The Policy & Finance Committee has decided to recommend adding the Angmering Sports Hub project to the Council's capital programme at a total cost of £10m.

URL: https://democracy.arun.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=1497

Decision Maker: Policy and Finance Committee

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose: This report provides an update on the Angmering sports hub project. It also presents funding proposals and procurement of services required for delivering the scheme.

Content: The Principal Landscape & Projects Officer presented this report to the committee providing an update on the Angmering Sports Hub project and setting out funding and procurement proposals.             The Committee was reminded of the last update it had received at its meeting held in October 2024 where members had endorsed the sports hub design proposals and had received the public consultation results ahead of a planning application being submitted. The committee was advised that the project had now reached the point where financial and procurement commitments were needed to allow the project to move forward and that this was the focus of this report. Paragraphs 4.2 to 4.6 of the report summarised the progress that had been made since October starting with the submission of the planning application in December 2024.             On review of the application by the project team, there were two areas that needed to be addressed which were ecology surveys and the provision of the cricket pitch. The report highlighted how these two areas had been dealt with and that an updated planning application would be resubmitted this summer. Members were also advised that that the project team had commenced working on the information required for the Football Foundation application and that the bid consultant had been meeting with stakeholders to discuss future demand and expectations. It was anticipated that that application would be submitted this autumn             In finalising the funding bid, it was explained that the Football Foundation would want to see a financial commitment from the council. The report noted the significant funding gap in being able to deliver the project and that a range of sources would be required to meet this gap, with the balance being funded from external borrowing. The report recommended that the sports hub be added to the council’s capital programme to keep advancing the scheme. Progressing the project to RIBA stage 4 would require further design work and would assist in refining project costs and enable risk mitigation.             The Principal Landscape & Projects Officer stated that the project team were keen to push the project forward, but that this was subject to an ongoing affordability review before taking it through to the construction phase.             Having had the recommendations in the report proposed by Councillor Walsh and seconded by Councillor Cooper, the Chair invited debate.             The committee thanked the Principal Landscape & Projects Officer for the report which they very much welcomed. The update provided demonstrated that the project had taken a major step forward not just for Angmering but for the larger part of the eastern Arun area too.  The community sports hub would provide a range of major sporting activities together with the football and cricket pitches as well as the multi-use games area. This was the next step to delivering this exciting project.               Members also provided positive feedback following the Member Briefing held recently which had shared a lot of detail and had finished with a positive question and answer session. The committee was delighted that the project was moving forward, and it was hopeful that the finances would come forward as anticipated. A question was asked around some external funding that Councillor Turner had enquired about at a previous meeting regarding various cricket foundations, had these been explored and could an update be provided. The Principal Landscape Projects Officer stated that she had made a note of this query and that this would be an issue for the project’s bid consultants to address and that they would investigate this on the council’s behalf.             Clarity was also sought in terms of the operation of the site, the hub and pitches, and in recognition of the fact that the public would be excited about taking part in activities. The Group Head of Environment & Climate Chage confirmed that the council was in liaison with Freedom Leisure over the possibility of them taking this on as an addition to their existing contract with the council. This looked feasible but there would be a lot of work to undertake in putting this into place.             The Committee                       RESOLVED – That   (1)  The Policy & Finance Committee recommends to Full Council to add the Angmering Sports Hub project to the Council’s capital programme at a total cost of £10m, subject to an affordability review and agreed by the council’s S151 officer. This is to be funded through a combination of S106/CIL contributions, capital grants, capital receipts if any become available and through Council borrowing.   Subject to Full Council approval of recommendation (1) above and following consultation with the council’s Section 151 Officer, the committee also:   (2)               Confirms the council’s intention to submit an application for external funding to the Football Foundation;   (3)               Accepts the funding award, should the application be successful, and enters into a contract with the Football Foundation;   (4)                 Approves the procurement and subsequent award of contract for project and cost management services for RIBA Stage 4 (in accordance with 4.8 (i) of this report) within the total value of the project costs;    (5)                 Approves the carrying out of a procurement process for design and build services to deliver the sports hub and approve the subsequent award of contract for pre-construction services for RIBA Stage 4 (in accordance with 4.8 (ii) of this report), within the total value of the project costs; and   (6)                 Approve the carrying out of a procurement process and subsequent award of contracts to progress and deliver pitches on the transferred land (in accordance with 4.8 (iii) of this report) within the total value of the project costs.

Date of Decision: July 8, 2025