Agenda item

To consider a report by the Director for Sustainability and Resources, copy attached as item 8

Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Place, 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 8.

The strategic objective of the report before Members was to highlight the Council’s support for a project to provide a community football hub to promote health, wellbeing and education in the area; and to maximise the prospect of securing Football Foundation funding to help ensure this vital project could happen.

The report sought authority to bid in partnership with the Russell Martin Foundation and to enter into a Football Foundation funding agreement for the redevelopment of Southwick Football Club.

The report set out the contractual arrangements and financial commitments of the Council and seeks appropriate authorisation from members of the Sub-Committee to ensure the project can be delivered.

Members supported the approach taken and looked forward to working with the Russell Martin foundation

Decision

1.    That the Council be authorised (if required) to enter into the Football Foundation Grant Funding Agreement jointly with the Russell Martin Foundation to receive and allocate any funding from the Football Foundation under the terms of the grant for the purpose of delivering a new development and football pitch at the Southwick Football Club site to be operated by the Russell Martin Foundation under a lease arrangement as a community football hub to promote health, wellbeing and education in the area;

2.    That the Director for Place or Assistant Director for Regenerative Development, may exercise delegated authority to enter into a build contract on behalf of the Council (providing always that the build contract is within available budget) to secure the development referred to in 1 above, following the outcome of a compliant procurement exercise;

3.    That it be noted that the Director for Place or Assistant Director for Regenerative Development will ensure that the Lease or other contractual arrangements requires the Russell Martin Foundation to create a sinking fund for ongoing repair and maintenance of the development and football pitch and ensures a commitment to the Council for the Foundations' ongoing compliance with the terms of the Grant Funding agreement with the Football Foundation.

4.    That it be noted that the Football Foundation grant funding terms and conditions may require the Council to agree a restriction on the title to the property to protect the Football Foundation's investment over the term of the grant funding agreement.

5.    That it be noted that the financial implications in this report and authorise the sum of £300,000 from the 2024/25 capital programme to be allocated to works and for this budget to be used to meet the Council’s contribution to the match funding required for the project. 2.6. To delegate to the Director for Place or the Assistant Director for Regenerative Development, the authority to procure and deliver the required outcomes as set out in this report within approved budgets

Call-in

The call-in deadline for the decisions will be 5.00pm on Thursday 21 March 2024