Issue - meetings

Chatham Waterfront

Meeting: 05/08/2014 - Cabinet (Item 6)

Minutes:

Background:

This report provided details of an update on the regeneration of Chatham Waterfront, with particular regard to the proposals to prepare a planning brief for the site and to investigate developer interest, to continue negotiations with the landonwners to acquire interests in the site and agree compensation and, if agreement with the landowners could not be reached at a reasonable cost, and in a reasonable timeframe, to use the Council's statutory powers of compulsory purchase to acquire the land.

The report provided details of the Council’s aspirations for the site, including a civic space as well as associated development on the site. There were three options for consideration, with option 1 being the preferred option, as set out in paragraph 3 of the report.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been carried out on the proposals which was set out in Appendix 1 to the report. This identified the impacts of the proposals and considered that, overall, the positive impacts outweighed the negative. In addition, it identified how any negative impacts might be mitigated and any positive impacts ensured through the delivery of the project.

An exempt appendix contained information which related to the financial affairs of those persons/companies with land interests on the site and disclosure of this information could have a detrimental impact on the Council’s commercial position.

Decision number:

Decision:

138/2014

The Cabinet instructed officers to:

(i) Continue negotiations with landowners to acquire the land;

(ii) Prepare a design brief for the site;

(iii) Instruct experts to assess developer interest in the site;

(iv) Instruct experts to advise on the regeneration of the site and also the compulsory acquisition process (including the preparation of a draft compulsory purchase order) should negotiations not prove successful;

(v) Issue landowners with requisitions for information to enable the council to fully understand the nature of their interests and also to assist in the preparation of a CPO.

The Cabinet noted that if negotiations with landowners cannot be concluded at a reasonable cost and in a reasonable timeframe (in consultation with the Leader), it will be necessary to use the Council's statutory powers of compulsory purchase to acquire the land, and that if this is the case, a further report will be submitted to Cabinet recommending the making of the formal compulsory purchase order.

Reasons:

To allow the Council's aspirations for the site to be realised within a reasonable timeframe.