Agenda item

LAND AT MEADOW WAY, THERFIELD

REPORT OF THE INTERIM PROPERTY CONSULTANT

 

To declare land surplus to District Council's requirements and available for sale.

Decision:

RECORD OF DECISION MADE UNDER DELEGATED AUTHORITY

(as a result of the Cabinet meeting on 24 March 2020 being cancelled

due to Covid-19 situation)

 

 

*PART 1 – PUBLIC DOCUMENT

 

 

Any interest to declare/ or conflict and any dispensation granted [if applicable]

 

SERVICE DIRECTORATE: Commercial

 

 

1.         DECISION TAKEN

 

In respect of the Cabinet Agenda – 24 March 2020 – Item 20 – Land at Meadow Way

 

(1)       That the land at Meadow Way be declared surplus to the District Council’s requirements and then placed on the open market for sale on a subject to planning or unconditional basis for residential development. Alternatively either for the whole or part only, outline planning permission is sought for development of individual plots to meet demand as required under the Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015.

 

(2)       Following receipt of offers for the land or individual plots thereof as identified in Appendix A, the decision to accept an offer is delegated to the Service Director for Resources, in consultation with the Executive Members for Finance and IT. Offers will be evaluated against alternative development options.

 

2.       DECISION TAKER

 

The Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council

 

3.       DATE DECISION TAKEN:

 

3 April 2020

 

 

4.       REASON FOR DECISION

 

The Cabinet meeting on 24 March 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 situation.

 

To provide a financial receipt(s) to help fund the District Council’s capital programme.

 

Marketing the land on the open market will maximise interest from developers and satisfy the requirements to obtain the best price reasonably obtainable.

 

The District Council is required to make available Self Build and Custom build plots under the Self Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015.This site would provide an opportunity to increase the provision of plots by the District Council. A sale of part to a developer would provide the opportunity to require the provision of infrastructure to the self build plots as part of the sale conditions.

 

5.       CONSULTATION WITH COMMITTEE MEMBERS

 

Consultation including the effect on stakeholders, partners and the public is contained within the report published with the Cabinet agenda for the meeting on 24 March 2020.

 

Given the current Covid-19 situation and government advice regarding gatherings, the meeting of the Cabinet was not possible. Therefore, the Cabinet Members were requested to provide an indication as to how they would have voted and any comments as to guide the decision maker.

 

By the prescribed deadline 7 votes were cast in favour of the recommendation with 1 abstention.

 

The following Members of Cabinet voted:

 

·                Councillor Ian Albert

·                Councillor Judi Billing

·                Councillor Paul Clark

·                Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg

·                Councillor Gary Grindal

·                Councillor Keith Hoskins

·                Councillor Steve Jarvis

·                Councillor Martin Stears-Handscomb

 

The following comments were made my Members:

 

Councillor Martin Stears-Handscomb

 

In 2.1 I would prefer the second alternative.

 

Councillor Carol Stanier (Deputy Executive Member)

 

As this piece of land, as far as I can make out, is not part of the local plan, it is hard to see why the council would actively seek to cause houses to be built on it. If this goes ahead, due consultation should be made not only with the ward councillor but also with residents by way of the parish council. Social housing should be considered. It's not clear to me that delegation to an officer is the best course of action under such circumstances, as this will not be as sensitive to the local feeling as consideration by the planning committee. If I have misunderstood and the land is already part of the local plan then delegation is fine.

 

6.       SUPPORTING REPORT

 

Other information relevant to the decision, such as legal, financial, risk, social value and equality implications, is contained within the report published as Item 20 within the Cabinet agenda for the meeting on 24 March 2020 via link below:

 

https://democracy.north-herts.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=133&MId=2200&Ver=4

 

NOTIFICATION DATE

 

3 April 2020

 

Signature of Decision Taker

 

Call-in does not apply to NON-EXECUTIVE DECISIONS

 

In respect of Executive Decisions, as per section 6.3.11(b) of the Constitution ‘Call-In and Urgency’, the call-in procedure does not apply when the decision being taken is urgent. For the purposes of the current Coronavirus pandemic, this decision is considered to be urgent (as normal meetings and the decision-making process has been suspended). The Chair of Council has been informed and agrees that the decision is a reasonable one in the circumstances and is to be treated as a matter of urgency.

Supporting documents: