Agenda item

LAND ADJACENT TO 1 NORTH END, KELSHALL, HERTS

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 21 – Land adjacent to 1 North End, Kelshall

 

(1)       That the land adjacent to 1 North End, Kelshall be declared surplus to the District Council’s requirements and then placed on the open market for sale on a subject to planning basis or with the benefit of planning, subject to a successful planning application by the District Council for residential development.

 

(2)       Following receipt of offers for the land identified in Appendix A of the report, the decision to accept an offer is delegated to the Service Director for Resources, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance and IT. Offers will be evaluated against alternative development options and the environmental credentials of any proposed design.

 

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 to help fund the District Council’s capital programme.

 

Marketing the land on the open market will maximise interest from developers and self builders and satisfy the requirements to obtain the best price reasonably obtainable. An offer should only be accepted at a price reflecting residential development value.

 

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

 

There were no comments made my Members.

 

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 21 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: