Agenda item

CA/083/18 - The Bury Museum Project

1. That the stage 1 Heritage Lottery Fund heritage grants bid of £3.9m, to secure £1.9m funding to support a programme to develop the Bury into a museum be approved as outlined in the report to Cabinet.
2. That the need for an additional revenue commitment of approximately £370k per annum from 22/23 to operate the Bury post completion be noted.
3. That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director (Planning, Development and Regeneration) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder, Planning and Infrastructure, to approve further design decisions on recommendation 1 above.
4. That authority be delegated to the Assistant Directors of Planning, Development and Regeneration, and Finance and Resources for the submission of the future bids to the HLF (including total project costs)
5. That the need to work towards assembling match funding for the funding gap or for the total costs of the project if a grant is not secured in order for the project to proceed is noted. The estimated total project costs for both the capital and revenue elements are shown in the report to Cabinet at table 1 and table 2 respectively, including future operational costs.
6. That revenue funding of £33k for in year project spend in support of the round one application process be approved.

7.    That the work required to explore different business models to help reduce the Council’s ongoing revenue commitments be noted and a further report with details will be brought back at a later date Cabinet.

CA/083/18 - The Bury Museum Project

1. That the stage 1 Heritage Lottery Fund heritage grants bid of £3.9m, to secure £1.9m funding to support a programme to develop the Bury into a museum be approved as outlined in the report to Cabinet.
2. That the need for an additional revenue commitment of approximately £370k per annum from 22/23 to operate the Bury post completion be noted.
3. That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director (Planning, Development and Regeneration) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder, Planning and Infrastructure, to approve further design decisions on recommendation 1 above.
4. That authority be delegated to the Assistant Directors of Planning, Development and Regeneration, and Finance and Resources for the submission of the future bids to the HLF (including total project costs)
5. That the need to work towards assembling match funding for the funding gap or for the total costs of the project if a grant is not secured in order for the project to proceed is noted. The estimated total project costs for both the capital and revenue elements are shown in the report to Cabinet at table 1 and table 2 respectively, including future operational costs.
6. That revenue funding of £33k for in year project spend in support of the round one application process be approved.

7.    That the work required to explore different business models to help reduce the Council’s ongoing revenue commitments be noted and a further report with details will be brought back at a later date Cabinet.

Reason for decisions

To seek approval for the Bury Museum Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Heritage Grants round one bid with match funding required

Corporate objectives

A Clean, Safe and Enjoyable Environment

Through the Museum project the Bury and its grounds will become fully accessible to the public for the first time, a new café and toilets will complement Gadebridge Park and a new landscaping scheme will improve access to the Park.

Building Community Capacity

The project will recruit new volunteers to support heritage, and organisational training and development will build the capacity of Dacorum Heritage Trust.

Ensuring Economic Growth and Prosperity

The Bury Museum will add to Dacorum and Hemel Hempstead’s appeal as a visitor destination, and support the economy of the Old Town.

Monitoring Officer/S.151 Officer comments

Monitoring Officer:  

No comments. 

S.151 Officer:

The Bury project seeks approval to submit the HLF grant application for phase 1. At this point this process is projected to cost £33k as a one off investment and these funds will need to be made available from reserves if this recommendation is approved. These funds would be non-reclaimable if the bid is unsuccessful.

The projected costs of designing, building and implementing the museum from 2019 – 22/23 is £3.9m of which the grant application is requesting £1.9m, at present the DBC capital programme includes funding to deliver this project on condition of a successful HLF bid.

At this juncture the projected operating costs of the Bury museum would be £370k per annum from 22/23, which if successful would require DBC funding, and approval at a later stage.

Advice

JDoe introduced the item, pleased to be able to say we have reached a point where we can submit a bid for Heritage Lottery funding. He cautioned the meeting that submission of the bid would move us on to the next stage and entail more detailed investigations and exposition of the model we intend to use for staffing and running the project. These will be critically and minutely examined by the bid assessors.

Councillor Elliot pointed out that we had been successful with our bid relating to the Water Gardens Restoration Project and should be able to make use of the expertise and experience that had helped achieve that success. JDoe pointed out that in his experience the HLF engage particularly well with the ‘story’ of Hemel Hempstead and we will approach this bid in the same way. However he pointed out that the bid will be examined very critically on the ‘value for money’ and financial sustainability of this project; as well as its relevance and attraction across the whole demographic spectrum. He advised that since our last bid competition has become more intense.

Councillor Griffiths expressed her enthusiasm for this project and advised the bid team to adopt a positive attitude. She hoped to see the voluntary sector engage with the project and asked the officers to ensure the level of interest from this quarter was maintained. JDoe advised the Dacorum Heritage Trust have already been heavily involved and will continue to contribute.

Councillor Marshall endorsed Councillor Griffith’s enthusiasm for a project that had been aspired to for many years. She echoed the need to ensure that the project is financially sound into the coming years and that we be prepared to run it boldly, considering numerous options and approaches. Councillor Douris also expressed wholehearted support and endorsement. He has seen a significant push to recognise the contributions of museums to the culture of Hertfordshire.

Councillor Birnie sounded a warning regarding the notable failures of some HLF projects in other parts of the country and we have to ensure the sustainability and revenue of this project matches the proposals set out in the report.

Councillor Sutton expressed his thanks and praise to the bid team and added his support.

Councillor Williams agreed that the establishment of a museum in Hemel Hempstead had always been a long term aspiration and the freeing-up of the Bury – a suitable property, in our control – now made it possible. He acknowledged the possible risks with the HLF though he felt that these may have contributed to their recent, more stringent approach and this could contribute to a more robust basis for the proposals. Round 2 of the bid will require the engagement of the voluntary sector and it is essential that they are involved in the nature of the project and the model adopted for running the facility.

Recommendations agreed.

Voting

None.