Tarbert Heritage Regeneration Scheme (Hrs) Development Phase Update
Argyll and Bute Council · 4 December 2024
Back to Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Area Committee — 4 December 2024 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL MID ARGYLL, KINTYRE AND THE ISLANDS AREA COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH 4 DECEMBER 2024 TARBERT HERITAGE REGENERATION SCHEME (HRS) DEVELOPMENT PHASE UPDATE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1. The purpose of this report is to update Members on the Development Phase for a potential Tarbert Heritage Regeneration Scheme (HRS). 1.2. Historic Environment Scotland’s, Heritage and Place Programme, and National Lottery Heritage Grants can provide partnership area-based funding towards heritage-led regeneration that supports better places to live, work, visit and invest. The funders are currently contributing a combined total of £80k towards the Tarbert HRS Development Phase. 1.3. The Development Phase is ongoing and will fund survey and cost analysis to inform a deliverable project proposal. This current phase also allows for community engagement, and the development of activity and evaluation plans, to strengthen potential project outputs and outcomes. Scoping work and community consultation for the project is ongoing. 1.4. At MAKI Committee on 5 June 2024, Members agreed to Delivery Phase submissions. It is therefore proposed to submit applications to funders in summer 2025, with anticipated decisions in December 2025. 1.5. The difficult current funding landscape makes a Tarbert HRS an especially valuable opportunity but brings a significant challenge in terms of required council match funding. In previous heritage schemes, council match has varied from £300k to £500k. In order to develop a meaningful Tarbert project in the region of £2m, funding at the upper end of this would be necessary. 1.6. Should funding applications to HES, and NLHF prove successful, it is considered that a project could commence in spring 2026. As Delivery Phase proposals require to be fully funded, match funding will require to be confirmed in advance of any funding bids. This will require an appropriate funding source to be identified. 1.7. The Delivery Phase applications for a Tarbert HRS will be subject to a
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competitive process. Whilst the council has successfully secured heritage funding to assist with projects in Campbeltown, Helensburgh, Rothesay, Dunoon, Lochgilphead and Inveraray in the past, there is no guarantee that bids would prove successful. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that members: i) Consider the content of this paper. ii) Note that the council would be required to identify funding towards the Delivery Phase costs in advance of submissions being made. 3.0 DETAIL 3.1 Historic Environment Scotland’s Heritage and Place Programme, and National Lottery Heritage Grants offer valuable sources of area-based funding, supporting heritage-led regeneration to create better places to live, work, visit and invest. Alongside the council, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) are currently funding the Tarbert Heritage Regeneration Scheme (HRS) Development Phase. 3.2 The Tarbert HRS Delivery Phase would operate on a similar basis to the current Conservation Area Regeneration Schemes (CARS) running in Lochgilphead and Helensburgh. Tarbert is one of eight Scottish towns with 5-year HRS projects currently in development. 3.3 Current work includes surveying and costing exercises to ensure a project is developed that is deliverable, effective and meets funding criteria. Consultation, undertaken in June 2024, sought the views of the community on which buildings should be taken forward as priorities for repair. The buildings with the highest scores are currently subject to professional survey and cost analysis. These are: Glendale, the former tourist information building on Argyll Pl, Undercliffe (as illustrated in Appendix 1), and properties linked to Tarbert’s fishing heritage. 3.4 An initial meeting to outline and seek views from the Tarbert Area Partnership Group on the development of an Activity Plan took place in October, and a Theory of Change stakeholder workshop relating to an Evaluation Plan was held in the same month. 3.5 Due to initial difficulties in procuring consultants, funders have agreed that the development phase can be extended. Applications are now proposed to be submitted in summer 2025, with anticipated decision dates in December 2025. 3.6 At its meeting of 29 June 2023, Council agreed, in principle, that an application for a Delivery Phase be submitted to the relevant HES, and NLHF grant
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programs. This also noted the terms of the decision made by Policy and Resources Committee (June 2022) which agreed that delegated authority be given to the Executive Director of Development and Infrastructure in consultation with the Leader, Depute Leader and Leader of the largest Opposition Group to submit subsequent applications to the heritage funders, and agreed to the principle of council match funding for a Delivery Phase should the applications be successful. 3.7 In order to be able to deliver a meaningful project, it is anticipated that an application to HES would seek funding in the region of £850k, and an associated application of circa £1m be made to NLHF. 3.8 In line with previous CARS programmes, it is anticipated that Tarbert HRS would require between £300k - £500k of Council match funding to satisfy the requirements of funders. The funding landscape is however extremely challenging at present. 3.9 Should funding applications to HES, and NLHF prove successful, it is considered that a project could commence in spring 2026. As Delivery Phase proposals require to be fully funded, match funding will require to be confirmed in advance of future bids. This will require an appropriate funding source to be identified. 3.10 The Delivery Phase applications will be subject to a competitive process, and whilst the Council has successfully secured heritage funding to assist with projects in Campbeltown, Helensburgh, Rothesay, Dunoon, Lochgilphead and Inveraray in the past, there is no guarantee that bids will be successful. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 This report provides an update to Members on the Tarbert HRS Development Phase, including the proposed funding timeline. It is anticipated that applications will be submitted in summer 2025 and that decisions will be forthcoming in December 2025. 4.2 As a fully costed scheme will require a significant financial contribution from the Council, it is intended to review all potential sources of match funding to support the Delivery Phase works. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy - The scheme aligns with objectives set out in the Council’s Corporate Plan and Economic Strategy. 5.2 Financial - If applications to HES and NLHF are successful, Council will require to commit match funding for project delivery. This can be spread over a 5-year delivery period. In order to deliver a meaningful project in the region of £2m, match funding levels would have to align with those previously committed to CARS programmes. To date, between £300k and £500k has been committed
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by the Council to support 8 town centre regeneration projects. Crown Estate funding is, at this time, considered to be the most likely source of available match but consideration will be given to other potential sources of funding. 5.3 Legal - Council will comply with funding requirements of both HPP and Heritage Fund programmes. Staff resources will be necessary from the Council’s Legal Team relating to requirements to draft contracts and standard securities. 5.4 HR – Existing staff resources will undertake the necessary work to submit the Delivery Phase applications, and if successful, a dedicated Project Officer would be required to deliver the project over a 5-year period. This post would be fully funded through the project and would sit within the Transformational Projects and Regeneration Team. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 5.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – None. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty - Funding is designed to offer improved socio- economic opportunities for local communities. 5.5.3 Islands – None. 5.6 Climate Change - It is a funder requirement to fully consider and propose climate mitigation measures within project development and delivery phases. 5.7 Risk – As this is a competitive process there is a risk that should the applications prove unsuccessful, the project would be unable to proceed to Delivery Phase. 5.8 Customer Service – None. 5.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – None. Kirsty Flanagan, Executive Director with responsibility for Development and Economic Growth Councillor Math Campbell-Sturgess, Policy Lead for Business Development 24 October 2024 For further information contact: Fergus Murray, Head of Development and Economic Growth Fergus.Murray@argyll-bute.gov.uk Jonathan Welch, Transformational Projects and Regeneration Manager Jonathan.Welch@argyll-bute.gov.uk
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Appendix 1 Proposed Priority Building 1- Argyll Place Proposed Priority Building 2 - Glendale
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Priority Building 3 - Undercliff