Purpose

With approval from the Monitoring Officer and the Growth,
Resources and Communities Scrutiny Committee Chair, the urgency
provisions to waive the 28-day Forward Plan, 5-day consideration
and 3-day call in period have been approved.
 
The Cabinet Member
authorised:

 

1.    
Authorised the award of a contract to Pick Everard for the
provision of Multi-Disciplinary Design Team (MDDT) Services over
RIBA Stages 1-6 for the Vine in Central Library - at a total
contract value of £495,995.51 for the period 22 April 2024 to
16 March 2027.

2.    
Delegated authority to the Executive Director of Place and
Economy to take all necessary steps to implement the decision in
recommendation 1 including the entering into any of any necessary
legal agreements.
 

Reasons for the decision

BACKGROUND AND KEY
ISSUES
 

The Vine is the flagship
project of the £22.9M PCC Town Deal accounting for
£13.08M of the total.
 

With this funding from
DLUHC Peterborough City Council (PCC) will be developing ‘The
Vine’ into a new library, learning, cultural and commercial
offer across two sites in Peterborough City Centre by 31st March
2026. This report relates to the appointment of a Multidisciplinary
Design Team (MDDT) to advance 'The Vine’ project across the
RIBA plan of work stages 1-6, at the Central Library
site.
 

A refurbished Central Library building will provide the
ideal location in an area of the City Centre which needs
investment. It is anticipated that the floor area of Central
Library can accommodate the library, education, commercial
workspaces, community spaces of the DLUHC ‘outputs and
outcomes’, with the alternative food & beverage provision
on the second site at Fletton Quays (The Goods Shed).
 

The proposed investment objectives for the Vine project
are:

-       
To deliver a new and transformed Central Library service with
a strong digital offer for Peterborough’s residents by
providing services they value.

-       
To create a driver of visitor footfall that will be of wider
benefit to retail and other businesses in Peterborough City Centre
and ensures this part of the city remains economically
vibrant.

-       
To create new opportunities for informal learning, leading to
an increased take up of College, University course and work-based T
levels by local residents and those living
regionally.

-       
To become the recognised centre of community based cultural
enterprise and activity, enhancing the civic and cultural life of
the city.

-       
To develop facilities that will be well used by all sectors
of the community including local businesses and the city’s
new University students.

-       
To deliver a self-sustaining operating model where commercial
and intermediate uses cross-subsidise uses on peppercorn
terms.

REASON FOR THE
RECOMMENDATION
 

This recommendation has been
considered by:
CLT and then Cabinet
Policy Forum (CPF) – 11th March 2024
 

 
 

 

Alternative options considered

This
option was considered and rejected because the Council would lose
investment into Peterborough including the funding from the DLUHC
Towns Fund.