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Councillor Al-Nuaimi asked: The QAAT is seeking clarification on the formal reply that the Leader gave to QAAT 2025/32 , concerning the cost of the Innovation Station, the Old Newport Railway Station. 1. Could the Leader please confirm .the total cost of moving the Information Station from its previous location at the Old Railway Station to its present location at the Central Library and Museum Building in John Frost Square. 2. Could the leader give a breakdown of these costs and the specific contributions to meet these costs made respectively by the Welsh Government and Newport City Council.. 3. With respect to the sum of £450k quoted in the reply to QAAT2025/32 as the Landlord Financial contribution agreed with Tramshed Tech Ltd, was that sum additional to the sums of monies given by NCC (The Landlord) under point 2 above? Please confirm whether it is additional or already contained in the sums under 2 and where is it contained? 4. In the reply to QAAT 2025/32, the Leader has not mentioned under what terms were Tramshed Tech Ltd given the occupancy of the ground floor and Floor 1 as a tech hub, Was there a lease drawn to formalise their occupancy? What are the terms of that lease, including duration and the amount of annual rent? As things appear to me from QAAT2025/32 and the response to it, Public money totalling (£1.3m plus £420, 639 plus £140,000 plus £450,000) were laid out to implement the move of the Information Station and to secure the occupancy of the Ground Floor and Floor 1 by our preferred tenants. Tramshed Tech Ltd.. No information is supplied as to what The Welsh Government and the residents of Newport have got in return for this considerable capital sum. Will the Leader provide the necessary clarifications? Councillor Batrouni responded: 1) £1.438m 2) Total budget £1.725m, WG £1.278, NCC £447k 3) Capital contribution included. 4) A lease was agreed on the basis of a rental charge of £118,000 per annum plus VAT and service charges until 31st December 2027. To be clear, the total capital cost was £1,724,867 which included all Tramshed capital costs. In 2019, the decision was made to move some council services, including contact centre staff, to the Central Library and Museum (CLM). The vast majority of the funding for the project, which included a grant of almost £1.3m, from Welsh government, helped to consolidate council services in an accessible and convenient location, close to the bus station and car parks, and enhanced the customer offer through improvements to the foyer and housing reception. I would also point out that the former railway station is not empty. Council staff are providing some fantastic services from there including work and skills to people who are seeking employment or want to enhance their job opportunities. The youth service also operates a drop-in zone for 16 to 25-year-olds where qualified youth workers help offer advice and information on many of things that concern them including education, employment, training, housing, homelessness, finance, budgeting, health and wellbeing. Indeed, I recently visited the service at the information station to listen to our youth council regarding anti-bullying week. The space occupied by Tramshed remains in an upgraded condition and is available for a new occupier. It is unlikely that further costs would need to be incurred by a new tenant, other than branding and personalisation. The council will continue to look for other potential tenants as it still holds the lease.
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