Agenda item

Urgent Decision Reported to Council

Minutes:

16.1    Councillor Cook moved and Councillor Norman seconded that in accordance with Part 4 of the Constitution, Council was being asked to resolve that the urgent decision of the Leader of the Council to submit a bid for Levelling Up Grant Funding for the regeneration of the Greyfriars/Eastgate Shopping Centre be noted.

 

16.2    Councillor Cook explained that back in 2017, the council had applied and been awarded £20m to spend on city regeneration projects. As Gloucester has 2 Members of Parliament, he noted that the council was eligible to make a second application. Councillor Cook confirmed that since the Council agenda was published, the deadline for making an application for Levelling Up Grant Funding had since been extended. He paid tribute to the excellent and rapid work of officers in pulling together a bid for regenerating the Eastgate/Greyfriars area.

 

16.3    Councillor Hilton explained that he had requested to debate this item as he felt that an urgent decision was no longer needed since the deadline had been deferred. He requested that a copy of the bid for Levelling Up Grant Funding be circulated to Group Leaders to provide them with an opportunity to consider the document.

 

16.4    Councillor Chambers-Dubus agreed that it was a good idea in principle but raised concerns that the redevelopment might be taken as an opportunity to gentrify the area. She felt it was important to keep the integrity of the market and keep stall holders involved with any decisions about Eastgate.

 

16.5    Councillor Lewis confirmed that the council had consulted traders and they had expressed that they were fully on board. He confirmed that the council would continue to communicate with stall holders and that nothing would be done without consulting them.

 

16.6    Councillor Cook reiterated that the market traders would be kept fully informed and confirmed that if time allowed, officers would be willing to share the bid document with Group Leaders. He noted that once the portal went live, it was likely that there would be limited time to submit the application.

 

RESOLVED that: -

 

The urgent decision of the Leader of the Council to submit a bid for Levelling Up Grant Funding for the regeneration of the Greyfriars/Eastgate Shopping Centre area of the City Centre to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities be noted.