Decision details

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Bryning and Langhorn )

Cabinet received a report from the Head of Property Services requesting the agreement of Cabinet to extend the development agreement between the Council and Urban Splash by up to two years to enable the outstanding planning application to be determined.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

Option 1 was the officer preferred option. Officers recommended that the development agreement be extended to enable the applications to be determined after full consideration was given to the outstanding matters.  This would enable the Planning and Highways Regulatory Committee to make a robust and comprehensive decision with no technical matters outstanding.

Councillor Bryning proposed, seconded by Councillor Langhorn:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)        That the Council negotiates an extension to the development agreement by twelve months to give time to determine the outstanding planning application.

(2)        In the event of unanticipated delays in being able to obtain a Planning decision that a further report be brought back to Cabinet to extend the agreement by a further twelve months.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Head of Property Services

Reasons for making the decision:

The regeneration of Morecambe remains one of the Council’s top priorities.  The development of the land adjoining the Midland Hotel is identified in the Local Development Framework Core Strategy as one of the key regeneration projects. The decision would enable the Planning and Highways Regulatory Committee to make a robust and comprehensive decision with no technical matters outstanding.  The decision also allows for detailed consultation on the proposal including dovetailing with the Morecambe Area Action Plan.