Agenda item

Questions to Cabinet Members and Chairmen

Minutes:

(1)   Councillor Gilding asked what action could this Council take regarding the fire damaged shop properties in Corporation Street?  These premises created a bad impression of the town centre as visitors enter from the railway station.

 

Councillor Smith explained that the Council had made attempts to contact the owner of both buildings to open discussions on future use and what actions could be taken in the short term to remove what is widely acknowledged to be an eyesore. The landlord had not responded to any communications.

 

Building Control have recently examined both buildings to ascertain if they were dangerous structures in which case the landlords could be forced to carry out remediation works to make them safe.  However, at the current time neither building was structurally unsafe.

 

A Compulsory Purchase Order for the buildings would need to be part of a wider town centre redevelopment scheme with an obvious public benefit and with funding to implement the scheme identified and confirmed. These conditions did not currently exist.


The Local Planning Authority also had powers to undertake the clean up works themselves and to recover the costs from the landowner.  Where the works were undertaken if default, then formal debt recovery procedures could be followed. This included securing a charge against the property and recovery of the debt through the County or High Court bailiffs or even the enforced sale of the property.

 

(2)  Councillor Donaldson asked could she have an update on the development of the old Ford car site at Parkgate and the  Council’s involvement in the project?

 

Councillor Smith explained that the developer hoped to secure planning approval for retail and leisure facilities to complement the existing provision on Great Eastern Way which also housed Asda, Morrisons and The Foundry Retail Park.

 

Gregory Projects was working in collaboration with land owner and local business Ron Hull Jnr. with a view to submitting a planning application for the provision of a 16,000 sq ft discount food store, 22,000 sq ft of non-food retail and 18,000 sq ft of leisure facilities alongside more than 250 car parking spaces.

 

Colliers International was handling the planning process. GVA in Leeds was advising Gregory Projects on the lettings and the Sheffield office of Knight Frank was acting for Ron Hull Jnr.

 

(3)    Councillor Mannion asked what would be the final and total cost to the Council of the ending of the RBT Partnership?

 

The Leader explained that there would be no ‘cost’ to the Council of ending the RBT Partnership. The Council made no payment for getting out of the contract early.

 

The Council paid BT for the investments it made in services, financial investments that RBT had been recovering through the charges for the delivery of services and payments that ended sooner than originally envisaged.

 

The Council had achieved substantial financial benefits since the early completion of the partnership through (a) savings made while re-integrating services into the Council and (b) income generated by providing a HR and payroll service to Doncaster Council. The ability and freedom to achieve these benefits was one of the key reasons for ending the partnership early.

 

(4)    Councillor Gilding asked how much had this Council spent on translation services in 2002 and 2012?

 

Councillor Lakin confirmed that in respect of Children and Young People’s Services the cost of translation and interpretation was not captured in 2002, but by 2009 was the following was in place:-

 

Cost for 2009/10 was £63,994.64.

Cost for 2012/13 was £63,404.24.

 

In respect of Council wide translation services, this would be collated and provided in writing.

 

(5)    Councillor Donaldson asked could the Cabinet Member tell her if anything was going to happen to the old Perry garage site on Wellgate in the near future and how long had it remained empty?

 

Councillor Smith explained that the site was previously owned by the development company Gladedale and had a planning approval to build 128, one and two bed apartments. The developer did not deliver the scheme as it was financially unviable due to a weakening housing market and the application had now expired. In 2009 the Council acquired the site as a distressed sale from the developer using Housing Market Renewal grant funding.

 

The aim in acquiring the site was to assist future development and accord with the principles of the Town Centre Renaissance Plan.

 

The Council had explored interest from Housing Associations and  private developers in the past, however, given the continuing economic downturn and Government austerity measures the Council had been unable to attract grant funding to enable development.

 

The site had been used as a temporary storage depot for materials associated with environmental improvement works being carried out in the Town Centre.

 

The Council had recently had an offer to purchase the site from a commercial developer and the response was being managed by the Council’s Land and Property Team. The Council were also exploring the option of building a market rent housing development on the site.

 

The Home and Communities Agency were funding an options analysis on the site which would be completed by the end of May 2013 and this would include detailed:-

 

·                Site investigation/topographical surveys to determine the extent of land contamination from previous uses.

·                Land ownership surveys.

·                Options appraisal to identify the full range of development options for the site in the current housing market and economic conditions. 

·                Robust site development appraisal and financial business case.

 

The outcome of the Options Analysis would help the Council decide on the best approach to site development, the shape and form of development and likely timescales for delivery.