Decision details

Executive Board will be asked to approve a grant for the repair and restoration of the Grade II listed First White Cloth Hall using monies provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund.  This follows the establishment of the Lower Kirkgate Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) which is a grants programme designed to promote investment in Kirkgate Leeds’ oldest street as previously agreed by Executive Board on the 12 April 2012 and the 15 November 2014.

Further to Minute No. 164, 20^th April 2016, the Director of City Development submitted a report which sought approval to award a £500,000 grant to the owner of the First White Cloth Hall for a scheme of repair and restoration that would enable the building to be brought back into sustainable use, subject to a receipt of final costs and a suitable grant application. In addition, the report also provided an update on the progress made in respect of the rest of the Lower Kirkgate Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) scheme and detailed options to ensure that the available Heritage Lottery Funds were fully drawn down, in order to deliver the originally envisaged programme outcomes.

Responding to a Member’s enquiry, the Board was provided with an update regarding the associated planning application following the recent consideration of that application by City Plans Panel on 8^th March 2018.

Following consideration of Appendix 5 to the submitted report designated as exempt from publication under the provisions of Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(3), which was considered in private at the conclusion of the meeting, it was

RESOLVED –

(a)  That approval in principle be given to the award of a maximum £500,000 grant from the Lower Kirkgate THI scheme to the owner of the of the First White Cloth Hall for its repair and restoration, and that the necessary authority be delegated to the Director of City Development in order to enable the Director to undertake the detailed approval and issuing of a grant agreement;

(b)  That the progress made in respect of the Lower Kirkgate Townscape Heritage Initiative be noted, and that support be given to the exploration of statutory compulsory purchase action, should it be required.

Reports and one-to-one briefings

Executive Member for Regeneration, Transport & Planning

Ward Members

Legal Services

Finance