Decision details

Date of Decision:

31 March 2026

Title:

Riverside Residential Quarter Enabling – Royal Mail Land Swap.

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Kevin Fisher

Service Director Property & Facilities Services

Details of Specific Delegation

or

Delegation contained in the relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.

Cabinet 28/03/2022 – Minute No. 124 / 2
 

That the Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport be authorised to negotiate the acquisition by agreement of the property interests at Appendix 1, in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy, and the Assistant Director of Legal Services be authorised to complete the necessary transactions.

The Service Director for Property and Facilities Services  now has delegated responsibility for all property related transactions and supersede the existing delegations.

Decision:

Exercise the delegation to the Service Director, Property & Facilities Services with delegation from Service Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport to approve the land swap agreement with the Royal Mail as part of strategic land assembly part of the Riverside Residential Quarter Enabling scheme to facilitate the completion of the River Walk in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy.

Reasons for the Decision:

In line with the May 2022 Cabinet report

‘That Cabinet agree to the implementation of all projects within the Town Deal and Levelling Up Fund programmes as summarised in Appendix 1, to be detailed in forthcoming project specific Full Business Cases’

‘That Cabinet note the implementation of projects will be subject to the Council’s assurance framework and with Full Business Cases approved by the Strategic Director of Regeneration & Environment in consultation with the Council’s S151 Officer and Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy’.

Agreement for the land swap deal is required between RMBC and the Royal Mail to facilitate the completion of the River Walk.  This will enable the walk to come out on to Main Street rather than becoming a dead end or having to divert away from the river’s edge.  It will also facilitate Royal Mails plans to introduce electric charging points for its fleet of vehicles within its compound.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Option 1, the recommended approach, is to undertake a land swap by agreement.

Option 2 pursues to secure an acquisition. This option can be dismissed in favour of land swap by agreement as the Royal Mail are not interested in a land sale as require land to introduce the electric charging project.

A do-nothing option would see the Council unable to deliver on its ambitious plans for the regeneration of the Riverside Residential Quarter.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None

Conflicts of interest declared by the Decision Maker if they sit as a Cabinet appointed representative to an outside body which relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None

Reports or parts of reports relevant to the decision being taken:

Heads of Terms document - exempt

Plan of land to Royal Mail

Plan of land from Royal Mail