Agenda and draft minutes

There were no Declarations of Interest made at this meeting.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Senior Planner, proposing an exemption from Standing Orders 47.6.2 and 47.6.3 to allow the appointment of consultants Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners to undertake a Joint Sheffield and Rotherham Employment Land Review.

The report stated that Rotherham’s key employment and business evidence base, which supported preparation of the Local Plan Core Strategy, is the 2010 Employment Land Review, which was produced in-house. This document is now out-of-date and requires updating in order to ensure that the Local Plan Publication Sites and Policies document is based on robust evidence.

The opportunity has arisen to work with Sheffield, to update its own 2013 Employment Land Review, which would be expanded to include data, analysis and assessment for Rotherham in addition to Sheffield. Both Council’s require a robust evidence base regarding employment land. In compliance with the National Planning Policy Framework, this proposed Employment Land Review would provide a joint evidence base across Rotherham and Sheffield, which has been previously identified as a single economic area.

The cost of the study for Rotherham is expected to be a maximum of £15,000 and will be met from the Planning Policy budget

It was envisaged that the Employment Land Review document will be prepared and available during early May 2015.

Members were informed of the timing of preparation of this Review, in terms of the publication of the Growth Plans, both for Rotherham and for the Sheffield City Region, as well as the economies of scale available from the procurement of this contract jointly with the Sheffield City Council.

The Cabinet Member agreed to consider this item, as being both essential and a matter of urgency, on the basis that there are significant financial savings achievable if the Employment Land Review is commissioned jointly with Sheffield City Council and in order to meet the agreed timescales for progress with the Local Plan.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the proposed appointment of Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners, to undertake a Joint Sheffield and Rotherham Employment Land Review, shall be exempt from Standing Orders 47.6.2 (requirement to invite at least two oral or written quotations for contracts with an estimated value of £5,000 but less than £20,000) and 47.6.3 (requirement to invite at least three written quotes for contracts with a value of between £20,000 and £50,000).

(3) That the expenditure, by this Council, on this contract shall not exceed £15,000.