Agenda item

DECISION

1.    That a sum of not more than £20,000 from the Transformation Fund financial support be approved for the Midlands Connect feasibility study.

2.    That a budget of £30,000 be allocated to the Deputy Chief Executive for the purpose of supporting ongoing project development, to include but not exhaustive any feasibility or viability studies and any external advice that may support the project development.

Portfolio Holder and Officer

NW / CG

REASON FOR DECISION

The Deputy Leader presented a report, which provided information regarding development of the project "Port of Boston - Gateway to Growth".  This included the Economic, Social and Environmental impact on both the local and regional economies.  The project would create a super-efficient logistics hub with real international significance enabling Boston and southeast Lincolnshire to safeguard the existing 40,000+ jobs and, through new innovation, create further employment opportunities to influence and inspire communities to realise their full potential and raise the aspirations for future generations.

The east of England, and especially Boston and southeast Lincolnshire was synonymous with the fresh produce food sector, including having the largest food logistics and storage cluster. The Lincolnshire food sector was based on both strong local and regional food production as well as processing millions of tonnes of imports each year from over 39 countries worldwide.

Efficient, timely and reliable international and national logistics were essential to sustain the 90,000 jobs in agriculture and food processing in Lincolnshire and neighbouring Local Enterprise Partnership areas in the East Midlands and East Anglia, known as the UK Food Valley.

The economic rationale behind the Gateway to Growth project was clear and would provide huge opportunities for Boston and sub-regional areas to strengthen their economies, enhance and create further job opportunities, add value to private sector investment and carbon reduction related strategies and enhanced connectivity that supported the Midlands Engine for growth and the manufacturing belt of the UK.

Cabinet was asked to consider two recommendations:

(i)            To provide, from the Transformation Fund financial support to the Midlands Connect feasibility study of not more than £20,000.

(ii)          To allocate a budget of £30,000 to the Deputy Chief Executive for the purpose of supporting ongoing project development, to include but not exhaustive any feasibility or viability studies and any external advice that may support the project development.

These recommendations were required to demonstrate to the Council’s partner, Lincolnshire County Council (LCC), the support of the Council to the Midlands Connect feasibility study and to provide ongoing support for project initiation and development. Without this funding, the project would not be able to progress to the next stage and LCC would not support a Midlands Connect submission.

Highways infrastructure, both the ability for the existing network to support current traffic demands and also the additional demands generated through anticipated growth in the area as a result of the Port of Boston, the Food Valley, the designation of Greater Lincolnshire as one of an area of High Potential Opportunity (HPO) and the impact of the investment generated through the Town Deal, was a key priority.

Discussions had been taking place with LCC regarding the possibility of a submission to Midlands Connect for a feasibility scheme in connection with roads around the Port of Boston. Noting the wider arc of growth, LCC had agreed to support a bid, providing the Council made a financial contribution of up to £20,000.

This bid for funding to review strategic transport connectivity and the reassessment of the current LCC Route Action Plan (RAP) along key strategic routes would greatly enhance and expand the economic opportunity in and around Boston (A16) and the vitally important economic routes of (A15 & A17), support the continued economic growth and identify a series of priority schemes to address congestion and pinch points in the network to unlock freight movement to improve the efficiency of the Boston and South East Lincolnshire agri-food sector.

Midlands Connect researched, developed and recommended transport projects, which would provide the biggest possible economic and social benefits for the Midlands and the rest of the UK. Midlands Connect examined every option for improving major transport infrastructure in the Midlands region. The fundamental aim of these improvements was to transform regional and UK gateways, bringing the Midlands closer together and accelerating cost-effective improvements to unlock east-west connectivity that would enable the Midlands’ economies to work more effectively together.

In response to a question, the Deputy Chief Executive explained that the Transformation Fund was designated for transformation internally and externally in order to effect changes and developments of new initiatives for economies of scale and economic investment, provision of jobs and to raise the borough’s profile.  The Section 151 Officer had been consulted and had confirmed that this project was a good use of the fund. 

The Leader praised the project and thanked all involved for their hard work.

RECORD OF ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST

None.

RECORD OF ANY DISPENSATION GRANTED

None.