Decision details

Kier Asset Management and the Housing Service Manager – Business Planning and Strategy Manager submitted a report seeking approval of the proposed scheme budget for the Linacre Road site, Ashgate, and also of the appointment of master planning consultants.

The Linacre Road site was just under 37.5 acres gross area, with Housing Revenue Account land ownership accounting for 33.5% of the site and General Fund for 66.5%.

The site had been identified and consulted on as a possible housing allocation when the draft Local Plan Sites and Boundaries Document was published in November 2012. This was currently programmed for adoption in summer 2015.

In order to maximise the potential capital receipt from this site, it was proposed that the land be released in phases of up to 150 plots, which would be attractive to and developable by a single house builder at a time.

Master planning of the site would be essential to the process, defining the preferred layout of the proposed development, phasing, plot size and means of access. The Master Plan and Informal Planning Brief would form the bases for a developer making a bid on the site and submitting an outline planning application to the Council.

The Council and Kier had interviewed three planning and urban design consultancies with a proven track record of master planning residential development sites on this scale and commercial experience of working with national house builders. ID Planning and their architects, Sten, represented the best value for money for developing the Master Plan and Informal Planning Brief.

In order to develop the Master Plan, various specialist inputs would be required which were not available in-house, and it was proposed that consultants be appointed through competitive quotes to carry out this work.

Community engagement would be required once the Master Plan had been drafted.

The report outlined the potential financial implications from the sale and development of the site in respect of the capital receipt and the New Homes Bonus. It also identified the risk of the project not being progressed without the proposed budget for the master planning of the site.

* RESOLVED –

(1)     That it be recommended to Full Council that a preliminary budget of up to a maximum of £100,000 be allocated to bring the Linacre Road, Ashgate site forward for sale/development on the terms set out in the report, and that any costs attributable to bringing forward the site are split on a pro-rata basis between the respective Housing Revenue Account and General Fund ownerships. As such, the provisional budget will be split £33,500 from the Housing Revenue Account and £66,500 from the General Fund.

(2)     That ID Planning and Sten Architecture be appointed as consultants for master planning the site on the terms set out in the report.

REASONS FOR DECISION

1.      The proposed budget is required to inform the Master Plan process for the site, which will enable a phased release for residential development.

2.                This will bring the site forward for eventual sale to release capital receipts to the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account.

3.                The specialist input and reports will cover overall strategies for both the Housing Revenue and General Fund land. Therefore, it is equitable that the cost for this work is apportioned pro-rata on a percentage basis between the respective land holdings.

Meeting

Executive Member for Housing

Assistant Executive Member Housing