New Anglia LEP Investment Appraisal Committee

Wednesday 26^th August 2020

Teams Meeting

9am to 9:45am

Agenda

No.

Item

Welcome

Main Agenda

Apologies

Declarations of Interest

Minutes of previous meeting - 21^st July 2020

Horizon Paper and GPF repayments - Confidential

Items for Approval

LGF- Food Innovation Centre Update- Confidential

Growing Places Fund - Investment Opportunity - Confidential

Growing Places Fund - Wolsey Theatre additional grant request - Confidential

Innovative Projects Fund - Ipswich Cornhill grant agreement amendment,

including appendices - Confidential

LGF Reapportionment - NCC Transport Packages

Other

11.

Any Other Business

New Anglia Investment Appraisal Committee

Meeting Minutes (Confirmed)

21^st July 2020

Present:

Committee Members

Alan Waters (AW)

Norwich City Council

David Ellesmere (DE)

Ipswich Borough Council

Andrew Proctor (AP)

Norfolk County Council

Dominic Keen (DK)

High Growth Robotics

Tim Whitley (TW)

C-J Green (CJG)

Brave Goose

Martin Williams (MW)

Independent IAC Member

In Attendance

Rosanne Wijnberg (RW)

New Anglia LEP

Chris Dashper (CD)

New Anglia LEP

Helen Wilton (HW)

New Anglia LEP

Iain Dunnett (ID)

New Anglia LEP

ACTIONS

ACTION: ID to clarify the final repayment date for the Winerack loan.

Welcome from the Chair

David Ellesmere (DE) welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Apologies

Apologies were received from Sandy Ruddock

Declarations of Interest

None

Minutes of previous meeting (20^th May 2020)

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved by the committee.

Growing Places Fund Horizon Paper (Confidential)

Iain Dunnett (ID) highlighted key points from the Horizon paper.

The Committee agreed:

• To note the content of the report

Growing Places Fund Programme Performance Report and RAG Rating

The monthly GPF report and accompanying appendices were reviewed by the Committee.

Due to the pandemic the pipeline has been reduced and progress on delivery has slowed which is

causing concern over the drawdown in this financial year.

Rosanne Wijnberg (RW) advised that they have been in contact with Government and presented revised

forecasts and the response was positive and understanding of the current impacts.

The Committee agreed:

• To note the content of the report

Page 1 of 2

Growing Business Fund Programme Performance Report and appendices

The Growing Business Fund Performance Report was presented to the meeting and Chris Dashper (CD)

noted that the report provided figures up to May.

The pandemic has impacted in this programme as expected given that growth is not a current priority

however 1-2 applications continue to be received each month.

There is still some flexibility to move funds around if there is underspend.

Dominic Keen (DK) asked if the criteria could be amended to encourage applications. CD confirmed that

the scaling for job creation had been amended to encourage innovation and agreed that this could be

reviewed further.

DK also asked if there were any plans for a follow on programme. RW advised that the LEP has not

been given any further long term spend but that this issue is being raised with Government.

The Committee agreed:

• To note the content of the report

Innovative Projects Fund Programme Performance Report

IPF Round 1: CD advised that now all offers have been made and projects are drawing down funding.

IPF Round 2: It is possible that some event based projects will not continue but 15 are still definitely

being progressed. As this is a LEP programme there is no deadline allowing flexibility in the delivery

timing.

The Committee agreed:

• To note the content of the report

Business Resilience & Recovery Programme

CD advised that almost half the fund had been spent on the 40 projects to date with still a healthy pipeline

with a wide range of businesses applying.

Projects are also being sign posted to other schemes if not suitable for R&R.

DK asked about the oversight for the programme and CD confirmed that this would be included in the

review.

The Committee agreed:

• To note the content of the report

Growing Places Fund - Confidential

•

Any Other Business

None

Date and time of next IAC meeting: 9am, 26^th August 2020

Venue: Teams

Page 2 of 2

New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership Investment Appraisal Committee

Wednesday 26^th August 2020

Agenda Item 10

Local Growth Fund Reapportionment: NCC Transport Packages

Author: Jonathan Rudd. Presenter: Chris Dashper

Summary and Recommendation

That the Investment Appraisal Committee recommend to the LEP Board the following

reapportionment of Local Growth Fund be made to existing NCC Transport Packages:

1. Transfer of £1,150,000 from the Great Yarmouth Transport Package to the Great

Yarmouth Third River Crossing.

2. Transfer of £100,000 from the Great Yarmouth Rail Station Interchange Package to the

Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing.

3. Transfer of £302,000 from the Thetford Transport Package to the Great Yarmouth Third

River Crossing.

Background

Norfolk County Council have had a total of ten transport packages supported with Local

Growth Funds (LGF) through New Anglia’s Capital Growth Programme (CGP). Seven of

these are still undergoing delivery and six still have LGF to claim before 31 March 2021,

when our Growth Deal funding with government is scheduled to end.

