AGENDA ITEM NO. 5(B) REPORT TO
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AGENDA ITEM NO. 5(b) REPORT TO: Executive Board DATE: 10 October 2002 REPORTING OFFICER: Executive Director – Regeneration and Neighbourhood Services SUBJECT: Mersey Waterfront WARDS: Boroughwide 1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1 Mersey Waterfront Regional Park is one of two “big ideas” which emerged from the Action Plan for the City Region 2002 – 2005 , a sub-regional programme which sets out the priorities for North West Development Agency (NWDA) investment in Merseyside to 2005. The concept - lead by Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council and developed by The Mersey Partnership on behalf of key partners – has received support from the Merseyside Chief Executives. 1.2 Further work has now been carried out, and a detailed application for NWDA financial support has been prepared. 1.3 To progress Mersey Waterfront, more formal commitment from Local Authorities is now required - this report outlines the commitment sought from each Authority. Further details on the Mersey Waterfront Regional Park initiative have been circulated separately. 2.0 RECOMMENDED: That (1) the in kind match funding commitments towards revenue and management costs be agreed; (2) the Executive Director, Regeneration and Neighbourhood Services, be nominated as the single point of contact responsible for ensuring delivery against the Mersey Waterfront programme; (3) Cllr R Polhill be nominated as the Council’s representative on the Mersey Waterfront Council; (4) the Council support Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council as the accountable body, and in drawing up the Partnership Agreement, and EXB/10/10/9233/sah (5) the Council provide written support confirming agreement to the above. 3.0 SUPPORTING INFORMATION 3.1 The Action Plan for the City Region 2002 – 2005 identified Mersey Waterfront as the most likely project to create a step change in the economic fortunes of Merseyside. Mersey Waterfront has been recognised by partners in the Northwest as an asset of international importance, but to promote the strategic advantages of the region the development of co- ordinated pan-Merseyside initiative of scale and substance is required. As a premium location Mersey Waterfront has the potential to: • significantly improve the region’s international image, promoting a positive image for the region to attract new investment • attract and retain skilled and talented people to live and work in the region by offering a high quality of life with access to a diverse range of coast and city assets • increase visits and length of stay from tourists and residents • promote the region as a place to invest – especially given the strategic economic importance of the Port. • adding value and increasing jobs in the maritime cluster • providing local people with a diverse and attractive coastal environment which offers new opportunities for outdoor leisure and recreation and contributes to improved quality of life for the people in and around the City Region. 3.2 As a core objective, the project targets the creation of jobs and wealth (initial estimate of 1,000 net jobs, £26m GVA in first three years) to benefit local residents, businesses and communities. 4.0 MERSEY WATERFRONT FINANCIAL SUMMARY 4.1 Mersey Waterfront funding is being sought from the North West Development Agency. The following table illustrates the scale of the programme and the leverage of the NWDA’s investment. EXB/10/10/9233/sah Cost and timeframe Mersey Waterfront Funding Other Funding (£000) (£000) (£000) 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 Total 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 Public Private Marketing 250 250 400 900 100 100 250 450 - Community Engagement 50 50 50 150 50 50 50 - - Direct Programme 2,220 31,760 25,498 59,478 781 4,344 2,243 41,187 10,923 Executive Team 159 350 385 894 90 199 218 387 - Establishment Costs 185 90 90 365 120 25 25 195 - 2,864 32,500 26,423 61,787 1,141 4,718 2,786 42,219 10,923 TOTAL 5.0 COMMITMENTS REQUIRED FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES 5.1 If a programme of the highest possible quality is to be delivered over the coming years, Mersey Waterfront requires clear commitment from key partners, not least the Local Authorities. The Local Authority contributions in kind to the management and revenue costs of Mersey Waterfront are summarised below. 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 TOTAL Marketing Staff Marketing Staff Marketing Staff Marketing Staff Wirral £20,000 £42,500 £20,000 £42,500 £20,000 £42,500 £60,000 £127,500 Sefton £20,000 £42,500 £20,000 £42,500 £20,000 £42,500 £60,000 £127,500 Liverpool £20,000 £42,500 £20,000 £42,500 £20,000 £42,500 £60,000 £127,500 Halton £20,000 £42,500 £20,000 £42,500 £20,000 £42,500 £60,000 £127,500 5.2 Contributions in kind are drawn from: • Staff time - staff involvement in the Advisory Groups, Council and general development of Mersey Waterfront, including individual project implementation. (Note: Time in kind from partner staff will need to be evidenced over the Mersey Waterfront programme). • Match funding against existing marketing budgets for joint Mersey Waterfront marketing campaigns. 