Decision details

Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Digital, Sustainability & Resources, presented by the Cabinet Member for Resources, copies of which had been circulated to all Members and a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes as Item 7.

The report updated the Sub-Committee on the progress made on the delivery of the 2022/23 Capital Investment Programme for Worthing Borough Council. The programmes included schemes which supported the delivery of services by the Joint Services Committee.

The following pre-submitted question was received in advance of the meeting:-

Q4 - Looking at Appendix 2 - this council was successful in being granted £100k by the Government specifically for providing a new Changing Places facility in Worthing. The application indicated a town centre site.

Can you please advise where this £100k is profiled with the capital budgets ?

The Cabinet Member for Resources replied that the capital programme was due to be uplifted by the Changing Places grant of £100,000 as part of the development of the 2023/24 programme. The grant was on top of the £230k in the current capital budget of which £100k had been reprofiled into next year. Locations were investigated for the Changing Places facility and views and comments had been received as part of the Big Listen project. As a result, the changing places facility would be located near the Guildbourne Centre and delivered in the summer 2023. The grant had to be used by March 2024. Any additional funds required would come from the public conveniences capital improvement budget. In relation to public conveniences generally, the capital improvement priorities would be the Lido and High Street Multi Storey Car Park. These were also planned for 2023.   

The Committee wished to place on record its thanks to the Officers for all of their work to enable the Council to carry on as a going concern, noting that this would require a significant amount to be taken out of reserves to balance the books.

The recommendations in the report were proposed by Councillor Wells, seconded by Councillor Whorlow and unanimously supported.

Decision

The Worthing Joint Strategic Sub-Committee

i)          noted the reprofiling of the Worthing Borough Council capital schemes as advised in paragraph 6.1 and appendix 2;

ii)         noted the schemes removed from the Capital Investment Programme as advised in paragraph 6.2;

iii)         noted the additional s106 receipt received for play area equipment at Bourne Close and Northbrook Recreation Ground and the addition to the budget provision already in the 2022/23 Capital Investment Programme as detailed in paragraph 6.3.1;

iv)        approved the provision of Commerce Way female facilities and upgrade of the male showers, and the addition of the schemes to the 2022/23 Capital Investment Programme funded from capital contingency as detailed in paragraph 6.3.2.

v)         approved the procurement of COSHH Management Software, and the addition of the project to the 2022/23 Capital Investment Programme funded from capital contingency as detailed in paragraph 6.3.3.

Call-in

The call-in deadline for the decision will be 5.00pm on the 15th December 2022.