Decision details

To authorise the spend of £1,196,000 of funds for the Healing the High Street project from Boston Town Fund.

To delegate to the Interim Consultant for Culture & Regeneration, in consultation with the Leader and Section 151 Officer, authority to enter into grant funding agreements and other relevant agreements required to secure and obligate performance of grant to release the £1,196,000 of funds for the Healing the High Street project from Boston Town Fund.

1.    Healing the High Street is one of seven approved projects contained within the approved Town Deal Investment Plan for Boston that were awarded the following Central Government grant funding in March 2021, to run across financial years 2021/22 to 2025/26. The Healing the High Street project is intended to transform Boston’s historic town centre through a town centre regeneration programme. The project will offer grants to building owners to invest in their buildings, as well as directly funding adjacent public realm and green space improvements.

2.    To authorise grant expenditure of up to £1,196,000 of external Towns Deal grant funding that is allocated to Boston Borough Council as lead contracting authority and accountable body for the approved Healing the High Street project and business case.

3.    The grant funding is to support the acquisition of Shodfriars Hall acquisition by Scorers Hawkins Pension Trust and subsequent programme of works to reinstate and repair the heritage asset. 

4.    To enable the completion and execution of the formal grant funding agreements to meet compliance with the terms of the Boston Town Fund requirements.

5.    The grant funding agreements are provided by the Council’s appointed legal advisors and include contractual provisions on eligible works, grant payment mechanisms and the associated expenditure requirements.

6.    To ensure the grants have adequate security provisions and clawback of funding arrangements if the eligible works and agree outputs are not delivered by the grant recipient.

7.    The project is approved by HM Government and previously approved by Council to accept the grant funding and be amended into the Capital Programme for delivery.

8.    Subsequent Town Board reports and project adjustments have been considered and agreed by the Boston Towns Board to amend the allocation of individual grants to be awarded under the Towns Deal award.

To do nothing – however Members have already supported the principle of spending the Town Deal award.

To divert the funding to another Town Deal project – this is considered only as a path in default if not appropriate opportunities arise subject to additional clearance by the Ministry of Housing, Local Communities and Growth (MHCLG). All Project Adjustment Requests, delegated or non-delegated, must be submitted to MHCLG. The Department will then issue written confirmation regarding whether the PAR is delegated or not before any changes can proceed. All interventions must continue to meet Towns Fund value for money requirements.