The Head of Community Services has submitted a report to seek approval for the favoured on-site option for future car parking provision for users of the Oxford Ice Rink when the Oxpens car park is closed permanently for redevelopment.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.       Grant project approval for option 1 (car parking at the front of the ice rink) being progressed on the basis of seeking to achieve around 25 spaces in total;

2.       Recommend to Council to establish a budget of £580,000 within the Council’s capital programme, profiled across 2024/25 and 2025/26, to fund the provision of new car parking at the front of the ice rink, subject to OXWED’s programme for closing the Oxpens car park, and approve the payback of previously spent feasibility funding of £46,000 into the feasibility budget; and

3.       Delegate authority to the Head of Community Services, in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer, the Head of Law and Governance, the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks and the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities to finalise the scope of works, undertake the necessary procurements, and negotiate and enter into all contracts for the detailed design, construction works, and all associated professional services, for the new ice rink car park within the agreed budget.

The Head of Community Services had submitted a report to seek approval for the favoured on-site option for future car parking provision for users of the Oxford Ice Rink when the Oxpens car park was closed permanently for redevelopment.

Councillor Chewe Munkonge, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks, highlighted that the report represented the outcome of work undertaken following a previous report to Cabinet in August 2022.  The report was forward-looking, and therefore some of the costs outlined could be subject to change.

Councillor Munkonge informed Cabinet that much work had been done with the car park users, which had resulted in the preferred option.  It also represented the most cost-effect solution, as the land was owned by the City Council.

Carolyn Ploszynski, Head of Regeneration and Economy reported that the closure of the car park was anticipated to be at least two years away, and so the chosen option would not be implemented immediately.  However, the planning permission would likely be sought earlier, to ensure that it was in place as the project progressed.

In response to a question about costs, the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks clarified that the expected cost (before adjustment for inflation) was c£320,000 which was considered reasonable.  Due diligence had been undertaken.  The budget of £580,000 being sought was therefore higher than the anticipated cost of providing the parking spaces.  It was also noted that the car park was income generating, which would likely cover the capital cost associated with borrowing of the £580,000, should this be needed.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.       Grant project approval for option 1 (car parking at the front of the ice rink) being progressed on the basis of seeking to achieve around 25 spaces in total;

2.       Recommend to Council to establish a budget of £580,000 within the Council’s capital programme, profiled across 2024/25 and 2025/26, to fund the provision of new car parking at the front of the ice rink, subject to OXWED’s programme for closing the Oxpens car park, and approve the payback of previously spent feasibility funding of £46,000 into the feasibility budget; and

3.       Delegate authority to the Head of Community Services, in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer, the Head of Law and Governance, the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Parks and the Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities to finalise the scope of works, undertake the necessary procurements, and negotiate and enter into all contracts for the detailed design, construction works, and all associated professional services, for the new ice rink car park within the agreed budget.