Purpose

To seek approval to spend the remaining
£1.2 million of the £2 million Brownfield Land Release
Fund grant awarded by the government for a flood alleviation scheme
on the Merton Meadow sites in Hereford to enable them to be
released for development. The grant funding will be utilised to
deliver the physical flood alleviation works.

Decision

The Cabinet Member
for Economy and Growth approves the draw down of the remaining
£1.2 million of Brownfield Land Release (BLRF) Grant monies
and delegates to the Corporate Director for Economy and Environment
upon grant of planning permission to use the BLRF Grant to procure,
appoint, commission the works and any other operational decision
required to deliver the Merton Flood Alleviation scheme.

Alternative options considered

1.   
To not take forward the proposed
works - not agreeing to the expenditure of the remaining BLRF
monies by November 2025 will necessitate the council being required
to return all unexpended monies currently held to the Government
and have a significant adverse impact on the council’s
ability to bring the Merton Meadow sites forward for development as
the sites are currently within a Category 3 flood zone.