The Heritage Lottery Bid

The bid was submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund on 10 January 2005. The bid consists of a number of documents. This is a description of the bid document as submitted in January 2005. No doubt there will be changes as more detailed plans are developed and as proposals for workprogrammes are discussed and then received from contractors.

Firstly, there is the Heritage Grants "Application Form". This is simply a 32-page pre-printed application form completed by the Borough.

Then there is the Business Plan. This is really the heart of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) application - an 89-page analysis of what the Council proposes for the Mansion and how it proposes to finance the plan.

There are twenty-seven detailed appendices supplementing the plan. One of these is the Conservation Plan.

The plan summary states: "This business plan proposes a restoration scheme for Valentines Mansion and describes how the Mansion can be effectively managed for future generations as a valuable heritage, community and education resource".

The mixed use for the Mansion described in the plan is made up of:

• A fully interpreted historic house, open to the public for a minimum of 100 days per year and supported by a strong schools' education service and a diverse family events programme
• A community space providing high quality rooms and facilities for local groups to engage in a range of recreational and leisure activities
• A venue for wedding/lifestage and citizenship ceremonies, business and corporate use, available for hire at competitive market rates

Overall, the business plan covers a wide range of background and detail in its ten sections including:

• The Borough, its residents and the Council's aims underpinning its vision for the future of the Borough.
• Redbridge's political structure and the Council's four directorates, majoring on Leisure Services, the area that will remain responsible for the Mansion and its restoration. In particular, the "Leisure" experience of managing large projects is presented. These include the three current "capital" projects of Valentines Park Restoration, new Ilford Leisure Centre and Ray Park Nature Conservation and Ecology Centre.
• The new Claybury Park, now completed, is part of the evidence that the Borough has the project management capability to undertake large projects.
• Redbridge success with the award-winning HLF funded museum is adduced as evidence for the authorities continuing commitment to providing such services.
• Synopsis of the Mansion History and an overview of the key project planning initiatives associated with developing the current HLF Mansion bid.
• The initiatives include the Conservation Management plan and the Architectural Scheme - both developed by the firm Richard Griffiths Architects.
• The Interpretation and Education Plan sets out how best to capitalise on the Mansion and its history and to maximize and enhance its "heritage merits" for local children, families and adults. This plan includes considerations of maximizing access for people with disabilities.
• Matthews Millman Ltd undertook the Audience Development Plan. This, in particular, sets out to show how Redbridge's ethnically diverse community can be fully involved and represented in the Mansion scheme.
• Based on the Borough's success in attracting a high proportion of ethnic minority visitors to the Ilford Museum, the Strategy for Ethnic Minority audiences sets out how this will be addressed for the Mansion. Interestingly, amongst a range of proposed initiatives, the Council plans to hold Citizenship Ceremonies at the Mansion. What an excellent idea!
• Finally, the firm of Earnscliffe Davies Associates has undertaken an initial access audit "to inform the proposals for redevelopment". This covers the physical aspects of access all the way from matters such as park signage to Mansion lifts.

This section ends with an analysis of all the options for the use of the Mansion, highlighting the "Pros and Cons" for the "Do Nothing" option.

Section 4 addresses the "Strategic Background" to the proposed restoration project for the mansion.

The Valentines Mansion Project is underpinned by the three key aims:

• To conserve, restore, maintain and enhance the heritage value of Valentines Mansion
• To establish the Mansion as a valuable educational resource with regard to the historical and architectural value of the building
• To provide high quality facilities for recreational and leisure activities for the residents of London Borough of Redbridge.

The Mansion is a Grade II* building in the statutory list of buildings in England which are of special architectural or historic interest. Only some 5% of England's historic buildings are listed Grade I or II*.

The nation clearly thinks the Mansion is important!

This section outlines the links for the project to the other areas of endeavour within the Borough and goes into some detail as to why the project is important. Amongst other things, the project will address the demand from residents for "events provision" for families and children, provide a beautiful and practical space for the voluntary and community sector (this is a reference to the conversion of the top floor to studio space for artists) and represent a new resource for local businesses in the availability of rooms for hire by the hour or by the day.

