Agenda item

Councillor Connelly submits a report that briefs Members on the revised response and associated costings by Marsh Grochowski Architects and Focus Consultants UK Ltd, which are based on the architectural brief developed by Arts and Museums and approved by Cabinet on 1 September 2008, and seeks agreement to an increase in capital funding for the Replacement City Gallery. Cabinet is recommended to approve to proceed with the replacement of the City Gallery, which provides improved facilities, at a cost of £2.441m.

A minute extract from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, held on 30 July 2009, will be circulated as soon as it is available.

Councillor Connelly submitted a report that briefed Members on the revised response and associated costings by Marsh Grochowski Architects and Focus Consultants UK Ltd, which were based on the architectural brief developed by Arts and Museums and approved by Cabinet on 1 September 2008,

Councillor Connelly explained that the new City Gallery would be situated on the old city workplace nursery site in New Walk and would host both national and international exhibitions. The City Gallery would end the need for people to travel to other cities for art exhibitions and in turn, people would come to Leicester, which would boost tourism and footfall in the city.

Councillor Connelly requested that in addition to the recommendations contained within the report, Members also agreed that the matter was urgent on the grounds that 1) stopping the project and then restarting it would incur additional costs, and 2) delays to the completion of the gallery would mean that the Council would continue to pay rent on the lease for the Granby Street site, and the Council may also need to renew the lease for a further period because the current lease was due to expire soon. Because of the urgency, he recommended that, according to Cabinet procedure Rule 12(d) of the Constitution, no call-in be made of the Cabinet decision.

Councillor Grant questioned whether the Cabinet Members considered the project was one of their highest priorities and whether the VAT rebate, which would be used as funding towards the scheme, should be used for other corporate projects.

Councillor Coley expressed concerns that the projected costs were £1.3 million more than the original estimate. He also stated that the largest park in the City had no public toilets, which he thought was a high priority.

Councillor Willmott responded that the new City Gallery would be an investment, which would complete the refurbishment of New Walk and would also be part of the successful regeneration in Leicester. The new building would be an architecturally designed building with first-rate facilities. Councillor Willmott also added that when the idea first came forward for the City Gallery, a ‘ball park’ figure had been given to Members. The decision had been taken that the Gallery was worth investing in, and the scheme had developed since then. 

Councillor Connelly added that the lack of toilet facilities in Western Park had already been raised and that the Council were looking at this issue, however the City Gallery would be a facility that would be available for all citizens in Leicester.

RESOLVED:

                        that Cabinet agrees:

1)     to proceed with the replacement of the City Gallery, which provides improved facilities at a cost of £2.441m.

2)     that the matter is urgent on the grounds that:

·        stopping the project at this stage and restarting it would incur additional costs;

·        that delays in the completion of the new gallery would mean that the Council would continue to pay rent on the lease for the Granby Street site and may also need to renew the lease for a further period, as the current lease is due to expire soon. No call in may be made of Cabinet’s decision;

and that, in accordance with Cabinet Procedure Rule 12(d) of the Constitution, no call-in may be made of the Cabinet decision.