The Executive Director (Development) has submitted a report to seek agreement to draw down an additional £150,000 from the existing £5.9m Growth Deal funding allocation held by the City Council to design and deliver the Oxpens River Bridge. This is subject to further agreement with the County Council and would be in addition to the £300,000 previously approved by Cabinet for design work for the bridge. This will allow the completion of design work to RIBA stage 4 by the end of June 2022.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.     Approve, subject to agreement with Oxfordshire County Council and Future Oxfordshire Partnership [formerly Oxfordshire Growth Board], an amended funding agreement to allow additional design fees to be drawn down from the funding allocation and delegate to the Executive Director Development in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, the Head of Law and Governance, and the Head of Financial Services, the detailed wording of an amended agreement to address the funding and programme issues;

2.     Approve the spend of an additional £150,000 from the bridge Growth Deal funds to complete design work to RIBA stage 4, subject to agreeing the amended funding agreement with Oxfordshire County Council; and

3.     Delegate to the Executive Director Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, the decision on the preferred option for the bridge for consultation, and then the submission of a planning application if deemed appropriate.

The Executive Director (Development) had submitted a report to seek agreement to draw down an additional £150,000 from the existing £5.9m Growth Deal funding allocation held by the City Council to design and deliver the Oxpens River Bridge, subject to further agreement with the County Council.  This would be in addition to the £300,000 previously approved by Cabinet for design work for the bridge and would allow the completion of design work to RIBA stage 4 by the end of June 2022.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery presented the report and emphasised the comments he had made earlier in the meeting that the Council was essentially acting as a contractor for Oxfordshire County Council, which had been allocated the funds as part of the Oxfordshire Growth Deal.  In 2020 the Council had agreed to take on the responsibility of helping the County Council to deliver some of its infrastructure projects (including this one); the project was currently at RIBA stage 2 and detailed design work was now needed in order to identify a preferred option and progress to a planning application.  

It was noted that, whichever option was selected, the Growth Deal funding was unlikely to be sufficient to deliver the project.  There was therefore likely to be a need for the Future Oxfordshire Partnership, the County Council and this Council to decide whether or not to proceed, or identify additional funding.

The Leader commented that the development would provide segregated cycle tracks and therefore contribute towards providing a proper cycling network across the city, linking two important sites and improving connectivity.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.      Approve, subject to agreement with Oxfordshire County Council and Future Oxfordshire Partnership (formerly Oxfordshire Growth Board), an amended funding agreement to allow additional design fees to be drawn down from the funding allocation and delegate to the Executive Director (Development) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, the Head of Law and Governance, and the Head of Financial Services, the detailed wording of an amended agreement to address the funding and programme issues;

2.      Approve the spend of an additional £150,000 from the bridge Growth Deal funds to complete design work to RIBA stage 4, subject to agreeing the amended funding agreement with Oxfordshire County Council; and

3.      Delegate to the Executive Director (Development) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, the decision on the preferred option for the bridge for consultation, and then the submission of a planning application if deemed appropriate.