Agenda item

It was RESOLVED that:  

a)    officers undertake the necessary work to submit an outline planning application for housing on the Abbey Road site, accompanied by a design code.

b)    dependent on an appropriate planning permission for the site being secured, the Deputy Chief Executive be delegated authority to undertake a marketing exercise for the disposal of the site with the benefit of a planning permission for housing.

c)     a report on the results of the marketing exercise and detailing any other options for the Council to consider with regards the future development of the site be submitted to a future meeting of Cabinet.

The Portfolio Holder for Business and Economic Growth presented the report of the Executive Manager – Transformation which provided information on the work undertaken by officers to vacate the Council’s Abbey Road site in West Bridgford in order that it could made be available for potential housing development to assist with the supply of housing within the Borough. The report did not seek approval to dispose the site but sought approval for officers to put together a scheme for a potential housing development which could then be marketed, with the results of the marketing exercise considered by Cabinet at a future date. It was noted that delivery of housing on the Abbey Road site would assist with the five year housing land supply and would also provide a capital receipt for the Council that would assist in the costs to provide the depot services from alternative sites. It was also noted that the Abbey Road site was designated as a brownfield site and as such was not included in the Local Plan Part 2.

The Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Business in moving the recommendations was pleased to note that the Council had secured £300,000 of Homes England Land Release Funding for the Abbey Road site and that the funding allocated to the Council could be used to prepare the Abbey Road site for disposal or development.

In seconding the recommendations Councillor Mason noted that a vision was now being created for the Abbey Road site. Councillor Mason was pleased that the development of housing on the site would assist with the Council’s 5 year housing supply and that the redevelopment of the Abbey Road site would also help deliver further economic growth within the Borough and therefore would help the Council achieve its corporate priorities.   

Councillor Robinson noted that the funding secured from Homes England was specifically allocated to local authorities who were in a position to release land for housing by March 2020 and so it was vital that officers were given the permission to undertake the necessary work to submit an outline planning application otherwise the funding could be lost. It was also noted that as the site was listed on the Council’s brownfield register, it was already deemed to be a developable and suitable site for housing. 

It was RESOLVED that: 

a)    officers undertake the necessary work to submit an outline planning application for housing on the Abbey Road site, accompanied by a design code.

b)    dependent on an appropriate planning permission for the site being secured, the Deputy Chief Executive be delegated authority to undertake a marketing exercise for the disposal of the site with the benefit of a planning permission for housing.

c)     a report on the results of the marketing exercise and detailing any other options for the Council to consider with regards the future development of the site be submitted to a future meeting of Cabinet.

REASON FOR DECISION

To enable officers to explore the feasibility of the Abbey Road site as a possible housing site.