Agenda item

The Portfolio Holder for Economic Development introduced the report and noted that Option B described in the report appeared to provide a saving to the taxpayer however, the balance of the saving to the benefit to the town was a matter for the local representatives and not an economic development issue. 

The Ward Member, Councillor Mike Best, advised Members of the history of the site and the reason for additional long-stay car parking in the town.  He noted the 3 options listed in the officers report and that Option B would provide additional car parking with the required space for access in and out onto East Street.  The adjacent landowner had confirmed that planning permission for the car park would be submitted separately to the proposed housing.  He asked that if Members were minded to agree Option B that the £203,000 previously allocated from the Corporate Capital Contingency Fund towards the Project, be retained in an appropriate reserve to safeguard the project should the Option B approach fail.

During discussion the following points were made:-

·         Officers had spent a great deal of time negotiating with the owners of Wyvern Court over many years.

·         Option B would provide more car parking spaces for less cost.

·         The Scrutiny Committee had called in the original Executive decision to just provide the car park as a value for money project.

·         Option B was a risk that the car park may not be built for some time.

·         The adjacent site was without access without the land owned by SSDC.

In response to questions from Members, the Commercial Property. Land & Development Manager and the Monitoring Officer confirmed that:-

·         There were no signed Heads of Terms.

·         A planning application would have to be submitted and the outcome of that was uncertain.

·         There would be an option agreement or conditional contract with the owner of the adjacent land with conditions to include timescale obligations to deliver the car park.

·         Draft Heads of Terms would not fetter the discretion of Members on any subsequent decision on the land and would not affect any future planning application.

At the conclusion of the debate, Councillor Mike Best proposed that Option B be agreed as the way forward.  However, he asked that £203,000 previously allocated from the Corporate Capital Contingency Fund towards the Project as an addition to the budget approved by Full Council in February 2022, be retained in an appropriate reserve to safeguard the project should the Option B approach fail.  This was seconded by Councillor Jason Baker and unanimously agreed by Members.