Decision

The
Director of Regeneration and Place has agreed to
approve:
 
1.
  The award of a contract to
Digital Urban Ltd at a cost of £273,200 to extend the current
digital 3D Model to cover all built up areas Wirral and to provide
technical support services and various 3D model applications as
summarised at paragraphs 1.2 and 1.3 of  the report;
and
 
2.
  The acceptance of grant funding
in the sum of £325,000 from the Department for Levelling Up,
Housing and Communities for the purpose of extending and developing
the uses of the Council’s 3D Digital Model.
 

Reasons for the decision

The
Council has already procured a detailed digital 3D model covering
Central Birkenhead, and parts of Seacombe and New
Brighton.  The award of the contract
will enable the extend the benefits of this key planning tool to
the whole of the Borough and will support the delivery of
high quality development (including the
development of key regeneration proposals) through the Development
Management process, and improve accessibility to and understanding
of design matters to local communities and
stakeholders. 
 
The
contract also covers the development of an online Infrastructure
Delivery Plan which will contribute to the timely delivery of major
regeneration projects, improve access to information on planned
infrastructure for stakeholders and members of the public, and
improve the efficiency of the preparation of future local
plans.  The contract is being funded
through grant funding awarded by DLUCH as part of the national
digital planning transformation Proptech Fund (Round 3). 
 
The
Council has been offered Proptech Round
3 Funding from the Department of Levelling Up Housing and
Communities to extend the Council’s Digital 3D Model. Funding
has also been offered, which will enable the Council to prepare a
digital Infrastructure Delivery Plan, to embed the use of the 3 D
Model into the Council’s Development Management Process and
the Birkenhead Design Guide and for two years technical
support.
 

Alternative options considered

To not
accept the Proptech grant from DLUHC.
This would mean that the opportunity to extend and develop the 3D
model would be lost or delayed until some future date when
financial resources may be available for the project.