The Officer Key Decision meeting on 9 July 2025 was scheduled to address a funding agreement for the refurbishment of Alice Billing House North Block. The meeting was set to focus on a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) and its administration by the Creative Land Trust (CLT). The decision regarding this matter has been delegated to Paul Kitson, Corporate Director of Inclusive Economy, Housing and Culture.

Alice Billing House National Lottery Heritage Grant Funding

The primary item for consideration was the acceptance of a £2.9 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the refurbishment of the Alice Billing House – North Block. The council was to consider entering into a funding agreement with Creative Land Trust to manage the NLHF grant and oversee the project, which aims to convert the site into affordable creative workspaces, a community café and gallery, and a public pavilion.

The report pack outlined several key aspects of the project:

• Background: Alice Billing House North Block, a Grade II listed building in Stratford, is on Historic England's 'At Risk' register. Phase 1, the refurbishment of the South Block, has already been completed and is in use as affordable artist studios.
• Project Goals: The second phase of the project is intended to deliver:
  • 12 affordable studios
  • A public café and gallery
  • A community pavilion and courtyard improvements
  • Conservation of heritage features
• Creative Land Trust's Role: CLT was selected through a competitive process to oversee the refurbishment and operations. They have secured match funding from various sources, with only £63,000 remaining unsecured.
• Funding Mechanism: The council will receive NLHF funding and pass it to CLT under a detailed grant funding agreement. Payments from NLHF to the council are expected monthly, with exact timeframes to be agreed upon at the Delivery Phase Start-Up Meeting with NLHF.
• Use of Funds: The funding will cover:
  • Staff appointments (part-time project assistant, fundraiser, and operations manager)
  • Restoration of the North Block into 12 studios
  • Construction of a community pavilion and enhanced courtyard
  • Repairs to the roof of the South Block
  • Interpretation Programme
  • Activity Plan and Outreach Programme
  • Fundraising
  • Evaluation Framework
• Approved Usage: The North Block will be used as affordable artist studios for approximately 42 creatives, and the community pavilion will be a flexible, publicly accessible space for skills, education, retail, and café cuisine.
• Match Funding: The full project cost is £3.8 million, with £2.9 million from the NLHF grant. The remaining amount is to be secured through match funding, as detailed in the report.

The report pack included a match funding overview:

The NLHF grant includes a 15% contingency and 7.6% inflation on current estimated construction and associated capital works costs. The construction contract will be a fixed price contract, and any costs above the agreed contract sum will be subject to value engineering to ensure the project remains within budget. The grant funding agreement between the council and CLT will ensure that any additional costs beyond the agreed budget will not be the council's responsibility.

The report pack stated that the council will support CLT in securing the remaining unsecured funding. The full breakdown of capital and revenue costs, along with the terms and conditions of the funding, can be found in Appendix 1, the NLHF Grant Notification Letter. According to the grant notification letter, the council must complete the approved purposes of the delivery phase and submit a completion report, final payment request, and evaluation report by 31 March 2029.

CLT will be responsible for construction and delivery, including monthly milestone claims, contractor procurement, oversight, and reporting to NLHF, as well as any overspend beyond the agreed £3.8 million project funding.

The project is aligned with several council priorities:

• Priority 2: Inclusive economy enabling access to affordable creative space and creating local jobs
• Priority 6: Supporting young people through skills, employment, and outreach
• Priority 7: People powered Newham co-designed programming with local artists and communities

The project also supports environmental sustainability through the adaptive reuse of a heritage building and replacing gas heating with an air source heat pump system.

Alternative options considered and rejected included:

• Do Nothing: This would leave the North Block unused, deteriorating further, and remaining on Historic England's At Risk register.
• Council-led delivery: This was rejected due to resource constraints and a lack of specialist operational capacity. CLT's expertise and track record make them the preferred delivery partner.

The report pack also detailed the financial, legal, and equalities implications of the project. The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 requires the council to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between those who share protected characteristics and those who do not.

The report pack included several appendices:

• Appendix 1: NLHF Grant Notification Letter
• Appendix 2: Draft Funding Agreement
• Appendix 3: Permission to Start

The Draft Funding Agreement outlines the terms and conditions under which the council will provide the grant to the Creative Land Trust. It details the purpose of the grant, payment schedules, use of funds, and monitoring and reporting requirements. The agreement also addresses intellectual property rights, confidentiality, freedom of information, and data protection.

The Permission to Start form confirms that the Creative Land Trust accepts the Grant Contract and that the project aligns with the approved purposes. It includes details of agreed costs, cash contributions, and a proposed timetable. The form is signed by representatives from the Creative Land Trust, Newham Council, and the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

Yves Blais, Operations Manager at Creative Land Trust, Malene Oddershede Bach, and Catherine Webster are listed as signatories for the Creative Land Trust. Darren Mackin, Director of Community Wealth Building, is listed as the signatory for Newham Council.