Dean Radmore, the Capital Programme Manager, and Zoe Hentschel, the Capital Programme Officer, were in attendance to give a presentation on the progress of the Sheerness Revival Project.

The Capital Programme Manager reminded the Sheppey Area Committee about SBC’s successful £20 million bid to the Levelling-Up Fund (LUF) and the aim of the project was to improve health, education, leisure and employment opportunities in Sheerness.

SBC had been working with Alliance Leisure, who were the UK Leisure Framework’s development partner, to move the project forward and to get accurate fee proposals.  This would enable SBC to enter into a contractual arrangement with Alliance Leisure to deliver up to (Royal Institute of British Architects) RIBA 4 which was the detailed design phase of the project. This would then be followed by the tender stage for the main build contract and would need to go to the Regeneration and Property Committee for approval. 

The Capital Programme Manager went through the progress so far on the three main projects:

·         Regeneration of the Beachfields, Sheerness site;

·         expansion of Sheppey College; and

·         conversion of garages to workspaces at Masters House, Sheerness.

The Capital Programme Officer gave an update on the Communications and Engagement Plan for the project which had been approved by the LUF member working group. As part of the strict branding guidelines, a specific Sheerness Revival logo was being developed to be used on promotion and engagement materials.

The following questions were asked:

A Member asked about the timescales to complete the project, as the deadline for the bid had slipped. Had DLUC agreed an extension to build? The Capital Programme Manager said that there had been regular engagement with DLUC on this, although there was no formal confirmation of an extension yet, it was hoped to be received soon.

A Member asked how the costs had been affected due to inflation since the bid was put in. The Director of Regeneration and Neighbourhoods said that as part of the bid there was a 10% contingency, however, the Sheppey Area Committee would be kept updated on costs as the project progressed.

A Town Councillor asked about improved access to the beach and promenade from Beachfields. The Capital Programme Manager said that the public realm improvements from outside the station to the route through would be improved significantly and open up the area, however, changes to the sea wall were not in the scope of this project.

A Member asked if the Beachfields area would continue to be maintained, particularly in terms of lighting and safety. The Capital Programme Officer advised that a Safer Streets bid had been submitted to address these issues. The contractor was aware of the problems in the area.

A Member asked what the SBC stake in the project was. The Capital Programme Manager confirmed that SBC were contributing approximately 10% on top of the £20 million but would confirm the exact figure after the meeting.

In response to a question from a Member, the Capital Programme Manager said that taking into account the extension period the project was likely to be completed by September 2025.

A Member asked when the last condition survey was carried out on the Sheppey Leisure Centre. The Director of Regeneration & Neighbourhoods said she would find out and provide the Member with the information after the meeting.

A Parish Councillor asked what was the anticipated date to get the first spade in the ground and after all the preparatory work such as surveys were carried out, would there be enough funding left to complete the project? The Capital Programme Manager advised he anticipated it would be about six to nine months before work would commence and that all the preparatory work was costed in the bid submission.

A Member asked as the Sheppey College project was further advanced, could it progress at its own pace? The Capital Programme Manager confirmed it could.