Issue - meetings

Bailrigg Garden Village - Capacity Funding

Meeting: 14/02/2017 - Cabinet (Item 57)

57 Bailrigg Garden Village - Capacity Funding PDF 221 KB

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)

Report of Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning) which sought Cabinet’s authority to formally accept the funding offered by the Homes and Communities Agency to provide capacity to advance the delivery of the Garden Village Project, following the announcement of the City Council’s success in securing support for its expression of interest in the development of a Garden Village in South Lancaster.

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

	Option 1: Not to accept the nomination to develop a Garden Village and associated funding.	Option 2: To accept the nomination to develop a Garden Village and to accept the funding offer to accelerate delivery.
Advantages	No additional draw on resources other than those allocated to Local Plan preparation at this time.	Enables the appropriate staff resource and skills to be recruited to manage delivery at a reasonable pace, in addition to providing funds to appoint specialist expertise to work to define infrastructure needs.
Disadvantages	Delivery of the concept post Local Plan preparation will be much slower and a higher drain upon the City Council’s resources as Government assistance may not be available at that time.	Adds to the number of high profile major projects being managed in the Regeneration and Planning Service at this time.
Risks	Reputational damage after submitting proposals found to be innovative then declining to take up the means to deliver them at a greater pace.	Given competing demands the level of resources able to be accessed by this funding may not be enough.

Option 2 was the preferred officer option. The development of a Garden Village in place of the urban extension option investigated in the run up to the Council decision on the Consultation Draft Local Plan is a much better option for the district. It should have the ability to generate far more consensus about a development of this scale, and enable both the City and County councils and the University of Lancaster to promote a high quality bespoke development significantly enhancing the City’s reputation as a place to live and work.

The work needed up front to design and plan infrastructure for a new settlement of this scale would be an additional burden for the City Council without this significant help from the Government via the Homes and Communities Agency. Developing a Garden Village in this way now clearly supports the Council’s objectives for managed growth as represented in their Consultation Draft Local Plan.

Councillor Hanson proposed, seconded by Councillor Leyshon:-

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

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1) That Cabinet authorises the Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning) to accept the nomination to develop a Garden Village at Bailrigg, Lancaster and the associated funding offer from the Homes and Communities Agency to assist in accelerating delivery.

(2) That delegated authority be given to the Chief Officer (Resources) to update the General Fund ... view the full minutes text for item 57