Issue - meetings

Report No:   CAB/SE/16/040

Portfolio Holder: Robert Everitt      

Lead Officers: Alex Wilson and Polly Kane

RESOLVED That:

(1)     progress with the Newbury Community Centre Project be noted;

(2)     without prejudice to the Council’s role as Local Planning Authority, and subject to obtaining relevant planning consent the principle of swapping land, releasing covenants on the school site and allocating existing Section 106 funding to enable a joint redevelopment scheme with neighbouring landowners, which will include a new community centre and public open space, be approved;

(3)     subject to the conditions set out in paragraphs 1.2.7 and 1.2.8 of Report No: CAB/SE/16/040, and in consultation with the Portfolio Holder, Head of Resources and Performance and Monitoring Officer, the Director be authorised to:

(i)      negotiate, sign and implement the terms of any legal agreements needed to cover the Council’s executive functions in relation to facilitating such a scheme; and

(ii)     implement the Council’s previous decision to transfer ownership of the centre to the Newbury Community Association under the terms of the existing Memorandum of Understanding.

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/16/040, which sought approval for a number of recommendations which would help enable the Newbury Community Centre Project to progress.

In the absence of Councillor Robert Everitt, Portfolio Holder for Families and Communities, the Chairman invited Alex Wilson, Director, to draw relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet.

Mr Wilson explained that the existing Newbury Community Centre was owned by the Borough Council but was managed by the Newbury Community Association (NCA).  A project board, largely comprising members nominated by the NCA, including Borough Councillors Patrick Chung and Paul Hopfensperger, had been established to oversee the delivery of a new replacement centre.  Once the centre had been replaced, it was envisaged that ownership would be fully transferred to the NCA, in a similar manner to other community centre transfers that had been previously undertaken in the Borough, as set out in the existing Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Borough Council, NCA and other partners.

The project was now looking to commit to a delivery mechanism, and the preferred option of the project board was to work in partnership with Suffolk County Council (SCC) on a combined regeneration of the community centre, children’s centre and soon to be vacated school (Howard Primary) site.  This would provide a new community facility, open space and housing.  Although viability had yet to be confirmed, this option had the potential to deliver a centre, at no additional cost to the Borough Council taxpayer.

To enable the proposed scheme, which was being developed by SCC’s appointed social investment company, Cornerstone Property Assets Limited, and had been the subject of a community consultation, the Borough Council would need to enter into a mutually beneficial land-swap agreement with SCC, as the intention would be to rebuild the community centre of part of the former school site.  Educational covenants on the school site would also need to be released by the Borough Council.

Should the Cabinet approve the proposed land-swap and release of the covenants, the Borough Council would not play any direct role in the delivery of the proposed scheme.  Members noted that should they approve the recommendations, this would also be without prejudice to the Council’s separate roles as Local Planning Authority (LPA) and Housing Authority.

The required legal agreements and negotiations that needed to be in place to cover land ownership/use issues and the release of existing s106 funding that was already available for allocation towards this scheme, were also noted.

Councillor Sara Mildmay-White, Portfolio Holder for Housing considered that this was an excellent scheme in principle; however some concern was expressed regarding the fact that the outcome of viability tests were not yet known which may impact on the percentage of affordable housing provided on the site.  In response, Members were informed that the level of affordable housing provided was a matter for the LPA to determine.

RESOLVED That:

(1)     progress with the Newbury Community Centre Project be noted;

(2)     without prejudice to the Council’s role as Local  ...  view the full minutes text for item 240