Decision details

The Housing Manager submitted a report to update the Cabinet on the current position of the proposed regeneration works at Barrow Hill.

In September 2015 Cabinet considered a report on the Barrow Hill Environmental Works and recommendations from that report relating to the demolition of the blocks of flats at Ealing and Chiswick Courts and the tendering process for a demolition contractor were underway.

Planning permission was granted in October 2016 following a delay due to several redesigns requested by Derbyshire County Council (DCC) Highways. A quantity surveyor had reviewed the costs of DCC Highways’ redesigns along with the impact of construction inflation and estimated that costs could have escalated by over £1.7m. This additional expenditure could not be funded by the HRA without other Capital Budgets being impacted upon.

As a result, revised options were developed to remove several highway elements and utilise land freed by the demolition of Ealing and Chiswick courts. Seven current options were outlined:

·        Option 1: Delivery of the original scheme with required DCC specification for highways and design;

·        Option 2: Existing scheme with Highways stopped up and central highway changed from block to asphalt;

·        Option 3: Work to paths and boundaries only;

·        Option 4: Existing scheme, Highways stopped up with road areas reduced, central areas changed from block to asphalt;

·        Option 4A: Existing scheme, Highways stopped up with road areas reduced, central areas remain block paving;

·        Option 5: As Option 4 with new links to Station Road through Ealing Court site.

The majority of the proposals requested the stopping up of the existing highway and the ownership and responsibility for the roads being passed to CBC, this would enable the council to have control over costs. The report indicated that the favoured option was option 4 as it provided the greatest amount of control and fewest factors which could increase costs. The report noted that the proposal for option 4 was estimated to cost more than the July 2015 cost but was still within the total scheme budget.

The report provided details of the legal implications involved in stopping up a highway and concluded that further investigations were needed before any formal process could be commenced. 

*RESOLVED –

1.   That the revised scheme and highways layout for the second phase of the regeneration scheme be approved.

2.    That the proposed regeneration scheme be split into two phases to ensure works can commence at Barrow Hill during 2017/18. The first phase will cover the area of the estate where no new highways are proposed and can be carried out whilst work to finalise the highway layout continues.

3.    That consideration be given to stopping up the highways at Barrow Hill to ensure that a revised, re-priced scheme can be delivered.

4.    That a further report be brought to Cabinet for a decision on whether to stop up the highway or to deliver a scheme where the highways are retained by Derbyshire County Council.

5.    That the contingency set aside for the scheme be increased by £200,000 and that this contingency be met from within the 2017/18 Housing Capital Programme.

REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

To meet the councils priority ‘to improve the quality of life for local people’ and objective 5 ‘To increase the supply and quality of housing in Chesterfield Borough to meet current and future needs’.