Purpose

To obtain approval to progress the first phase of the Hastings Castle Town Deal project

Decision

a. Cabinet approves the selection of Troika Projects Limited as the preferred council partner to deliver the West Hill Café and Castle Project. This is subject to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) approval.

b. Cabinet agrees to offer exclusivity to the preferred partner to enable officers to enter detailed negotiations and finalise contractual and legal arrangements, including Agreement for Lease, Lease arrangements and Grant Funding Agreements. The selected development and operational partner will be offered a long lease (up to 15 years) for the West Hill Café for (Food & Beverage and visitor experience use), Hastings Castle and a grant of £3m for development of the café and surrounding area. All subject to final verifications and contractual negotiations.

c. A balance of £338k will be retained by the council project team for the purposes of supporting and overseeing the work of the selected partner, including community and stakeholder engagements, planning of the interpretation facility plus a small contingency for surveys and additional activities as required.