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The Assistant Director for Special Projects presented the report of the Director of Regeneration and Place. The report noted that the Transport Shed was a project involving the creation of a facility to exhibit the transport collection of National Museum Liverpool. The project had been found to be undeliverable for the £6.35m budget in the timeframe required.

This report outlined an alternative proposal of a comprehensive redevelopment and expansion of the existing Wirral Transport Museum. The aim would be to greatly enhance the existing heritage visitor attraction, meet the outputs of the funding grant and ensure that the building was sustainable and fit for purpose for generations to come.

This report proposed allocating £4,500,000 to this expansion, with any funds remaining on the original allocation made available to other regeneration projects.

The Assistant Director for Special Projects noted that if the recommendations were agreed, they would be subject to further work to develop funding and further stages of due diligence.

The Chair proposed the recommendations as published in the report and this was seconded by Councillor Andrew Hodson.

Members praised the proposal but queried why the accounts for Big Heritage were not published on Companies House and asked for further information on the financial risks involved.

The Assistant Director for Special Projects noted that Big Heritage had changed their year end and HMRC and Companies House had not yet updated their websites to reflect this. He assured Members that the Council had sight of their accounts and that these would soon be shown on Companies House.

Members stated the need for any changes to the Transport Museum to accommodate the needs of as many people as possible and to make the space as accessible as possible.

The Assistant Director for Special Projects noted that Big Heritage were planning to make the site much more accessible.

Councillor Jo Bird moved the following amendment to the motion, which was seconded by Councillor Ed Lamb, which would have had the effect of the motion as amended reading as follows:

The Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee is recommended to approve;

1.  The Full Business Case attached as exempt Appendix 1 of the report be approved; and

2.  The principle of the re-allocation of £4,500,000 by way of grant funding to Big Heritage CIC for the delivery of the expansion and renovation of Wirral Transport Museum as set out in the Full Business Case be approved; and

3.  The Director of Law and Corporate Services be authorised, in consultation with the Director of Finance, to finalise any associated grant agreement with Big Heritage CIC subject to no significant unmitigated risks being revealed by the  accounts of  Big Heritage CIC after their  publication by Companies House, nor by financial information yet to be received for the period up to February 2024.

The amendment was then put to the vote and lost (4:7).

The substantive motion was then put and was:

Resolved (8:0:3) - That

1.  The Full Business Case attached as exempt Appendix 1 of this report be approved; and

2.  The re-allocation of £4,500,000 by way of grant funding to Big Heritage CIC for the delivery of the expansion and renovation of Wirral Transport Museum as set out in the Full Business Case be approved; and

3.  That the Director of Law and Corporate Services be authorised to finalise any associated grant agreement with Big Heritage CIC.