Issue - meetings

[Report  of the Interim Strategic Director for Planning, Regeneration and Development. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for  Corporate Resources.] Disposal of site on Bernard Road in order to bring forward a workspace led development.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources introduced the report, which sought authority to declare the Council owned site at Bernard Road N17 (outlined on the plan in Appendix 1) as surplus to requirements. It also sought authority to appropriate the site for planning purposes (subject to planning permission being granted) and to dispose of the freehold of the site to GCAP Investments Limited, a developer who owns the neighbouring land parcel. The disposal will facilitate a workspace-led scheme across the combined sites.

The Cabinet Member further advised that the Local Plan had highlighted the need for more workspace in the borough and this report enabled progress to this quota. The site at Bernard Road currently housed five low quality business units, and the new development would accommodate 40 new businesses and 240 jobs.

In response to questions from Cllr Vanier and Cllr Engert:

• The land valuation was arrived at by a property specialist commissioned by the   Council who had undertaken evaluation of the site and confirmed that the price represented best consideration to the Council in terms of value.

• The green space currently available would be relocated to the same site. There was currently 630 square metre of green space, which would increase to 1000 square metres when relocated to the south of the site. This green space would have soft landscaping and be available for public use.

• The planning application is due to be considered by Planning Committee next Monday. As part of that application, officers are proposing that the lands will be designated as public open space through the section 106 agreement. . The purpose of this is to ensure that the land is held as public open space now and in the future.  It was reiterated that existing business can move back to the site and the smallest unit was expected to cost £365 a month, so there was genuine affordable workspace to help existing businesses and house additional businesses.

Further  to considering exempt information at item 27,

RESOLVED

1. To confirm that the piece of land held for Housing purposes (vertical hatching in the plan attached as Appendix 1a) and the piece of land held in the General Fund (grey shading in the plan attached as Appendix 1a) are no longer required for the purposes for which they are held and declare them surplus to requirements.
2. To agree, subject to the approval of the submitted planning application (planning reference HGY/2017/3584), to the appropriation of both pieces of land (as shown edged black in the plan attached as Appendix 1a) for planning purposes under section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972, so that such land shall have the benefit of section 203 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016.
3. To agree the disposal of the Council’s freehold interest in the land (as set out in the plan edged black in Appendix 1a) to GCAP Investments Limited for a sum set out in Part B of this report and set out in the Heads of Terms attached in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 206