As you may already know the current timetable for the HQ project is for councillors to consider a report on the final decision on whether to proceed with the HQ relocation project at Executive on 28 November and that a subsequent Council meeting will be held on either 19 December or 3 January, to make any final decisions on funding the project.

If you attended the public meeting at the Spa Centre on Monday night, or watched online, you will have heard Councillor Whiting, Finance Portfolio Holder, explain that the role of the 3 members of the Executive who are on the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Board is to ensure that the project not only delivers our objectives for new offices, a new larger car park and new housing but we get the best possible financial deal for our taxpayers.

At our meeting with officers on Monday, Executive heard that the extremely thorough due diligence process that they are following has not yet been completed, that discussions are still underway with Public Sector Plc to finalise the precise structure of the Stage Two financial and legal agreements and the necessary legal, technical and commercial advice cannot be obtained until this has been fixed.

Rather than ask officers to rush things to bring the report to November Executive at all costs, we decided that the prudent and proper approach is to defer the consideration of the final report by Executive, and we are now aiming for a date in January with a full Council, at a date to be agreed, in February.

I also gave a commitment to local businesses at the breakfast meeting we held on Tuesday, that we will not close the car parks until the car park displacement plan is finalised, has been widely communicated and all the practical support arrangements like new signage and Rangers on the ground to direct people to alternative parking are in place.

As the consequence of deferring the report will be that Covent Garden car park is now more likely to close in March 2019 than at the end of January, this allows us time to ensure we have completed the work at the new car parks we are creating and have communicated widely and effectively on all the alternative parking options available to shoppers, visitors and commuters. To that end I am pleased to advise that we are commissioning a local marketing business to assist us in getting the message out that Leamington will firmly remain “Open for Business” throughout the closure period and remains the vibrant  and exciting destination that we all know it is.

You will also be aware that a motion was put forward at last night’s meeting of Full Council by Councillor Quinney (Labour)  and Councillor Gallagher (Independent)  “That Council recommends to Executive that it defers taking final decisions on the Council Offices Relocation project to proceed to phase 2, And seeks public approval at a District-wide referendum to be held on May 2nd 2019.” This motion was debated at length during the meeting but on being put to the vote was not supported and therefore will not be taken forward.

Andrew Mobbs
Leader, Warwick District Council