Meeting documents
- Meeting of This Policy Advisory Group is not open to the public, Resources Policy Advisory Group, Wednesday, 25th January, 2017 6.00 pm (Item 75.)
Minutes:
Members received the report from the Head of Healthy Communities and the Head of Environment, which detailed the indicative business case for the Council’s purchase and development of the Gerrards Cross Police Station Site.
Funding for the negotiating of purchasing of the site was agreed by Cabinet on 4 July 2016. Since this time, officers have undertaken due process to enable exchange of contracts and completion of the sale. It was being recommended that the Council appoints a project manager to undertake the design and planning approval to develop the site. The report also set out the budgetary provision which was required for the continued purchase and development of the site.
Members clarified the processes that have already been undertaken to purchase the site, the associated costs and the site’s planned housing density. Members emphasised the fact that the site was currently in the green belt and that this would dictate final housing density. Clarification was sort on stamp duty fees and officers confirmed this would be included in the detailed proposal, to be brought to Cabinet. Members questioned how any future community infrastructure levy, applied to the site, might impact the Council. Officers confirmed any levy would relate to planning permission, which was being sort before any potential levy is implemented. Members also queried the percentage of affordable housing as set out in the report.
Having considered the advice of the PAG, the Portfolio Holder RECOMMENDED to Cabinet and Council:
a. To make budgetary provision of £4,222,500 from the Capital Receipts Reserves to enable the continued purchase of the site and meet the associated expenditure required by the Council to meet its obligations in acquiring the site.
b. To add £5.3M budgetary provision to the Capital Programme, which will result in additional borrowing to enable the site to be redeveloped for housing and to authorise the Head of Environment to draw down expenditure up to £800k from the Capital Programme to initiate the scope of works required to bring the site to development.
And to RECOMMEND to Cabinet:
c. To enter in to a tender process to demolish the current police station and ex-police houses on a phased basis, once planning permission has been obtained
d. To seek approval to appoint a project manager and developer through the Scape framework agreement, to obtain detailed design and planning approval for housing on the Gerrards Cross Police station site and to provide the detailed business plan at an estimated cost of £800k. A further report to present the detailed business plan before moving to the development phase.
e. To authorise the Head of Healthy Communities enter in to agreement with Buckinghamshire Housing Association to continue to manage the ex-police houses for use as emergency accommodation for a 12 month period from; 1st June 2017, with the option to extend for further rolling 3 month periods
f. To authorise the Head of Environment and Head of Healthy Communities to spend £10k to develop a business plan and planning proposals for emergency accommodation to be delivered on Council owned land or through the acquisition of property in the district.