Agenda item

REPORT OF THE DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The purpose of this report is to provide Cabinet the opportunity to comment on the report to Full Council on 22 November 2018 which updates on the proposals for the regeneration of the Churchgate Shopping Centre and Hitchin Market.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That Cabinet notes the recommendation that the Chairman of Hitchin Committee should be a member of any Churchgate Project Board and notes that Paragraph 1.2.6 of the Council’s Constitution authorises the lead officer to chose the membership of the project board, in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

(1)       That the proposals progress to the final work required prior to Full Council’s final approval of the terms of any proposal;

(2)       That the Consultation Strategy, which will form part of any development management agreement with a developer, clearly sets out how the community will continue to be engaged with and how they will have opportunities to see and influence the final proposals.

REASON FOR DECISION: The Council has been seeking to regenerate the Churchgate Centre for a number of years and a number of different proposals have been considered during that time, with none of those proposals progressing to a successful conclusion. The proposal currently being considered finds a solution to a number of the problems faced by previous proposals and would appear to be achievable in the short term. The proposals would also see significant investment in Hitchin Market and the public realm. The Council’s potential investment in this regeneration opportunity is also expected to provide a reasonable financial return. The initial proposals received significant public support when they were consulted on in March/April 2018.

Audio recording – Start time of item – Session 1 – 39 minutes 9 seconds

The Chairman of the Hitchin Committee presented the following referral from that Committee, made at its meeting held on 13 November 2018, in respect of the Regeneration of Churchgate Shopping Centre. He explained that the committee:

 “RECOMMENDED TO CABINET:

(1)     That the Chairman of Hitchin Committee should be a member of the Churchgate Project Board;

(2)     That the Hitchin Committee:

(i)      Welcomes the ideas and concepts put forward by the community groups, as presented by John and Vicky Wyer;

(ii)      Notes that, whilst some of the proposals may not be viable at this time, nevertheless many of the concepts and ideas make a positive contribution to the development of the project;

(iii)     Asks the Council to engage with representatives of the community groups in the design and development of the project, should it go ahead.”

The Executive Member for Finance and IT advised that, although he did not have a problem with the suggestion, it was not constitutionally the role of Cabinet to appoint members of a project board, it was the role of the lead officer.

The Executive Member for Finance and IT explained that it would be necessary to consider the Part 2 Item on this subject prior to considering the Part 1 report.

At this point Cabinet considered the Part 2 report (Minute 61 refers).

Audio recording – Session 2 – 1 second

Following consideration of the Part 2 Item the Executive Member for Finance and IT presented the report of the Deputy Chief Executive regarding the Regeneration of Churchgate Shopping Centre. The following appendices accompanied the report:

·                Appendix A - Report due to be considered by Council on 22 November 2018;

·                Indicative Site Plan - Ground Floor;

·                Indicative Site Plan - First Floor.

He advised that, as a result of consideration of the Part 2 report, Cabinet had passed the following resolution:

“Cabinet recommends to Full Council that it notes that in light of the risks associated with the proposals, including the reliance on funding from the Local Enterprise Partnership, officers will urgently consider in more detail the alternative options in the event that the current proposals are unable to proceed; such alternative options to be reported to Full Council early 2019 if required.”

In respect of the referral from the Hitchin Committee, Councillor Cunningham proposed:

(1)     That the Chairman of Hitchin Committee should be a member of any Churchgate Project Board and notes that Paragraph 1.2.6 of the Council’s Constitution authorises the lead officer to choose the membership of the project board, in consultation with the Leader of the Council;

(2)     Cabinet notes the recommendations of the Hitchin Committee regarding engagement with community groups and recommends to Full Council that the Consultation Strategy, which will form part of any development management agreement with a developer, clearly sets out how the community will continue to be engaged with and how they will have opportunities to see and influence the final proposals.

Upon the vote it was:

RESOLVED: That Cabinet notes the recommendation that the Chairman of Hitchin Committee should be a member of any Churchgate Project Board and notes that Paragraph 1.2.6 of the Council’s Constitution authorises the lead officer to choose the membership of the project board, in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

(1)       That the proposals progress to the final work required prior to Full Council’s final approval of the terms of any proposal;

(2)       That the Consultation Strategy, which will form part of any development management agreement with a developer, clearly sets out how the community will continue to be engaged with and how they will have opportunities to see and influence the final proposals.

REASON FOR DECISION: The Council has been seeking to regenerate the Churchgate Centre for a number of years and a number of different proposals have been considered during that time, with none of those proposals progressing to a successful conclusion. The proposal currently being considered finds a solution to a number of the problems faced by previous proposals and would appear to be achievable in the short term. The proposals would also see significant investment in Hitchin Market and the public realm. The Council’s potential investment in this regeneration opportunity is also expected to provide a reasonable financial return. The initial proposals received significant public support when they were consulted on in March/April 2018.