Issue - meetings

Report number PLA531 by the Head of Planning Policy & Economic Regeneration.                                      (Exempt report attached)

DECISION: In view of the importance of Bourne Core Area redevelopment project to the locality and as a Category A priority, the Cabinet consider the Council should do all it can to move the project forward.  The Cabinet therefore:

(1)      is minded to consider disposal of the Council’s land assets by way of contribution towards the scheme to enable it to proceed, subject to appropriate verification of the financial appraisal for the scheme, and positive assessment by the Director of Finance and Strategic Resources;

(2)      affirms that there are no grounds to support the removal of any affordable housing requirement from the development, and that such requirement should be determined by the Development Control Committee as part of the determination of any forthcoming application;

(3)      is minded to consider the Council’s financial involvement in the scheme to be contingent on the developer’s provision of an appropriate standard of public convenience and best endeavours to deliver a multi-storey car park on the Burghley Centre car park;

(4)      is minded to consider financially supporting a multi-storey car park being delivered as part of the overall scheme, subject to appropriate value for money appraisals;

(5)      is minded to consider the inclusion of the bus station site within the overall scheme, subject to suitable alternative roadside provisions being made.

Considerations/Reasons for Decision:

(1)          Exempt report number PLA531 by the Head of Planning Policy & Economic Regeneration on the viability of the Bourne Core Area redevelopment scheme as revised, details of updated land valuations, financial appraisal of the scheme, and the revised principles and parameters for taking the project forward as submitted by the developer;

(2)          The key issues for the Cabinet to consider should the Council be minded to proceed with this scheme, including development outputs;

(3)          Update at the meeting on the potential contribution from the Welland SSP and EMDA;

(4)          Noting that the scheme as now proposed is a variation on the original and there has been a reduction in the size of open space but nevertheless, the Cabinet considers that it still meets the needs for Bourne and the aspirations for development of the town.

Other options considered and rejected:

(1)      To not proceed with the scheme – rejected because of the importance of the scheme to the well-being of the town;

(2)      Revisit second and third placed submissions – rejected because less intensive and unlikely to generate greater return than the selected scheme.