Briefing Paper to the Riverside Area Committee Wards: Newington and Gypsyville, 10 th March 2021 St Andrews and Docklands, Riverside Regeneration Projects

Briefing Paper of the Assistant Director, Major Projects and Infrastructure

1. Purpose of the Paper and Summary

The purpose of this briefing paper is to update Members of Riverside Area Committee on the regeneration projects delivered by the Major Projects & Infrastructure Team.

2. Background

2.1 This briefing paper outlines the progress made within the Riverside area, including an update on developments currently on site and new programmes being brought forward as a of successful funding bids.

3. Issues for Consideration

City Centre & Gateways

Albion Square

3.1 The main contractor has continued with preliminary survey and investigation works to inform the cost plan including sampling works to the ground floor slab and foundations. This will also assist in the development of the demolition plan, to enabling the programme to be developed further. Encapsulated residual asbestos content remains within the building which will be removed under controlled demolition works. The Asbestos Risk remains unchanged.

3.2 The design team are currently working through a review period following the completion of the RIBA Stage 2 works including review workshops with Stakeholders to eliminate any significant changes as we enter into RIBA Stage 3. Further design works have been completed focussing on the office / commercial provision within the scheme to improve the development layout and satisfy certain concerns raised through planning workshops.

3.3 Work to formalise key partner commitment within the scheme across the residential provision continues, alongside the legal agreements with indicative offers for the office / commercial space being received and included within the overall NPV cost model. Engagement with key stakeholders and further public information events are planned as RIBA 3 stages progresses.

A63 Castle Street improvements – Bridge and Roger Millward Way

3.4 Highways continues to consult with the Council, as Local Planning Authority, covering outstanding design items. The decision on these aspects is ultimately determined by Department for Transport.

3.5 The construction of a new access road to Lister Street, which will enable the closure of Spruce Road with the A63, is due for completion next month.

3.6 The archaeological works at Trinity Burial Ground remain in place and burial exhumations continue.

3.7 Works within the Holiday Inn site and Kingston Retail Park have commenced.

3.8 Works have commenced at High Street underpass; these will run through to spring/summer 2021.

3.9 South Church Side has been modified to permit two way traffic. Works to stop up Vicar Lane are in progress and due for completion in March/April 2021. Dagger Lane and Fish Street will similarly be closed to traffic (at A63) by the late spring.

3.10 Murdoch’s Connection the new footbridge over Castle Street, is now open.

Cruise &

3.11 Discussions are ongoing with the commercial partnership and with . A funding bid is prepared in anticipation of government funding announcements; in particular the new Levelling Up fund.

3.12 The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office continues to advise against cruise ship travel for the UK market at this time due to the ongoing pandemic; despite this the UK industry is confident of a strong return to growth.

Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City

3.13 Following the successful Round two National Lottery Heritage Fund (NHLF) bid for £13.6m, NLHF have issued a staged Permission to Start and the second claim for funds has been submitted. We have successfully completed the second formal reporting session. 3.14 The Whale Skeletons cleaning and conservation is underway. The Historic Ships tender has been reissued for full tender return due back on 10 March. The tenders for the restoration and refurbishment of the and Dock Office Chambers, have been returned and are being evaluated. 3.15 Tenders for the Object move work have been assessed. The Decision Record to appoint the successful contractor is going through due process and should be published on 5 March.

3.16 The amended activity plan continues online, Creative Skills contract and recruitment of the first cohort being planned. Development of online resources continues. First draft of activity pack for people with dementia produced. Children’s shape poetry competition for February half term completed. Joined the Happy Museum project’s No Going Back peer learning programme with 12 other museums to look at how museums and their communities can shape new stories and actions to address the climate and ecological emergency. Eight schools have registered an interest in the “On Board the Arctic Corsair” virtual workshop. Preliminary volunteering time contribution for January was 21 hours. Queens Gardens 3.17 The RIBA 4 package of drawings is complete and the project is out to tender. The closing date for receipt of submissions is 10 March.

3.18 Some additional site investigation work took take place from 18 January on the original dock walls of the gardens to qualify design assumptions ahead of the works starting on site. All testing points passed the required anchor capacity target, therefore no design amendments are required.

3.19 A Traffic Regulation Order for Queens Dock Ave/Grimston Drive, to prohibit motor vehicles from Queens Dock Avenue to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment, has been advertised.

