

·       Community Grant Scheme Project

o   Supported by the City Council’s Neighbourhood Management Team, the project included two newly appointed Community Connectors and work on the establishment of Ward Panels had commenced

o   Grants were targeted to be opened for applications later in the Autumn via the City Councils website

·       North Lincoln Community Hub(s) Programme

o   A scoping report was underway which identified wider deliverable proposals and would be reported at the end of September 2023

·       No Wrong Door Project

o   A delivery plan for the project had been completed. Funding would be released on completion of a Grant Funding Agreement. Staff appointment to support delivery was expected imminently.

·       Business Lincolnshire Growth Hub

o   A delivery plan was in place and outputs had been agreed

·       Business Advisor for Lincoln

o   Recruitment for the position had commenced and if successful, appointment should be made by October 2023

·       The Restore Programme

o   A delivery plan had been completed and the project would commence delivery on completion of the Gant Funding Agreement

·       Linking Local Business to Local People Programme

o   The programme was in development. Emerging projects included addressing skill gaps in electric vehicle and green energy maintenance and servicing sectors had been identified

o   A full project programme was expected for presentation to Executive in Autumn.

·       A workshop with City Council Members was planned for the end of September 2023 which aimed to review the scope, priorities and opportunities for future projects. Developed proposals would be presented to the Executive during late Autumn.

b)    welcomed comments and questions from Members of the Board.

Comment: In respect of business, it would be positive to work collaboratively with the Chamber of Commerce and Greater Lincolnshire LEP (GLLEP) to ensure confidence of connections.

Response: The appointment of the Business Advisor position had been explored in connection with the Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses however due to the withdrawal of funding, it was not possible to proceed. Considerable business support had fallen away due to a lack of funding. Thanks given to colleagues at Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) for assistance offered to City of Lincoln Council to support businesses.

(Note: Ric Metcalfe left proceedings at 10:38)

Comment: When electric vehicles (EV) was considered, collaborative working was essential to ensure effective connections to prevent excess funding offered to the same objective.

Comment: The success of the project within the Ermine area was positive and welcomed. It was important to consider project continuity.

Comment from Karl McCartney, Member of Parliament for Lincoln: The location of EV training was of interest and apprenticeships were of high importance for Government. Within the automotive sector, apprenticeships registered at Lincoln College,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65.

Paul Carrick, Neighbourhood Manager:

a)    provided the Board with a presentation on the Community Grant Scheme project.  During consideration of the presentation, the following points were noted:

·       The project was funded by Investors in Lincoln and UKSPF

(Note: Karl McCartney re-joined proceedings at 10:48)

·       The grant scheme was to be administered through each of the eleven City wards for grants of up to £5000 to support community projects

·       Ward Panels of 6-8 people would be created to consider applications received. The panels offered recommendations of the projects they wished to see within the area

·       There were areas that experienced a lack of grass root activity

·       A citywide steering group was to be created to receive projects and endorse applications. Consideration would be given to economies of scale.

·       Allocation of funding was anticipated for commencement by the end of the year

·       Future updates would be brought back before the Board to report on successes

b)    welcomed comments and questions from Members of the Board.

Question: Could Board Members offer any assistance in the building of community engagement?

Response: It was important to identify gaps in the first instance.

Comment: Often the focus of discussions was capital build projects. Small amounts of money made a significant difference and impact.

Comment: Suggestion to use the monthly newsletter to bring the project to life.

Question: What was the role of the Board in Round 2 of the UKSPF funding?

Response: Work with identified projects, in particular those that overlapped, would continue. Clarification of the remaining funding would be received further to the first round of projects. It was estimated to be £1.2M. Regular updated would be provided to the Board and there was opportunities for Member involvement in areas and key communities.

RESOLVED that:

1)    the Senior Communications Officer be tasked with the inclusion of information which pertained to the Community Grant Scheme, on the monthly newsletter.

2)    that the presentation be noted with thanks.

Kate Ellis, Major Developments Director:

a)    provided Members of the Board with a verbal update on Levelling Up covering the following main points:

·       Graham Construction and engineers had been appointed to carry out the bridge work

·       Progress with Network Rail on the height of the bridge had been positive and work continued with LCC regarding footpaths

·       Reports were awaited on costs and the confirmation of deliverability within timescales

·       A decision was to be made in December 2023/January 2024 with regard to proceeding with the project. Commencement of work was anticipated in May/June 2024.

b)    welcomed comments and questions from Members of the Board.

RESOLVED that the update be noted with thanks.

Liam Scully, Chair of the Lincoln Town Deal Board presented Members with a verbal summary of the Boards forward plan which was attached at Appendix A to the report. The forward plan detailed items of business to be considered at future meetings.

Thanks were offered to Victoria Poulson, Democratic Services Officer for the work carried out in the creation of the plan and comments and questions from Members of the Board were welcomed.

Comment: Suggestion for Lincoln Connected and Charlotte Goy to present to Board in December.

Comment: It was useful to consider how projects were visualised as they developed.

Comment: Consideration could be given to a late Autumn tour of the market with the possibility of bringing a visit together with an AGM.

RESOLVED that:

1)    Charlotte Goy, Chief Executive, Destination Lincoln be added to the forward plan for the next meeting of the Lincoln Town Deal Board on 1 December 2023.

the contents of the forward plan be noted with thanks.

RESOLVED that there were no other items of business to be considered.

RESOLVED that the next meeting of the Lincoln Town Deal Board was to be held on 1 December 2023 at 10:00.

(Note: Proceedings adjourned at 11:02)

(Note: James Baty left proceedings at 11:03)

(Note: Proceedings resumed at 11:13)

RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item(s) of business because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be a disclosure to them of ‘exempt information’ as defined by Section 100I and Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Major Developments Director updated Lincoln Town Deal Board on the current risks associated with projects identified.

RESOLVED that the update be noted.

The Major Developments Director updated Lincoln Town Deal Board on the history of the project to date.

John Monk, Lincolnshire County Council provided Members of the Board with a presentation of the proposed rescope study which provided technical surveys, initial feasibility work and four assessed options packages.

Members discussed the contents of the presentation, asked questions and received relevant responses.

(Note: Karl McCartney left proceedings at 11:37 during consideration of Item 14a)

RESOLVED that option one be the preferred option and be proceeded to the Investment Sub-Committee for further consideration.

The Major Developments Director updated Lincoln Town Deal Board on the history of the project to date.

John Monk, Lincolnshire County Council provided Members of the Board with a presentation of the proposed rescoped scheme.

Members discussed the contents of the presentation, asked questions and received relevant responses.

RESOLVED that:

1)    option one, as discussed, be agreed by Members

2)    board membership for representation under Option One be agreed. Crispin Vitoria and Edward Strange volunteered their attendance to join future meetings under Option 1.