5.3 As a contribution to Mersey Waterfront, it is intended that Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council will act as the accountable body and provide the necessary financial administration support. Mersey Waterfront is seeking delegated authority from NWDA for expenditure below £250,000. To assist in this process, it is also intended that Wirral MBC provide project appraisal services via Wirral Waterfront SRB Team, for bids outside the Wirral area. Within Wirral, an alternative appraisal route must be sought, as they are not permitted to assess their own proposals. It is likely that independent consultants will be used to appraise Wirral project proposals. EXB/10/10/9233/sah 5.4 The individual projects that will form the basis of the Mersey Waterfront Direct Programme are listed by Local Authority area in the Annex 2 attached. Local Authorities are asked to nominate a single point of contact from within their own Authority who will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of projects and reporting outputs for all schemes in their geographical area which are under the remit of the Authority. 5.5 It is proposed that Mersey Waterfront secures the commitment of each landowner to deliver an agreed standard of maintenance and management of their assets and facilities. 6.0 PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS 6.1 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council will draft a Partnership Agreement which all partners will be asked to consider, and in due course, commit to. This will formalise the contractual arrangement between Wirral MBC and individual delivery partners (including other Local Authorities). 7.0 GOVERNANCE 7.1 As part of the early development of the MW concept, a Steering Group was established (primarily from Merseyside local authorities) which became a symbol of collaborative working across Merseyside. From this group, a Management Group will be formed to act as the interface between the Mersey Waterfront Executive, through the Governance structure to the MW Council. 7.2 Both the Executive Team and the Technical Advisory Groups will report to a governing Mersey Waterfront Council, who will steer the strategic direction of Mersey Waterfront, measure progress of the overall plan against identified business plan targets and act as the decision making body for all projects. The Council will comprise a maximum of 14 members with representatives from: • All Merseyside Local Authorities • The Mersey Partnership • North West Development Agency • TAG Chairs • Other partners as required 7.3 Each Local Authority is requested to nominate a representative to the Mersey Waterfront Council. EXB/10/10/9233/sah 7.4 Three Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) will be established to focus on the thematic development of Estuary Development & Management, Tourism, Sport & Leisure, and Mersey Maritime. The TAGs will be formed of individual partner staff and stakeholders with particular areas of expertise or interest, and will underpin the MW Council. TAG members will act as: • Champions – identifying and progressing project ideas • Advisors – providing technical advice on particular project proposals or the wider MW scheme (including annual business planning) • Appraisers – carrying out initial scoping of project proposals 7.5 A Delivery and Maintenance Group (DMG) will be established to oversee the practical delivery issues. In particular they will need to ensure progress against agreed targets and within predetermined milestones, and to ensure their organisation is maintaining the standards agreed for MW projects. This group will comprise individual delivery partner staff (1 representative from each delivery partner) who will be responsible for ensuring projects (for which their organisation is the lead) are delivered on time and to budget. 7.6 A MW Executive Team, comprising new posts of Director, Marketing and Events Manager, Outreach/Community Officer, Finance Manager, Monitoring Officer and Administration Assistant will be appointed in due course (6 new posts). In addition to the new posts created, 3 full time equivalent posts will be drawn from partner organisations to assist in delivery - two Programme Managers and one Mersey Maritime Sector Champion. 7.7 It is intended that a strategic Community Forum will be formed from the Mersey Estuary Strategy’s “ Mersey Estuary Forum ”. The Forum will meet at least annually, and will contribute to the strategic development of Mersey Waterfront. For local community issues, these will be addressed through existing partnerships such as the Local Strategic Partnerships. 8.0 POLICY IMPLICATIONS 8.1 The successful delivery of the Regional Park will contribute to the Council’s strategic priorities, particularly in relation to the creation of employment opportunities and environmental improvements. 9.0 OTHER IMPLICATIONS 9.1 Details of the Council’s financial commitment are included in the report. 10.0 LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS UNDER SECTION 100D OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 10.1 There are no background papers under the meaning of the Act.