Decision details

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

a) approved the business case for 24 Guildhall Road Northampton Project Phase 2.

b) delegated to the Assistant Director of Place Shaping authority to enter into a contract to appoint a principal contractor for the build.

c) delegated to the Assistant Director of Assets and Environment authority to enter into a lease in relation to the upper floors of the completed building.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:

a) to bring the building back into use.

b) to support creative industries within the area of West Northants and support wider economic growth.

c) to further the delivery of the wider Northampton Town Centre Masterplan to support wider

d) to support delivery of the vision to regenerate the town centre

e) to enable the drawdown of £1.75m of Towns Fund funding and £1.5m WNC capital borrowing and be an essential strategic creative hub building within the Councils portfolio.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

The council could decide to not to use the Towns Fund support, which would render parts of the property unoccupied. Further still, there would be potential the structural integrity and water tightness of the building could be compromised, causing long term damage to the building.

The inclusion of sustainable technologies would greatly help improve the buildings EPC (Environment Performance Certificate). This is an area which needs to be enhanced for compliancy with commercial building lettings in order to lease the property and make necessary revenue savings. Additional grant funds are being explored as part of current project activities.

Should funding not be made available, the building would not meet the legal requirement under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard regulations in a couple of years from now, as well as not fulfil the council own energy and building targets.