Turner Contemporary – Progress Report/Land & Property Issues
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APPENDIX C (Agenda Item 3) TURNER CONTEMPORARY – PROGRESS REPORT/LAND & PROPERTY ISSUES To: Cabinet – 15 th July 2004 Main Portfolio Areas: Regeneration & Planning By: Regeneration Manager & Head of Environmental Services Classification: Unrestricted Ward: Central Margate Summary: To report overall progress on Turner Contemporary. To identify the anticipated impacts during the construction period and beyond. To seek authority for the transfer of land and property owned by Thanet District Council to KCC, as a contribution to the project subject to the inclusion of appropriate agreements to ensure the Council is consulted on future development proposals and that the local community have an opportunity to benefit from them. To agree that a project brief and plan be prepared for refurbishment of that part of the Stone Pier remaining in TDC ownership in order that it complements the Turner Contemporary development. For Decision/Recommendation to Full Council 1. Introduction and Background 1.1. This report is further to that submitted to full Council on 19 March 2003 concerning an application for a Transport and Works Act Order in connection with the new gallery. The Transport and Works Act Order application has now been submitted and Turner Contemporary is now at a stage where more detailed design is being progressed. It is now possible to identify detailed land and seabed requirements for the construction and operation of the project. 1.2. The Turner Contemporary proposal developed out of a local community initiative in the mid 1990s. Following consultations with the Tate, Thanet District Council commissioned a former Director of the IKON Gallery Birmingham to prepare development options. This led to Kent County Council taking up the project in close consultation with Thanet District Council. In 2001 TDC partnered KCC in the development of an international architecture competition to design the building. This attracted entries from Europe, Australia, Japan, Mexico and the United States. 1.3. The unanimous decision of the competition assessment panel (which included representatives of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), the Tate, internationally respected Kent artists, and elected members of Thanet District Council and KCC) was that the best scheme was submitted by the Anglo-Norwegian architects Snøhetta and Spence. This was for an iconic building to be constructed on the seabed north of and accessed from the Stone Pier. 1.4. In May 2003 KCC was granted detailed planning consent and Listed Building Consent for Turner Contemporary by TDC as Local Planning Authority. The architects are now preparing the detailed internal and external designs and other elements and construction materials. The basic method of construction has now changed to that of a steel rather than concrete structure. This will result in a 9-month reduction in the construction period, reduced environmental impact and reduced maintenance costs. The implications of this from Planning, Building Regulations and Environmental Assessment points of view is currently being assessed by TDC’s Environmental Services team. Any requirements for further consents as a result of the changes in construction design will be brought before Members in the normal way. However, the basic concept of an iconic structure constructed on the seabed adjacent to the Stone Pier remains at the heart of the design. 1.5. The current programme for the project envisages: • that the marine construction works will commence in Spring 2005 for the gallery building. • The construction will be completed late in 2006. • Turner Contemporary will then be fitted out and will open to the public in Summer 2007. 1.6. In order for this programme to be met, a Transport and Works Act Order (TWO) application has been submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT). The TWO, once granted, will provide the necessary statutory consent to construct Turner Contemporary in navigable waters. 1.7. Regarding the content of the gallery, KCC issued a statement of intent in December 2003. This sets out: • The aspiration to have original JMW Turner works on display at all times • The guarantee that there will be one exhibition of original JMW Turner works for three months every year • The guarantee that there will be interpretation of JMW Turner at all times • The guarantee that there will be a rolling programme of high quality historic and contemporary visual art throughout each year, and • The commitment to continue the programme of education and outreach, using the gallery as a hub. 1.8 Turner Contemporary is one of the cornerstones of the Draft Central Margate Strategic Urban Design Framework (Margate Masterplan). The public engagement dialogue has recognised the potential for the Stone Pier, owned by TDC, in providing increased usage by both local people and visitors. If 200,000 people visit Turner Contemporary per year, a high percentage will want and expect to enjoy visiting the Stone Pier to benefit from views across the harbour, bay and town. It has sensibly been suggested that, if the Stone Pier is to be refurbished in recognition of its value to the townscape, this will best be achieved during the same construction phase as Turner Contemporary. 