Decision details

It was noted in accordance with the Council’s public speaking protocol the following question had been received from Mr Lance Peatling:

“Can the council clarify the comments by the officer at the previous meeting with respect to a grant of monies to undertake the proposed feasibility study with regard to new council offices. The officer insinuated that by virtue of a grant that the tax payers of MDC would not be baring the cost of the study. This is blatant obfuscation by council officers as all public monies are either raised on the back of taxpayers or grafted onto their backs through the issuance of public debt. Can the council clarify that this is the case, mind officers of the council as to not making misleading comments and commit to clarity with respect to spending public money, however so derived?”

The Leader of the Council advised that the Council was given an £80k grant from One Public Estate to undertake a feasibility study regarding the Council Offices.  If following feasibility and a subsequent full business case the decision was taken to proceed with the final phase of development, £60k of the grant was repayable and the Council had the opportunity to apply for further funding opportunities.  If rejected the grant was not required to be repaid.

One Public Estate was an established national programme delivered in partnership by the Office of Government Property (OGP) within the Cabinet Office and the Local Government Association.  It provided practical and technical support and funding to councils to deliver ambitious property-focused programmes in collaboration with central government and other public sector partners.