To consider the proposed variation to an existing funding arrangement between Crewe Town Board, the Council and the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government.
Minutes:
The Committee considered the report on the reallocation of Crewe Town Fund budget and the future use of the former Flagg Lane Baths.
The Flagg Lane Baths had closed in 2016 and the building had remained vacant since then. The site had been marketed for sale twice with the only tangible interest expressed by a local charity Always Ahead who proposed to remodel the building for a range of community uses.
Always Ahead had developed a business case which secured £3.9m support from the Crewe Town Board as part of the Crewe Towns Fund programme. Planning consent for the scheme was obtained in 2022. However, since then the project had experienced significant delays mainly due to the structure of the building and escalating costs. In July 2024, Always Ahead indicated that the cost of Phase 1 alone had escalated from £3.9m to £5.9m. The charity had been unable to secure the additional funding so that the project could be completed by March 2026, when the Towns Fund grant expired.
The Crewe Town Board at its meeting in September 2024 had recommended withdrawal of the financial support for the project and reallocation of the funding to other Town Funds projects. The Board was keen to ensure a future use of the former Flagg Lane Baths. Alternative uses for the site had been suggested with the proposal for a new Alternative Provision School being the preferred approach, the details of which were set out in the report.
The Committee asked about the additional money being allocated to the Cumberland Arena project and it was explained that all the projects had business cases projecting costs against the details. The Cumberland Arena project had seen the removal of the improvements to the changing room facilities early in the project because of the budget so the expectation was that this would not be done. The reallocation of the Towns Fund would allow for this element to be put back into the project along with critical funding for the required new substation for power provision.
Reference was made to the cost of demolition, and it was explained that different quotes had been obtained for both the retention of the facade and demolition of the entire site and that it would cost more to retain the façade. It was not yet known what the design of the school would be, but it was hoped that the façade could be incorporated into the design. It was suggested if the old façade could not be kept that an element of the design be incorporated into the new plans, which would be subject to planning approval.
It was noted that Flagg Lane Baths were a local listed building, and it was explained that local listing was a building or structure of architectural or historic interest which made a valuable contribution to the character of an area but did not qualify for inclusion on the statutory list.
RESOLVED (unanimously): That the Committee
1. following the recommendations of Crewe Town Board, and in accordance with the Council’s role as accountable body for the Town Board and the Towns Fund grant funding, approve:
a) the withdrawal of further funding for the Flag Lane Baths project that was proposed by the Always Ahead charity and delegate authority to the Director of Growth & Enterprise to take all steps necessary to terminate the grant funding agreement between Always Ahead charity and the Council;
b) that following the approval of a Project Adjustment Request by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government the remaining £3,319,583 Towns Fund grant from the Flag Lane Baths project be reallocated to other projects in the Crewe Towns Fund programme, with up to the following amounts:
YouthZone (Oak Street) £1,353,000
YouthZone (Mirion Street) £458,000
Mill Street Corridor £407,583
History Centre Public Realm £200,000
Pocket Parks £200,000
Cumberland Arena £701,000
2. delegate authority to the Director of Growth & Enterprise to explore other options for the former Flag Lane Baths noting the preference for its use as a new Alternative Provision School and develop a business case to be reported back to the Committee in due course.
3. in support of alternative plans for the former Flag Lane Baths, approve the reallocation of £1,353,000 Cheshire East Council funding from the Crewe Youth Zone (Oak St) budget to the Flag Lane Baths budget.
Supporting documents: