Decision details

Councillor Tim Wotherspoon, Northstowe Portfolio Holder, presented an outline of the Council’s proposal which had arisen following Northstowe’s inclusion on the list of eco-towns and the Council’s successful bids for demonstrator projects, and reminded members of the detailed discussions which had taken place at his 9 March 2010 Portfolio Holder meeting and the information available in the agenda for that meeting.

Councillor Simon Edwards, Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder, gave his assurance that there would be no cost to the authority: a grant would be made available to cover the cost of the project, and the project would not proceed without confirmation that the grant would be received.  The government’s response was anticipated in early June.  Officers sought Cabinet’s in-principle approval to proceed with a bid and the Executive Director (Corporate Services) confirmed that, if the properties were subsequently resold on the open market, under the current rules, the capital receipt would not be subject to pooling as it related to the General Fund rather than the Housing Revenue Account.

The details of the project were considered, particularly the potential for revenue generation which could fund additional similar projects, and how the data gathered could be applied District-wide.

Cabinet unanimously RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL approval of the addition of £920,000 to the Council’s Capital Programme for the Rampton Drift Retro-Fit project, funded by Communities and Local Government grant and match funding.

Subject to Council approving the above, Cabinet unanimously AGREED that

(a)               the purchase of two houses on Rampton Drive be approved, funded from the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Eco-Town Demonstrator Project grant, subject to the agreement of a detailed financial appraisal by the Leader, Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder and Northstowe Portfolio Holder in June 2010, and CLG approval of the Council’s options appraisal; and

(b)               the Executive Director (Operational Services) be instructed to progress negotiations for the purchase of the two houses, subject to completion after agreement by the Leader, Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder and Northstowe Portfolio Holder in June 2010, and to make arrangements for their management by the Council.