Issue details

To progress the Dartford Town Centre scheme and facilitate Dartford Borough Council’s role as project lead.

Financial Implications: No direct implications for the County Council as all current accountabilities, responsibilities, reporting requirements and risk would be delegated to the Borough Council under a 3^rd party legal agreement.  It is further proposed that the monies held by KCC within the STIP fund are released to the Borough Council by way of a grant arrangement, again, subject to an appropriate legal agreement between the two authorities.

KCC officers will have an active role on both the Project Board and Stering Group and as such, monies will be retained within the TIP fund to cover the baseline resource requirements.

Legal Implications: The STIP fund contains monies from s106 agreements, grants from the Homes and Communities Agency and allocations from successful LGF bids.  Legal agreements are currently in place between KCC, HCA and SELEP covering the accountability, responsibility, risk & programme management and reporting requirements that fall to KCC as the Accountable Body.  Funds applicable to DTC compromise £7.7m grant from HCA which is held by KCC and a further £4.3m from LGF which will require a further business case to secure the allocation.  It is proposed that these matters are fully covered by way of a 3^rd party, back to back legal agreement between the two authorities

Equalities implications: None