Issue - meetings

Chatsworth Gardens West End Housing Exemplar Project - Deed of Variation to Funding Agreement

Meeting: 17/02/2009 - Cabinet (Item 139)

139 West End Housing Exemplar Project - Chatsworth Gardens pdf icon PDF 38 KB

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Archer)

 

Report of the Corporate Director (Regeneration).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Archer and Kerr)

 

The Corporate Director (Regeneration) submitted a report to provide Cabinet with an update regarding the delivery of the Chatsworth Gardens West End Housing Exemplar Project.

 

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

Taking all the information to hand, and following a further officer meeting with HCA, a request has been received advising that HCA are prepared to consider possible funding options for the “new build” scheme, on the proviso that Member support is sought in principle to the scheme (see email Appendix C).  This, therefore, provides for the following options:-

 

Option 1

 

That Members support, in principle, the future delivery of a “new-build” Exemplar scheme at Chatsworth Gardens, in line with the development process that the City Council has been party to, on the proviso that HCA provide sufficient funding to secure the developer, Places for People, signing a Development Agreement which will contribute £1,239,300 to acquisition costs, and that HCA also provide interim support for the £1,379,000 capital receipts monies which will result from the City Council undertaking its best endeavours “to dispose of assets currently held by the City Council, which are “outside” of the Exemplar Scheme”.

 

Table 1 – Financial Costs

 

The projected financial cost of this option will remain largely as reported to Cabinet on the 11th November, with the main differences being:

 

·         The transfer of £62,200 contingency from the Surveyors / Valuations & Contingency, into Property Holding costs.  This does not alter the total cost of the project, and

 

·         The funding allocation between Capital and Revenue as shown in Table 2. The shortfall in the Capital funding would be met from a contribution from the revenue allocation, with the overall project cost being contained within the total available funding.

 

A summary of the indicative costs and funding are set out in the tables below.

 

Capital Costs

(£)

Remaining property acquisitions including Compensation and Disturbance

4,810,000

Less Developer Bid – Places for People

 (1,239,300)

Net Cost of Property Acquisition

3,570,700

Contingency

209,000

Surveyors/ Valuations & Conveyancing Costs.

33,600

Total Capital

3,813,300

 

 

Revenue Costs

 

CPO Legal Advice

49,200

Property Holding Costs

148,200

Delivery Team

150,600

Total Revenue Costs

348,000

Grand Total

4,161,300

 

                       

Table 2 - Funding

 

Capital Funding

(£)

EP Deed of Variation

2,200,200

Resale of Existing Property

1,379,500

Illuminations Depot Receipt

200,000

Total Capital

3,779,700

 

 

Revenue Funding

 

EP Deed of Variation

242,600

Rental Income

139,000

Total Revenue Funding

381,600

Total

4,161,300

 

 

Operational Risk

Financial Risk

Legal Risk

Benefits

The City Council must ensure the effective property management of all the properties currently acquired as part of the Exemplar scheme, and as soon as contracts are in place, must ensure a robust management plan is in place to manage the said properties up until all the properties have been acquired (either by agreement or compulsory purchase order).

 Subject to all appropriate funding being in place to acquire the remaining properties, a robust financial plan will need to be in place to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 139


Meeting: 11/11/2008 - Cabinet (Item 89)

89 Chatsworth Gardens, Morecambe Regeneration Project - Site Assembly pdf icon PDF 39 KB

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Evelyn Archer and David Kerr)

 

Report of Corporate Director (Regeneration) to follow.

Minutes:

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Archer and Kerr)

 

The Corporate Director (Regeneration) submitted a report updating members about the delivery of the Chatsworth Gardens West End Housing Exemplar Project. 

 

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

 

Option 1

The City Council has already started a process of acquisition in line with the 2005 funding agreement and the 2005 funds have now been fully drawn down by the City Council.  In accordance with the (Plan A) proposals of the original scheme, the City Council could seek to work with English Partnerships to identify how a partial demolition/refurbishment scheme could progress, and identify future funding needs to deliver such a project.  At this stage, it is impossible to assess whether such a scheme would be financially viable and whether funds could be made available.  Further work will be required to draw up a (Plan A) option and it is recommended that officers are instructed to start early negotiations with funders to seek an “acceptable” funding package for further consideration by Members.

 

 

Operated Risk

Financial Risk

Legal Risk

Benefits

·                     English Partnerships would not agree to such a proposal as their existing analysis on the refurb/demolition option (Plan A) was originally considered by the funder as not to be a cost effective option.  Bearing in mind current market conditions, it is difficult to see how this analysis would signicantly change to provide a positive cost effective outcome.

·                     A developer partner cannot be found to deliver such a scheme.  This is of particular concern as the Plan A scheme was the proposal that was originally tested with developers.

·                     The community within the West End will consider the consultation exercise for the Exemplar Scheme to have been “ignored”, and they may raise concerns that a “step change” project has not been achieved.

·                     Further design work/appraisal work will take time, and we currently have empty properties within the scheme awaiting demolition.  We are also holding all costs of staff and security as a City Council cost, which is outside budget provision.

In the absence of a full commitment from English Partnerships and on a fully committed developer partner, there would probably be an increase in the financial contribution required from the Council sufficient to rule this option out.

 

There is also the risk that while a certain level of commitment might be obtained from English Partnerships and / or a developer partner could be secured under certain conditions, the increase burden would still be greater than the Council could afford.

 

Further costs that would be incurred will be, in the absence of any additional funding, represent an additional cost to the Council which will increase steadily with time.

All options have legal implications in terms of our contractual relationship with English Partnerships and at this stage it would premature to observe what these implications would be prior to further discussions with the funding body.

 

·                     The City Council is seen to be proactive with the community and its  ...  view the full minutes text for item 89