a)    To approve the drawdown and spend of £1.0m for the purpose of bringing forward phase 2 of the refurbishment work proposed for the Shirehall building; and

b)    The Corporate Director Community Wellbeing be authorised to take all operational decisions to deliver the works described in (a) above and to spend within the budgets defined.

1.             Not to invest the identified funding to progress phase 2 of the Shirehall refurbishment. Phase 1 of the Shirehall project is limited in scope to those works essential to the creation and opening of a new Library and Learning Centre facility. Phase 2 represents the next stage in the longer term strategy to properly restore the building. If the investment is not made then further improvements to maximise the performance and use-potential of the building will not be realised and those elements of the building not addressed in phase 1 will continue to deteriorate, with the eventual costs to remedy then being substantially higher. The poor condition of the building would also risk a negative impact on perceptions of the new Library.

2.             To defer investment until a future date. This would be uneconomic as the deteriorating building along with inflation would make the future cost much higher. Investing now also allows phase 2 to be procured and delivered along with phase 1 with the efficiency savings this allows.