Agenda item

Homes England Capacity Funding Report

Meeting of Cabinet, Tuesday, 12th December, 2023 11.00 am (Item 49.)

Decision:

*RESOLVED –

1. That the offers from Homes England of £100,000 in grant funding to fund housing market evidence base work for Spire Neighbourhood and Chesterfield Town Centre, and £25,000 towards understanding the viability of development within the Staveley Corridor be accepted.

2. That officers be authorised to appoint consultants and issue contracts to undertake work related to;

a) Chesterfield Waterside - Establishing a detailed understanding of the financial viability of the revised scheme

b) Spire neighbourhood - assess and understand technical constraints, compile an evidence base, assess financial viability and present areas for consideration of possible future projects

3. That officers be authorised to appoint consultants and issue contracts to undertake work related to obtaining an understanding of the financial viability and funding issues relating to the future redevelopment of the former Staveley Works site in the context of the Chesterfield Staveley Regeneration Route (CSRR).

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

1. To provide an up to date evidence base to support implementation of the Local Plan Strategic Sites allocations – SS1 (Spire neighbourhood), SS3 (Chesterfield Waterside) and SS5 (Staveley works) and to support the determination of relevant planning applications and the securing of developer contributions.

2. To maximise the contribution made by development to place making and the provision of community infrastructure mitigate the impact of the development on local communities.

Minutes:

The Strategic Planning and Key Sites Manager presented a report seeking approval to appoint consultants to carry out detailed technical and viability work relating to Chesterfield Waterside and Spire Neighbourhood, and the potential for widening the residential offer within Chesterfield Town Centre - following completion of relevant procurement processes. This would follow the Council’s acceptance of grant funding offers from Homes England to part fund the work.

In July 2023, Cabinet considered a draft refresh of the Chesterfield Waterside masterplan and authorised the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Planning, and Environment, in consultation with the Service Director - Economic Growth and other key officers, to finalise materials and arrangements for consultation. The consultation was however deferred pending the determination of a planning appeal relating to the Tapton Business Park site within Chesterfield Waterside. The Planning Inspector had now determined the appeal, granting planning permission for a development comprising 144 dwellings.

Homes England had made an offer of £100,000 to contribute towards the costs of commissioning consultants to carry out further detailed technical and viability work in relation to Chesterfield Waterside and Spire Neighbourhood. The grant funding would be supplemented by funding from the Council’s business rates retention reserve..

Officers had also secured a grant funding offer of £25,000 from Homes England to help better understand the complex viability challenges relating to strategic site SS5 (The Staveley and Rother Valley Corridor). The funding would enable the Council to commission a viability expert to assist the Council with future grant funding applications and in determining planning applications relating to developments within the Corridor.

A requirement of the grant funding was that all work would need to be completed by the end of March 2024.