Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of City Development providing an update on the progress made to deliver new housing on brownfield sites through the Council’s Brownfield Land Programme. In addition, the report seeks approval of an approach to secure further sustained development over the next 5 years.

Further to Minute No. 179, 14^th February 2014, the Director of City Development submitted a report providing an update on the progress made to deliver new housing on brownfield sites through the Council’s Brownfield Land Programme. In addition, the submitted report sought approval of an approach to secure further sustained development over the next 5 years.

Members highlighted the importance of utilising the Housing and Communities Agency’s Development Partner Panel when selecting appropriate development partners, and emphasised the need to ensure that a mixed economy of such development partners was secured.

In considering the submitted report, Members made reference to the actions being taken to achieve the target within the Council’s Core Strategy in respect of brownfield land development. In addition, emphasis was placed upon the potential benefit which could be gained from the development of brownfield land sites which were situated in key areas and which were currently owned by other organisations.

Responding to an enquiry into the extent to which the Council had submitted bids to national initiatives which had been established to promote the development of brownfield land sites, it was noted that a briefing on this would be circulated to Board members for information, with a report being submitted to the Board on this matter at the earliest opportunity.

In conclusion, emphasis was placed upon the potential benefits which could be realised by the regional delivery of regeneration skills programmes which were currently provided by central Government, and it was noted that discussions continued with Government on the potential devolution of such programmes.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the contents of the submitted report be noted;

(b)  That the use of the Homes and Communities Agency’s Development Partner Panel to select a development partner or partners to deliver new homes on sites included within the Council’s Brownfield Land Programme, as set out in paragraph 3.22 of the submitted report be agreed;

(c)  That the necessary authority be delegated to the Director of City Development in order to determine how the sites outlined in paragraph 3.22 of the submitted report, in addition to any additional sites made available through the potential termination of the EASEL Strategic Development Agreement (paragraph 3.23 of the same report), are to be included within each development package;

(d)  That the necessary authority be delegated to the Director of City Development, in consultation with the Executive Member for Transport and the Economy, in order to enter into a development agreement with a preferred developer or developers selected through the procurement exercise as set out in resolution (b) above, with the final terms of any such agreement to be reported back to Executive Board.

(e)  That the necessary authority be delegated to the Director of City Development in order to incorporate other cleared development sites into the procured partnership as may be appropriate, as a means of increasing the capacity and pace of housing delivery in the city.

(f)  That it be noted that the Head of Regeneration will be responsible for the implementation of such matters, as outlined within the submitted report.