3.20 Tree felling works have been undertaken along Guildhall Road and next to the old café building. The trees were in very poor condition and causing significant damage to the perimeter walls of the garden. Due to the impact of the trees, the walls require rebuilding, which could not be delivered without their prior removal. In order to undertake the works, the trees have been felled before bird nesting season commences. Replanting of trees will take place as part of the refurbishment works, with trees along Guildhall Road selected to provide a variety of autumnal colour and ability to cope with climate change.

3.21 The piece of text for the substation being created, by a writer as part of the Mouth Literature Festival, will be completed by the end of February.

Guildhall Greenwich Time Ball

3.22 Work has commenced on site with scaffolding being erected up the eastern façade of the Guildhall. The works to the Time Ball tower are being delivered concurrently with Phase 2 of the Guildhall roof repairs, by the same contractor.

3.23 The manufacturer of the Time Ball mechanism has completed an initial testing period and fine tuning of the mechanism continues.

3.24 The STEM pod to promote the project in schools and provide an educational resource regarding the Time Ball and navigation has been completed. It will now begin being loaned by schools.

3.25 The Trainee Clock Technician has been enrolled in a distance-learning horological course as part of their apprenticeship training.

Old Town Regeneration

Hull Old Town Heritage Action Zone (HAZ)

3.26 A video to raise awareness and encourage engagement within the public consultation for the updated Old Town Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Plan has been published on the Council’s YouTube channel. This has been well received, with publicity having been further boosted through positive promotion in the local press. The public consultation exercise will conclude on 9 March 2021.

3.27 The grant-funded regeneration works being delivered on Whitefriargate under the Humber High Street Challenge Fund are progressing to schedule. The most recent grant to be awarded under the scheme will fund works to create a new offer at 15 Whitefriargate comprising an entertainment space with a café/ bar area and retail space.

3.28 Contracts have now been awarded for services to support the delivery of the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme. Seven Architecture Ltd has been appointed to provide conservation accredited architectural support and Forever Consulting has been appointed to provide monitoring and evaluation services. The community engagement plan is progressing to schedule, with a selection of people’s memories of Whitefriargate collected to date under the Oral Histories activity, having been published on the ‘Untold Hull’ website to celebrate National Storytelling week.

Fruit Market

3.29 The hospitality sector is still coping with the new COVID 19 restrictions with many businesses now operating a click and collect service. The businesses are preparing to re-open fully in-line with the government’s timetable. The FMLLP are discussing with the Council extending outside spaces for hospitality to support trading.

3.30 The carpark is due for completion of ARCO offices is anticipated in the first quarter of 2021, although Arco may not occupy the offices fully at this date.

C4DI @ Fruit Market

3.31 The additional new 3-storey office buildings at C4DI is in construction and will complete in early 2021. The remaining office block will commence as soon as commercial interest has consolidated.

Freedom Festival

3.32 The Freedom Festival is currently planning a major international work which features 720 regular citizens of Hull in a piece called The Hull Vigil, in which each sunrise and sunset a citizen stands and watches over the city for an hour on an architectural shelter on top of . The project is planned for March 2021 onwards.

3.33 Also in March the Freedom Festival are bringing the Earth (Gaia) to , where you can walk under and explore a giant earth with accompanying music and events for general public and schools.

3.34 At the end of March the Festival will be delivering an international symposium, bringing together great thinkers from around the world to discuss the ‘Politics of Art in Public Space’.

3.35 It is intended that in September 2021 the Festival will be back on the streets of Hull with Freedom Festival’s main event.

River Hull + ( Inlet Project) 3.36 The Environment Agency is utilising its existing frameworks agreement to deliver the scheme. The Council is providing project management resource and is acting as the financially responsible organisation for the ERDF. This project will reduce the flood risk to some 2055 businesses 3.37 Works are complete, other than works to the main dock gates to ensure they can open one more time to receive the Arctic Corsair, and waiting final accounts. Public Realm Phase 3 3.38 With paving works, installation of seating in Prospect Street and the fixing of Anti- terrorist blocks to the interchange are imminent, snagging of defects are underway.

Covid-19 Response

3.39 Following the creation of a City Centre C-19 Task Force and a wider partnership approach, engagement with city centre businesses is ongoing. Such relationships have been productive and beneficial to all concerned, with the focus now shifting to enabling the gradual relaxation of the restrictions over coming weeks.

Assistant Director - Major Projects, Major Projects and Infrastructure Contact Officer: Garry Taylor Telephone No. : 01482 615115

Officer Interests: None Background Documents: - None