Purpose

The decision is to:

1)    
consider and approve the change in procurement
process for the main contract from direct award to tender process;

2)    
consider and approve the design amendments;

3)    
note the new delivery structure, and;

4)    
consider and approve the change in operational
delivery.

Added 06 November 2025

Decision

That
Cabinet:

1.    
NOTED the progress update on the Stockyard
project, including the completion of the RIBA stage 4 programme review,
including a design review and operator review and considers the following
recommendations arising:

Project Team:

2.    
NOTED the updates in governance and project
structure at appendix 1a and appendix 1b and, approves the appointment of the
delivery team to support the Council in delivering RIBA stages 5 -7.

3.    
DELEGATED AUTHORITY to the
Director for Place and Prosperity in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for
Corporate Finance, Property and Resources and the Monitoring Officer to enter
all necessary legal agreements and contracts.

Construction Procurement:

4.    
NOTED the Government has confirmed that LUF
projects have an updated completion deadline of March 2028, and the updated
programme timeline and delivery schedule.

5.    
NOTED that the reprofiled Capital Programme will
be considered by Council at the budget setting meeting in February 2026.

6.    
On the basis of the additional time available and
to maximise value for money, amend the previous decision for a direct award
through a framework and instead APPROVED the initiation of a two-stage
procurement process for the main construction contract.

7.    
APPROVED the Procurement Strategy and principles
which will govern the procurement process and set out in section 5.2 and 5.3.

8.    
Following the procurement process, DELEGATED
AUTHORITY to the Director for Place and Prosperity, in consultation with
the Leader of the Council and the Monitoring Officer to utilise a JCT Design
& Build 2024 contract and enter into the necessary contracts and legal
agreements keeping within the approved capital budget.

Design Revisions:

9.    
APPROVED the suite of design revisions identified
through the RIBA Stage 4 review, and set out in section 5.4, noting these can
be accommodated within the approved current Capital Programme Budget.

10.
NOTED progress made towards incorporating the
LUF specified cultural outputs within the Stockyard and approve in principle
the development of a Cultural Hub on the site and, working with Loughborough
College and any other stakeholders and partners, approve the submission of any
funding bids to relevant parties to secure further investment.

11.
APPROVED the submission of any relevant Section 73
(variations) or reserved matters planning applications required to secure
approved design changes. 

12.
DELEGATED AUTHORITY to the
Director for Place and Prosperity in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for
Corporate Finance, Property and Resources to accommodate the design revisions
within the overall budget profile and submit and manage all necessary planning
applications and consents. Cabinet stated that they would like to see detailed
layouts of the public toilet facilities on site.

13.
To accommodate design changes relating to car
parking on the site, amend the previous decision to dispose of site 1b Scalford
Road Car Park and instead APPROVED that it now be retained, as a car
park, within the asset portfolio of the Council.

Operator Strategy:

14. NOTED the
outcomes of the Operator Review and based on the comprehensive financial
appraisal, approve the Operator Strategy to include the following:

14.1.            
The Council would assume full and direct landlord
responsibility for estate, maintenance and facilities management of the
Stockyard site including the existing southern lease area (Appendix 9) which
will transfer back to the Council’s operational responsibility at the
conclusion of the lease in June 2027.

14.2.            
The Council would procure specialist expertise for markets
and events management and delegate authority to the Director for Place and
Prosperity in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance,
Property and Resources and Monitoring Officer, to enter into all necessary
legal agreements, to support both current and future operations.

14.3.            
The Council would procure subject matter expertise
to support inward investment and marketing and promotional requirements and
will develop Stockyard’s offer for future tenants.

14.4.            
Note proposed resourcing arrangements and approve
the process for the allocation of revenue budgets as set out in paragraph 10.1
to support the implementation of the Operator Strategy.

14.5.            
Delegate authority to the Director for Place and
Prosperity in consultation with the Director of Corporate Services and
Monitoring Officer, to adjust and allocate revenue budgets for operational and
preparatory activities (within the overall budget), procure and enter contracts
for specialist expertise and services as required.