Agenda item

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The Assistant Director and Regeneration Programmes Manager delivered a presentation providing an overview and update on the progress being made at the Nar Ouse Regeneration Area in King’s Lynn.

A copy of the presentation is attached which provided detail of the history of the site, development to date including residential, commercial and the KLIC.  Information was also provided on the millennium community and future planned development on the site.

The Assistant Director offered the Panel the opportunity to tour the Speculative Units and light industrial units once contractors had completed on site.

The Chair thanked the Assistant Director for the presentation and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

In response to a question from Councillor Crofts it was explained that not all of the site had been decontaminated and work was being carried out as required during development.  Options were still being considered for the proposed Active Travel Hub site which was still contaminated.

In response to a further question from Councillor Crofts, the Assistant Director explained that contracts had been agreed for some of the speculative units and some expressions of interest had been received for the light industrial units.  The site had been marketed and the Council were in the process of carrying out a rebranding exercise and a wider marketing push.  The Regeneration Programmes Manager agreed to keep the Panel updated on the marketing of the site.

Councillor Colwell referred to the contamination that remained on site and asked if this area could be used as a car park to reduce the costs of decontamination.  The Assistant Director explained that the Council had to meet the requirements of the regulatory body and consultants had been engaged to look at a range of options to deal with the contaminated areas.

Councillor Lintern asked if solar panels would be fitted to the industrial units and the Assistant Director explained that the Council would work with tenants if they wished to install solar panels but the project did not have the Capital available to install panels, especially as it would be the tenants that would get the benefit from them.  He commented that it would be down to the individual tenants if they wanted to install solar panels.  Councillor Lintern commented that the Council should be doing more to provide solar panels on industrial units to prevent agricultural land being used for solar farms.  The Assistant Director referred the Panel to solar panels that had been installed on Council owned buildings, for example King’s Court and Lynnsport.

The Chair asked about the gates proposed for Horsley Fields to prevent it becoming a rat run for traffic.  The Assistant Director explained that the barrier would be accessible to the emergency services and there was the option for a plan to be put in place to potentially opening it up as an alternative route if required.

In response to a question from Councillor Colwell, the Assistant Director explained that in terms of residential development, the NORA 5 site was the last development site available. There had been some developer interest in the site and an options appraisal was being worked on.

The Chair commented that it was important that any development on site considered the potential for future rail links, especially surrounding the active travel hub, which was a potential location for the station.

RESOLVED: The update was noted.