Agenda item

REPORT OF THE DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE

A report setting out two potential bids to the Future High Streets Fund and seeking Full Council's decision as to which is submitted.

That Full Council:

      i.        Notes the guidance issued by the Government and the criteria against which bids are to be assessed.

     ii.        Determines that the Hitchin town centre bid should be submitted as an Expression of Interest at phase 1 of the Future High Streets Fund application process.

    iii.        Notes that there may be other funding opportunities available in the future for the potential bid that is not chosen, or for the bid chosen by Full Council if it is unsuccessful in securing monies from the Future High Streets Fund, including a second funding round of the Future High Streets Fund in 2020.

Audio Recording – Start of Item – 13 minutes and 18 seconds

The Deputy Chief Executive presented a report following the decision of Full Council at its meeting of 7 February 2019 where it was resolved that it should be for Full Council to determine which bid should be submitted to the Future High Streets Fund (FHSF).

It was explained that the report provided information of the criteria against which bids were to be assessed and invited Full Council to decide on the preferred bid that it  wished to submit.

Since publication of the agenda there had been letters of support received and the details of these were provided.

The officer’s presentation of the report, having concluded, in order to progress to the debate the recommendations as contained within the submitted report were moved by Councillor Lynda Needham and seconded by Councillor Julian Cunningham.

Subsequently the following amendment to 2.2 of the submitted report was proposed by Councillor Judi Billing and seconded by Councillor Ian Albert:

‘That Full Council determines that the Hitchin town centre bid should be submitted as an Expression of Interest at phase 1 of the Future High Streets Fund application process’.

The matter was then debated with the following Councillors giving statements and asking questions:

Councillor Simon Harwood

Councillor Sam Collins

Councillor Lynda Needham

Councillor Bernard Lovell

Councillor David Barnard

Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg

Councillor Daniel Allen

Councillor Julian Cunningham

Councillor Gary Grindal

Councillor Paul Clark

Councillor Claire Strong

Councillor Michael Muir

Councillor Terry Hone

Councillor Steve Jarvis

Councillor Michael Weeks

Councillor Helen Oliver

Councillor Judi Billing

Having fully debated the matter the amendment was voted upon and was declared carried.  Following which the substantive motion was voted upon and it was

RESOLVED

That Full Council:

      i.        Notes the guidance issued by the Government and the criteria against which bids are to be assessed.

     ii.        Determines that the Hitchin town centre bid should be submitted as an Expression of Interest at phase 1 of the Future High Streets Fund application process.

    iii.        Notes that there may be other funding opportunities available in the future for the potential bid that is not chosen, or for the bid chosen by Full Council if it is unsuccessful in securing monies from the Future High Streets Fund, including a second funding round of the Future High Streets Fund in 2020.