Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mrs Collingham and Parish.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

RESOLVED: The minutes from the previous meeting were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Please indicate if there are any interests which should be declared.  A declaration of interest should indicate the nature of the interest (if not already declared on the Register of Interests) and the agenda item to which it relates.  If a disclosable pecuniary interest is declared, the Member should withdraw from the room whilst the matter is discussed.

Those declarations apply to all Members present, whether the Member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local Member on an item or simply observing the meeting from the public seating area.

There was none.

To consider any business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chairman proposes to accept as urgent under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act, 1972.

There was none.

Members wishing to speak pursuant to Standing Order 34 should inform the Chairman of their intention to do so and on what items they wish to be heard before the meeting commences.  Any Member attending the meeting under Standing Order 34 will only be permitted to speak on those items which have been previously notified to the Chairman.

There was none.

If any.

The Chairman had received an update on the West Winch/North Runcton – Strategic Growth Area Borough bid for HIF Funding from the LDF Manager.  The Chairman read it out as follows:

The Borough had submitted a bid for funding to the HCA for some £9m to bring forward significant elements of the West Winch Relief Road.  This would enable more completions to be achieved sooner on the site.  The HIF outcomes were announced in late January and the Borough’s bid was not successful.  The Council needs to understand from Homes England as to what the options are for different streams of funding and officers are pursuing this. 

The bid would have enabled us to speed delivery, but there is a delivery programme, and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan was working to implement this.  The Infrastructure Delivery Plan is currently being updated following consultation with the landowners in December and a fuller report is scheduled to be made to the Regeneration and Development Panel at their next meeting.

The Vice Chairman, Councillor Mrs Wright, who was Chairman of the Informal Working Group, provided the Panel with an update on the work of the Group.  She explained that the Group were meeting on a weekly basis to develop options for the complex.  She explained that she had been invited to visit Snape Maltings in Aldeburgh and had been accompanied by another Member of the Informal Working Group.  She felt that the Guildhall had some similarities with Snape Maltings in that the design was similar and the site was on the riverfront.

She explained that regular user groups had been invited to attend a Working Group meeting to put forward their ideas for the future use of the complex.  The Informal Working Group had also conducted a tour of the Guildhall complex.

Councillor Mrs Wright thanked the Informal Working Group, the Portfolio Holder and officers for their hard work so far and explained that the report of the Informal Working Group would be presented to the Regeneration and Development Panel on 3^rd April 2018.

To consider passing the following resolution:

“That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act”.

Councillor Moriarty asked for clarification as to why RD90: Compulsory Purchase Orders – Powers available to the Council was proposed to be held in closed session.  The Chairman explained that the report would make reference to specific sites.

RESOLVED: That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

The Property Services Manager presented the Panel with information on how the Council were developing small sites in the Borough which were under ownership of the Council and potential plans for the future.

The Panel was provided with information on a recently completed scheme, which would soon be ready to go on the market and other sites which could be developed in the future.

The Chairman thanked the Property Services Manager for his presentation and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

The Property Services Manager responded to questions on development costs and profits, which could be used to fund the Capital Programme.  He also explained that the Council would be investigating the costs associated with ‘houses for life’.

The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Projects and Assets, Councillor Beales, explained that all schemes would be different and some would achieve more profit than others.  He explained that a range of options had been considered by the Council on development sites and sometimes delivery was a higher priority than profit.  He explained that the first such development scheme was now nearing completion and had been a good learning project.

The Property Services Manager explained that some future development sites could be subject to CIL and this would be looked at on a site by site basis with this cost being factored into the viability appraisals.  He also confirmed that Parish Councils would be statutory consultees as part of the planning application process. 

The Property Services Manager answered questions on the design of development and how development which was profitable could cross subsidise that which was not so commercial, but would not otherwise come forward for development.

The Panel was reminded that a report had been presented to Cabinet on 25 October 2016, which had set out proposals for housing development sites owned by the Borough Council together with a number of options for consideration.

RESOLVED: The Panel noted the update and supported the work in this area.

The Property Services Manager explained the Compulsory Purchase Order process, providing examples of where it had been carried out in the past and where it could possibly be used in the future.  He explained that the Derelict Land and Buildings Group looked at individual sites and what could be done with them.  An update on the work of the Derelict Land and Buildings Group could be provided to a future meeting of the Panel.

The Chairman thanked the Property Services Manager for his presentation and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

The Property Services Manager responded to questions relating to the individual Compulsory Purchase Orders, other powers which could be used, and the length of the process.   He explained that sometimes the instigation of a Compulsory Purchase Order was enough to prompt a discussion with land owners and alternative methods used instead.  He also referred to Townscape Heritage 2 for Railway Road.

It was also explained that the Council was required to provide a statement of reason when putting forward a Compulsory Purchase Order and the prime consideration had to be that it was in the public interest.  He explained that there also had to be a degree of deliverability if the reason for the Compulsory Purchase Order was part of a wider scheme.

RESOLVED: The information was noted.

Members of the Panel were reminded that an eform was available on the Intranet which could be completed and submitted if Members had items which they would like to be considered for addition to the Work Programme.

The following items were suggested for addition to the Work Programme:

·        Update on the Gayton Appeal to the High Court.  It was agreed that a briefing note could be provided to all Councillors via the Members Bulletin.

·        Update on Public Toilets.  It was explained that the Environment and Community Panel had previously set up an Informal Working Group to look at the operation of public toilets in the Borough and a discussion would be held with the Chairman of the Environment and Community Panel regarding an update.

·        The Vice Chairman requested that the Panel look at the areas above shops in the town centre as some of them were in poor states.  Comments were also made that this was an issue in Hunstanton as well. 

RESOLVED: The Panel’s Work Programme was noted.

To note that the next meeting of the Regeneration & Development Panel is scheduled to take place on 3^rd April 2018 at 6.00pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn.

The next meeting of the Regeneration and Development Panel would be held on Tuesday 3rd April 2018 at 6.00pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn.