COMMITTEE: DEPARTMENT: CULTURE AND LEISURE SERVICE DATE: 10th FEBRUARY 2005 DEVELOPMENT LEISURE, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY LEARNING 8. Stanley Park – Heritage Lottery Fund Development Progress Report Matter for Consideration The updating of progress in relation to the restoration of Stanley Park. Information The contract and development process in relation to the final stage of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) application has now been agreed with the HLF. As a reminder, funding has been secured as follows: HLF - £3.78m; SRB - £200K; Private £300K; Civic Trust - £5K; and Living Spaces (through Friends of Stanley Park) - £100K. However, £450K funding is still outstanding and currently being considered by the European Regional Development Fund, through the Regional Development Agency. In terms of the latter the bid is categorised as one of four regional gems and being received extremely positively. The key elements of the project are: Restoration of the Rose, Italian and Remembrance Gardens; Restoration of landscape areas, such as entrances, Mawson Avenue, park furniture, pathways and Woodland shrub and structure planting; Repair and restoration of key heritage buildings, such as Café building and terraces, Bandstand and amphitheatre, Kiosks, Cocker Tower, and Gardeners Cottage transformed into an Education Centre; Restoration and replanting of lake surrounds. Consultants are currently being advertised in the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC), as the costs are likely to be in excess of the European Union legislation threshold. The successful consultants will support the Council in the Stage Three process, which is to completion of the restoration project. It is envisaged that they will be appointed in March 2005. Dovetailing into the process of appointment of consultants will be the appointment of a main contractor as a partner from a select list, which has already been established and subject to OJEC. It is intended that the contractor will be in place for the beginning of May 2005. Work on the ground should begin in July 2005. Although, the development of the Visitor Centre has already begun and should be fully operational from May 2005. Funding for the centre has been achieved from the New Opportunities Fund – Fair Share Programme. Relevant Officer Paul Walker, Director of Leisure, Culture and Community Learning Background Papers None Recommendations The Committee is asked to note the update report in relation to the restoration of Stanley Park.