Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment

Cabinet Member:     Councillor Lelliott (in advisory role)

Commissioner:         Kenny

Recommendations:

1.     That the land owned by the Council forming part of the Bassingthorpe housing allocation be disposed of, as part of the Council’s commitment to deliver more homes in the Borough.

2.     That the recommended delivery route to secure a ‘Promoter Partner’ or ‘Delivery Partner’ be progressed by undertaking an Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) procurement exercise to market the site, in partnership with Fitzwilliam Wentworth Estates.

3.     That the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment Services be authorised to negotiate the Collaboration Agreement and Equalisation Agreement, the final terms of which will be reported to a future Cabinet and Commissioners’ Decision Making Meeting for consideration.

4.     That the Assistant Director of Legal Services be authorised to prepare the Collaboration Agreement and Equalisation Agreement between the landowners.

5.     That approval be given to an exemption under Standing Order 38 from Standing Order 48 (requirement for contracts valued at more than £50,000 to be tendered) to enable the work detailed in item 3.4 of this report to be awarded to the contractor.

Consideration was given to a report which sought in principle approval to dispose of the Council-owned land that formed part of the Bassingthorpe Farm housing allocation, in line with the recommended ‘delivery route’.   This key strategic site was removed from the green belt in 2014 and represented a pivotal part of Rotherham’s housing allocation defined in the Local Plan. The project was a proposed joint venture between the Council and Fitzwilliam Wentworth Estate (FWE), bringing land forward in partnership to deliver 2,400 homes to the North West of Rotherham town centre.

The initial study area for the Bassingthorpe Farm project was shown in Appendix 1 of the report submitted and was comprised of land under the ownership of either the FWE or the Council.  FWE owned the majority of the landholdings, with the gross land area split approximately:-

73% owned by Fitzwilliam Wentworth Estates; and

27% owned by the Council.

The ownership was also shown in Appendix 1 by the colour coded shading.  The land in question was broadly in agricultural use and formed part of Rotherham’s Green Belt between residential areas in Greasbrough to the west and a commercial area to the east at Barbot Hall and Parkgate.

Bassingthorpe Farm was identified as a strategic allocation in the Local Plan Core Strategy and was removed from the Green Belt on its adoption on 10th September, 2014.  The Concept Framework for the site proposed 2400 new dwellings and also included 11 Ha of employment land, a local health centre, primary school, and a local centre together with the green and social infrastructure necessary to create facilities to serve the new and existing communities.  The concept framework identified a developable area of approximately 80 Ha (198 acres).

The delivery of the site was critical if the Council was to meet its housing delivery targets and a Steering Group had been established to ensure delivery of the site was progressed and ensure proper governance.  Representation on the Steering Group included senior officers from across Planning, Regeneration, Housing, Finance and Property Services, along with representation from FWE, the HCA and the Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy.

In addition to the Bassingthorpe strategic allocation, there were two further sites labelled A and B at Appendix 1 that officers had previously secured authority to dispose of.  However, due to the connectivity and relationship with Bassingthorpe Farm, consideration was being given to inclusion of those sites in the overall Bassingthorpe project.  Alternatively, the sites could be marketed in advance of the Bassingthorpe project to try and achieve exemplar developments in advance of Bassingthorpe commencing.

Members recognised the importance of this site in meeting housing need and its allocation in the Local Plan.  However, the right infrastructure was sustained to minimise disruption when the development commenced.

Commissioner Myers, having consulted with Commissioner Kenny, agreed:-

1.          That the land owned by the Council forming part of the Bassingthorpe housing allocation be disposed of, as part of the Council’s commitment to deliver more homes in the Borough.

2.          That the recommended delivery route to secure a ‘Promoter Partner’ or ‘Delivery Partner’ be progressed by undertaking an Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) procurement exercise to market the site, in partnership with Fitzwilliam Wentworth Estates.

3.          That the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment Services be authorised to negotiate the Collaboration Agreement and Equalisation Agreement, the final terms of which will be reported to a future Cabinet and Commissioners’ Decision Making Meeting for consideration.

4.          That the Assistant Director of Legal Services be authorised to prepare the Collaboration Agreement and Equalisation Agreement between the landowners.

5.          That approval be given to an exemption under Standing Order 38 from Standing Order 48 (requirement for contracts valued at more than £50,000 to be tendered) to enable the work detailed in item 3.4 of this report to be awarded to the contractor.