Issue - meetings

Report number DCS24 by the Director of Community Services. (attached)

DECISION:

(1)   To authorise the Director of Community Services to obtain competitive tenders for the construction of a multi-storey car park on the existing Welham Street Car Park;

(2)   To approve expenditure of £37,000 outlined in paragraph 4.1 of report number DCS24 by the Director of Community Services to complete the survey work and the Traffic Impact Assessment;

(3)   To submit an outline planning application for the construction of the multi-storey car park on the Welham Street site;

(4)   To authorise the Director of Community Services to obtain competitive tenders for the immediate demolition of the buildings on the East Street Site. Cabinet to review approval should the lowest tender submitted be substantially higher that £400,000;

(5)   To approve expenditure of £55,000 for the temporary surfacing and layout of an open car park on East Street once tenders have been accepted for the construction of the car park on Welham Street;

(6)   To defer the sale of Watergate Car Park until further consideration can be given to this matter in the future.

Considerations/Reasons for Decision:

(1)   Report number DCS24 by the Director of Community Services detailing the feasibility of moving forward with the development of Welham Street and East Street car parks;

(2)   Cabinet’s identification on 11^th April 2005 of the retention of Watergate car park, sale of East Street and development of Welham Street car park as the preferred option subject to the outcome of a feasibility study; 

(3)   Preliminary findings of a traffic impact study reported at the meeting by the Director of Community Services, which indicated that the current road allignment would not be substantial;

(4)   Welham Street as a multi-storey and East Street as a temporary open car park would provide estimated car parking spaces of 345 and 200 respectively;

(5)   Two-level tendering for the demolition of buildings on the East Street site to enable review of expenditure and impact on the value of the site; 

(6)   Business rates would be reduced significantly for the East Street site following demolition of buildings; 

(7)   Minutes of the meeting of the Grantham Town Centre Management Partnership on 4^th July 2005 supporting report number DCS24 but with additional recommendations in relation to the development of Welham Street Car Park.

Other options considered and assessed

To sell the East Street site immediately.

As the report identified, this was rejected because it was thought necessary to provide alternative provision on East Street for car parking during the construction of the multi-storey car park on Welham Street.  A cost benefit analysis showed that estimated income from the proposal would be £35,000 in a full year rising to an estimated £80,000-£100,000 once Welham Street is closed. The cost of demolition at East Street will be recovered when sold for development.