On the educational side for children, the business plan identifies National Curriculum Key Stages 1 & 2 as areas where sessions on Victorian Life, Local History and Citizenship can be developed using the Mansion as a resource. There are currently no historic houses within the Borough that are both publicly accessible and relevant to the National Curriculum. The Dairy Wing, in particular, is expected to function as educational space.

Further, the Mansion is expected to represent a valuable addition to the adult education sector for courses for history, art and horticulture.

It is expected that both local authority and the voluntary sector will capitalise on the Mansion resources in this way. Organisations such as the Workers Education Authority and the Adult Education Institute are committed to using the Mansion for special events and conferences for adult learners.

The link between the Mansion and its surrounding gardens is emphasised for its historic interest.

Chapter 5 "Project Details" sets out the Restoration Project in some detail addressing the work to be done, timetable and costs.

This total budget for the scheme is £2,889,701, with the application to HLF being £1,994,951. The timetable from HLF bid submission to first use is shown as 39 months.

The four streams of activity, partly in parallel are:

• Building works
• Interpretation development
• Audience development
• Marketing activity
• Education provision

Some of the building works projected elapsed times are:

• Time to HLF response: six months
• Preparation of tenders: six months
• Tender period: six months
• Works on site: eighteen months

The interpretation work would take place in parallel with the later stages of restoration, with just a three-month final period after the restoration is completed.

The major conservation items shown are:

• Renewing and/or repairing all roofs and guttering
• Overhauling and redecorating windows, doors, cornices and other internal joinery as appropriate
• Cleaning, repairing and limewashing the porte cochere
• Restoring defective plaster ceilings, walls and timber and stone floors as identified by the architects
• Conserving existing period fireplaces, window seats and shutters
• The reprovision of all mechanical and electrical services
• Reinstate the building to something of the original design

In addition, it is the intention to heat the building with a wood fired biomass boiler to cohere with Redbridge's policy of seeking sustainable and renewable energy solutions.

There is a detailed account of the work to be done in the:

• Educational interpretation of the Mansion and
• Provision of community facilities.

We will all, no doubt, be pleased to learn that (amongst many other items) these include installing appropriate kitchen and toilet facilities for community use!

Section 6 addresses the "Market" for the use of the Mansion. It is a remarkably detailed analysis of the whole range of potential users of the Mansion. This shows the key target markets for the Mansion as:

• Redbridge residents
• Greater London residents
• Voluntary and community groups
• Education market
• Artists and cultural organisations
• Businesses

Visitors are projected as 78,000 in the first three years of full use of the Mansion.

The section finishes by briefly enumerating the people and financial resources necessary to achieve the proposed market potential.

Chapter 7 addresses Income and Expenditure - both for the initial "capital" work and for the ongoing "revenue costs and income".

As the Council can recover VAT, this element is not included in any figures.

Operational staffing details are set out, together with an annual budget (income and expenditure) for the running of the Mansion after restoration has been completed. These show an annual balance for income and expenditure of £160,000 in its first year.

Income is expected to come from a combination of:

• Weekday admission charges for visitors (Tuesdays and Wednesdays, noon to 5 pm)
• Weekend admission (1st and 2nd Sundays of month)
• Civil Wedding / Party Hire
• Commercial / Standard hire
• Community hire
• Education Income
• Events Income
• Studio Space rental

Proposals for the rates for these uses are set out as part of the financial model for the running of the Mansion.

Chapter 8: The individuals, council committees, contracted and advisory services and organisations involved in both the "capital" project and in the operation of the restored Mansion are set out in detail.

Of note to the Friends is that the FoVM are shown as being represented (by our Chairman) on all of:

• Project development Structure
• Project Implementation Structure
• Valentines Mansion Operational Structure

Chapter 9 of the Business Plan then lays out an assessment of the project using PEST, SWOT and Risk analyses. Note that the PEST acronym stands for "Political, Economic, Social and Technological" and the SWOT acronym for Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. The Risk analysis is simply a thoroughgoing examination of all the areas - both for the development project and then the operational life of the Mansion - where risks have been identified during the development of the Business plan.

The team concludes this section by making a positive commitment to this huge Mansion project.

The final section of the business Plan addresses the topic of monitoring and evaluating both the project and the on-going running of a restored Mansion. This sets out, in general, how the Council goes about ensuring that it is accountable - politically and financially - for its activities.