Consultant for Planning and Architectural Support

Descriptions

Conwy County Borough Council are seeking a consultant for planning and architectural support to obtain consent for demolition of Victoria Pier, Colwyn Bay.Conwy County Borough Council is the lead partner of the Bay Life Regeneration Programme for Colwyn Bay, a programme supported by the Welsh Government latterly via the North Wales Coast Regeneration Area and now by the Vibrant and Viable Places Regeneration Framework. A key element of that regeneration programme, and ‘driver’ of the Colwyn Bay Masterplan, is the Waterfront Strategy. This project is taking an innovative approach to combine coastal defence and the creation of an attractive promenade environment together with watersports provision.Central to the Bay of Colwyn and waterfront is the Victoria Pier, a Grade II listed building, originally built in 1900 with various extensions and adaptations over the years, so as to now consist of a pier boardwalk with 1930’s main pavilion and 1960’s front pavilion. The pier has had a number of private ownerships since Colwyn Borough Council disposed of it in late 1970’s. As the fortunes of the town declined so did those of the pier, with owners unable to reinvest to adequately maintain and safeguard the premises. This culminated in the closure of the pier in 2008, as the then owner was declared bankrupt, and the pier now stands derelict. The Council, and Regeneration Partnership, were concerned that a sustainable outcome was required for the pier for the Waterfront Strategy to be successful. The Trustee in Bankruptcy was unable to identify a private purchaser, and the Council resolved that only through public/community control could a solution be found. In March 2012 the Council took ownership of Victoria Pier, purchasing from the Crown Estate after the Trustee in Bankruptcy had disclaimed responsibility for the pier.Having unsuccessfully bid, in 2011/12, in partnership with community enterprise Colwyn Bay Shore Thing Ltd, for Heritage Lottery support in the restoration and redevelopment of the pier, a resubmission and revised proposal early in 2013 gained Heritage Lottery Round 1 support. However, a number of considerations:- increasing cost of safeguarding the pier, which is inaccessible on health and safety grounds- inability to complete the funding package to develop a round 2 application- unlikelihood of attracting a viable funding package to implement Round 2 proposals- lack of capacity and development of Shore Thing Ltdled the Council, on 11 December 2013, to decide to withdraw from the Heritage Lottery process/proposals and resolve to seek the demolition of Victoria Pier.ObjectiveThe agreed project objectives, as agreed by the Council’s Cabinet on 11th March 2014 and contained in the Project Initiation Document are:- Demolish Victoria Pier- To develop and implement proposals to re-enforce the linkage to the Town Centre at this point on the waterfront.- To seek to safeguard and re-present significant parts of the Pier’s heritage to the satisfaction of CADW and benefit to the community where practicable or appropriate.The RequirementIn order to retain sufficient separation of its role as lead facilitator of the regeneration of Colwyn Bay and as the Local Planning Authority, the Council is seeking proposals from consultants to support it with planning, conservation and architectural advice in delivering the objectives.The consultants would be expected to:- provide the CCBC Project Team with planning and architectural support in the development and submission of Listed Building Consent and planning applications to seek the demolition of the Victoria Pier.- Be able to assess and comment on the architectural merit and condition of the building- To be able to compile reports and evidence, including architectural drawings, to accompany both the Listed Building Consent application and planning application for the demolition and to submit information to justify demolition taking into account the requirements of national and local guidance, specifically, but not exclusively, Welsh Office circulars 1/98 and 61/96, and in particular paragraphs 92 and 127 of the latter.- advise the CCBC Project Team and develop proposals as applicable and practicable for safeguarding and interpreting elements of the Victoria Pier’s heritage.- Provide cost plans for the demolition of the pier and any proposals for the treatment of the promenade and pier forecourt post demolition, together with any proposals in respect of safeguarding and/or interpreting elements of the pier’s heritage.- provide any necessary information to CADW/Welsh Ministers during the call-in process- attend and represent the authority at any meeting, hearing or inquiryNOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at http://www.sell2wales.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=10169.The buyer has indicated that it will accept electronic responses to this notice via the Postbox facility. A user guide is available at http://www.sell2wales.gov.uk/sitehelp/help_guides.aspx.Suppliers are advised to allow adequate time for uploading documents and to dispatch the electronic response well in advance of the closing time to avoid any last minute problems.