2. Project Development Costs 2.1 TDC is not being asked for cash contributions to either the capital development or revenue costs of Turner Contemporary. KCC has taken responsibility to develop Turner Contemporary Cabinet Report (Final 26 November, 2008) 2 the Turner Contemporary project, which is expected to cost approximately £25m. In addition, the revenue costs are expected to be about £1m per annum, which will be funded from a combination of income from catering, retail and corporate hospitality and sponsorship as well as by KCC and Arts Council England support. Turner Contemporary is to have free admission except for specific exhibitions, in order to enable as many local people as possible to benefit from the experience it will provide. 2.3 Previous evidence suggests that financial (and in kind) support for the capital, revenue and artistic programmes from foundations, trusts, corporations and individuals is available. However this will require dedicated expertise. Consultants, funded by the Arts Council of England (ACE), have completed a fundraising strategy for KCC. This will provide greater clarity on the approach needed over the next three years, the likely targets and the skills required to achieve the objectives. KCC is developing a model, which includes directly employing staff and commissioning external specialist advice, to maximise the fund raising opportunities. 3. Land and Property Contributions from TDC 3.1 KCC has requested that TDC confirms the in principle decision made by Cabinet on 31 st August 2000 that the freehold of the Droit House and Rendezvous site be transferred to KCC as a contribution in kind to the overall project, subject to completion of contractual and legal documentation and the matter being referred back to Members at the appropriate time. KCC has additionally requested that TDC conveys the freehold of the sea bed directly under the gallery building, together with leases and rights of way over relevant portions of the Stone Pier and the water between the Stone Pier and the gallery. All the land and property to be transferred to KCC would be at nil cost. 3.2 The areas required by KCC together with the basis for the transfer (either freehold or leasehold) are shown in the attached plan at Annexe 1 . The areas of operational use required by KCC during the construction phase of the project are shown in the attached plan at Annexe 2 . 3.3 The Droit House was valued by TDC’s Principal Valuer in January 2004 at £72,000. The Rendezvous site (including Droit House and the RNLI building) has been valued as at 1 st April 2004 by the District Valuer at £1,000,000. Transfer of this land and property, if agreed, will result in all future maintenance of the land and property transferred being borne by KCC. 3.4 Droit House has been used by KCC as a visitor centre for the Turner project as well as for the regeneration of the Old Town. This is being continued and improved following a recent refit of Droit House by KCC. During the gallery construction period, Droit House will display interpretative material relating to the construction as well as to the arts programme being offered by Turner Contemporary. In addition, this display sets Turner Contemporary in the context of the regeneration activity in the town. Droit House is then to become the point of public access for Turner Contemporary, the building being connected via a covered walkway to the building on the Pier, which will contain the entrance to the gallery, restaurant and shop. This building will in turn connect to the gallery building via a fully-enclosed two-level bridge. 3.5 Parts of the Rendezvous site are required for car parking associated with Turner Contemporary, and this has been included in the planning consent. The rest of the site is considered as a development site within the Central Margate Strategic Urban Design Framework (Margate Masterplan). The Framework allows for the retention of the RNLI building and yacht club use as well as for the potential development of a Turner Contemporary Cabinet Report (Final 26 November, 2008) 3 multi-storey car park, hotel, residential, leisure and workspace development. Positive discussions are continuing between TDC and KCC officers and Margate Yacht Club to consider how best to accommodate the Club’s requirements within the rendezvous site. 3.6 The investigations carried out by Cluttons as part of the development of the Framework suggests that the development potential of Rendezvous is long-term and will need to be phased over several years. Cluttons have indicated that the potential for development in the short-term is low due to the high costs of construction and the likely relatively low values of completed buildings.