Funding to revamp two play areas in Biggleswade "almost there" council told

Funding arrangements to revamp two play areas in Biggleswade are close to completion, a meeting heard.

Kitelands is financed by the Tritax Symmetry community grant, according to a report to the town council’s public land and open spaces committee. Brunel Drive is funded via a public works loan board (PWLB) application to begin on receipt of the money, said the report. “Officers agreed the scope and outline for the Kitelands project in August with a first grant of £57,700 provided.

“The children’s play area within the recreation ground would be completed first. The larger play area section would need company approval before progressing with the second payment of £92,700.”

A formal PWLB request was submitted by officers for £44,994 to cover the cost of the Brunel Drive project, £4,239 below the original estimate, added the report.

BTC’s head of governance and strategic partnerships Karim Hosseini said: “The order has gone in with the manufacturer for the play equipment at Kitelands and we’re about halfway through the three-month process.

“We’re talking to the debt management office regarding the application for Brunel Drive and have resubmitted some information. As soon as we receive a decision in principle, we can place an order for that site.”

Town councillor Duncan Strachan asked whether there’s an anticipated time scale once the response arrives, saying: “I think we should be pushing to get this done sooner rather than later and before we reach the summer.

“I’m concerned we're waiting for the debt management office to come back to us. I thought it was agreed we’d get the money and it would be there effectively. Is there anything to stop us placing the order now?”

Town clerk Peter Tarrant replied: “Unfortunately it’s still going to be three months from when we get the decision in principle to place the order. When that happens, we can make an agreement with the supplier. The civil service is asking a variety of different questions, so it’s taking a little longer to go through the normal process.

“There are various elements around what would happen if we were to default on the loan, aspects going back three or four years about our accounts and lots of minutia we’re having to pick up. It’s highly likely, but we mustn’t do something until we’ve got the money in the bank. The last conversation with them I think is the final part of the puzzle.”

Mayor Mark Foster added: “We’ve a £44,000 investment in play areas which we’re confident we’ll get from the PWLB. But we can’t place an order without having a signed off piece of paper from the debt management office. You’re saying we don’t have any other mechanism to place this order outside the realms of the PWLB process.”

Mr Tarrant explained: “There’s little or no risk associated with this. We should be thoughtful to ensure we receive monies before making any purchase order. There’s money available in our capital reserve, if for some unknown reason this wasn’t forthcoming. We’re almost there.”