Some individual schemes within these various packages have been subject to disruption and

delay, a few have needed amendment and redesign in response to consultation or planning

approval. Others have proven difficult to deliver at all and alternatives have been found and

approved.

Presently, there is one scheme that is unlikely to be started for at least another 12 months,

savings being made in two others and there are two amounts of LGF for which a specific

purpose has not yet been identified. It is therefore proposed by NCC to transfer the

associated amounts of LGF to the Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing, a total of

£1,552,000.

Key Issues

1. Great Yarmouth Transport Package. A package of measures to improve public

transport and walking & cycling networks to bring forward economic growth in the

town.

a. Part II- Hall Quay/ (Hall Plain Junction). This public realm scheme is Intended

to re-establish its historic status as a central hub, with better access for

pedestrians and cyclists, while retaining capacity and traffic flow at this key

junction. However, NCC are not in a position to deliver this scheme before or in a

reasonable period after March 2021 due to challenges raised in relation to the

formal Traffic Regulation Order process, which would necessitate the

requirement for a Public Inquiry. NCC are therefore proposing that the £1M of

funding that would have been needed to deliver this scheme is reallocated to the

Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing Project.

b. Part V- Asset Management. This would have involved maintenance tasks,

although no written proposal or business case has been submitted on that basis.

This would not have achieved any substantial economic benefit. It is therefore

proposed that the £150k of funding assigned for this purpose is also reallocated

to the Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing Project.

Discussions on this basis have been held between NCC and Great Yarmouth Borough

Council.

Great Yarmouth Rail Station Interchange. This package is intended to reinvigorate

the town by providing an improved public realm and quality connections between the

station and the town centre The total cost of works to deliver this scheme are

forecast to be £1.9M against a funding allocation of £2M. It is therefore proposing

that the £100k saving is reallocated to the Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing

Project.

Thetford Transport Package. This package is intended to support planned growth

and expansion of the town and included the construction of a roundabout to provide

access to the Thetford Enterprise Park.

a. Part 1- TEP Access Roundabout. A new roundabout on the A1066 Munford

Road to overcome access issues that were hindering development of the 18-

hectare Thetford Enterprise Park (TEP). NCC realised a saving of £152k in the

roundabouts construction and propose this is reallocated to the Great Yarmouth

Third River Crossing Project.

b. Part 3- Asset Management Priorities. Again, this would have involved

maintenance tasks, although no written proposal or business case has been

submitted on that basis This would not have achieved any substantial economic

benefit. It is therefore proposed that the £150k of funding assigned for this

purpose is also allocated to the Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing Project.

Great Yarmouth 3rd River Crossing. This will provide a new bridge over the River

Yare linking the A47 at Harfrey’s Roundabout on the western side of the river with

South Denes Road, the port and outer harbour on the eastern side of the river.

Construction is due to start in late 2020 with the aim of having the bridge finished and

operational by early 2023. This major infrastructure project is forecast to cost

approximately £120M, with £98M from the Department for Transport. New Anglia

have already contributed £2M toward the early feasibility and statutory processes of

the project. Any further amount of LGF would off-set the local contribution

underwritten by the councils and could be drawn down almost immediately.

Funding

The following table summarises the proposed funding changes to the various transport

packages:

Transport Package & Scheme

Unused LGF/Saving

Reallocation

Great Yarmouth Transport Package

Pt II- Hall Quay Scheme

1,000,0000

Pt V- Asset Management

150,000

Great Yarmouth Rail Station Interchange

100,000

Thetford Transport Package

Pt 1- TEP Access Roundabout

152,000

Pt 3- Asset Management Priorities

150,000

Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing

£1,552,000

Totals

£1,552,000

Link to Economic Strategy

While the Hall Quay/Plain Scheme sought to create the conditions to support existing

economic activity and growth through additional sustainable transport infrastructure,

accessibility and road safety, it cannot presently be delivered. There is little economic benefit

associated with the use of funds toward Asset Management in either Great Yarmouth or

Thetford.

The Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing will not only provide access to the existing outer

harbour, but will provide better linkage to both the South Denes Enterprise Zone, the Great

Yarmouth Energy Park and the proposed Operations and Maintenance Campus for which

New Anglia have recently approved £6m of Getting Building Fund. It therefore likely to

realise greater economic benefit to the town and surrounding area.

Summary and Recommendation

That the Investment Appraisal Committee recommend to the LEP Board the following

reapportionment of Local Growth Fund be made to existing NCC Transport Packages:

1. Transfer of £1,150,000 from the Great Yarmouth Transport Package to the Great

Yarmouth Third River Crossing.

2. Transfer of £100,000 from the Great Yarmouth Rail Station Interchange Package to

the Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing.

3. Transfer of £302,000 from the Thetford Transport Package to the Great Yarmouth

Third River Crossing.