Purpose

Cabinet will consider proceeding with design development to RIBA Stage 2, consulting on the options, drawing down expenditure and returning with an Outline Business Case consideration on the following sites: Queen Mother Sports Centre, Brunel Contact Centre, Mayne House, 3-13 Sussex Street, 88 Bravington Road, Dalkeith Court Podium.

Decision

Subject to Full Council approval of the budget in March 2026, that Cabinet:

·       Approves the SOC conclusions and the recommended PWF for four Housing Opportunity Locations comprising Bravington, Brunel, QMSC and Sussex, as set out in Appendices C to F and summarised in section 4 of this report;

·       Approves the General Fund (GF) expenditure sum totalling £5,437,728 (to include all professional and legal fees, internal costs and contingency) for development to OBC for each of the below Housing Opportunity Locations (and including expenditure for QMSC further below, see section 2.3):

o   Bravington £604,809 (GF)

o   Brunel £3,705,000 (GF)

o   Sussex £627,919 (GF)

·       Approves General Fund expenditure of £500,000 for QMSC to undertake further scheme development and design work in order to identify opportunities to close the current funding gap and prepare a funding strategy for consideration.

·       Approves the ringfencing of any additional Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) receipts above the budgeted allocation received in 2026/27 and 2027/28 to the Bravington, Brunel and Sussex locations in order to maximise the number of affordable homes on each of these sites.

·       Delegates authority to the Executive Director of Regeneration, Economy and Planning to approve further evolution of the three schemes set out at section 2.1, including options development, consultation, delivery route testing and viability work, through to completion of OBCs, which will be returned to Cabinet for consideration.

·       Delegates authority to the Executive Director of Regeneration, Economy and Planning to approve the MDCT contract award or contract variation to an existing contract in respect of the Bayswater Children Centre (now part of Brunel Housing Opportunity Location) subject to endorsement by Commercial Gate Review Board (CGRB) and Capital Review Group (CRG).

·       Delegates authority to the Executive Director of Regeneration, Economy and Planning to give approval in respect of the four Planning Consultants appointed in respect of the Housing Opportunity Locations (as set out in the Contracts Register under Appendix B) to proceed to RIBA 2 and thereafter each subsequent RIBA Stage subject to the required budget allocation being available, with QMSC subject to completion of further exploration studies to establish a funding strategy as set out in 2.3 above.