Agenda item

Council agreed to

       I.    Approve additional funding for the Phase 1 community buildings of: 

a.      £1.53m for the Sports Pavilion (including an allocation of £300k from the Renewable Energy Reserve) 

b.      £6.5m for the Community Building funded from Capital Receipts. 

     II.    Approve an amendment to the Capital Programme to increase the allocation by £1.38m for the Phase 2 Civic Hub funded by the s106 to reflect the total allocation after indexation. 

    III.   Approve an additional £4.82m allocated to the Civic Hub programme funded from Capital Receipts.  

   IV.   Note that the Phase 2 Sports Pavilion is likely to be underfunded, but that delivery is not expected until 18 months after the 500th occupation on Phase 2.  Although an exact amount cannot be estimated at this time, it is proposed an additional allocation of £2m be made in the General Fund Capital Programme, funded from Capital Receipts, for this project.  

     V.    Create a further provision of £433,000 (£219,000 plus indexation) for the Phase 1 Section 106 shortfall.  

   VI.   Create a provision for Phase 2 Section 106 commitments of £1.6m 

  VII.    Request that officers undertake a further review of infrastructure prioritisation in the S106 agreement for phase 2 in light of this report and report the matter back to the Planning Committee for consideration.    

VIII.   Agree to the Community Centre and Local Centre being built on Parcel 6 via a Direct Delivery or Development Manager model.  

   IX.   Pause the wider Enterprise Zone development (on Parcels 1,2, 3 and 4) for an initial period of 12 months. A report to come back to Council in six months’ time.

     X.    Agree the approach to Parcel 5 taking into account the option agreement set out in the exempt section of this report 

The Chair explained that certain appendices to the report contained commercially sensitive information and whilst her preference was to remain in open session, if councillors wished to refer to the sensitive information, then the meeting would need to vote to exclude the press and public from that discussion.

Councillor Bill Handley, Lead Cabinet Member for Communities, presented this report that recommended the provision of community buildings, development of the Enterprise Zone and funding, including the Section 106 shortfalls, at Northstowe. He explained that there was a typographical error in the third recommendation and the figure needed to be amended to £4.82m.

Councillor Heather Williams requested that recommendation ix be amended to include a recommendation that a report come back to Council in six months’ time regarding the Enterprise Zone development. Councillor Bill Handley accepted this amendment, which was agreed without debate.

Councillor Heather Williams stated that there was cross party support for the provision of community facilities at Northstowe but she wanted assurances that the large sums of money were being well spent and that a thriving Enterprise Zone would be established, unlike in Cambourne where houses were being built on the Business Park. The Chief Executive replied that the terms of sale prohibited the building of housing on the Northstowe Enterprise Zone until 2042.

Councillor Daniel Lentell said that Northstowe was a diverse and vibrant new community, which would be well served by the proposals in the report. Councillor Judith Rippeth supported the recommendations in the report and praised the high sustainability rating of the proposed buildings at Northstowe.

Councillor Sarah Cheung Johnson explained that she and the other local member Councillor Alex Malyon supported the recommendations in the report and were looking forward to residents benefitting from these new community buildings.

Councillor Sue Ellington expressed concern that land set aside for a faith building was not part of the current plans. Councillor Bill Handley replied that there was land set aside for a faith building but this was for a later stage of the development. The Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development confirmed that a burial ground was part of Northstowe’s infrastructure requirements.

Councillor Lina Nieto asked whether businesses would be adversely affected by the delay. Councillor Bill Handley assured Council that there would be a positive impact on businesses, as, if agreed, the recommendations would result in the building of facilities that they would use.

Councillor Bridget Smith stated that Northstowe had excellent infrastructure but needed the community facilities promised in the report, the provision of which would provide an exemplar for future developments on Bourn airfield and Waterbeach. She thanked officers for their work.

The recommendations, as amended, were proposed by Councillor Bill Handley and seconded by Councillor Bridget Smith. A vote was taken and by affirmation

Council agreed to

       I.    Approve additional funding for the Phase 1 community buildings of: 

a.      £1.53m for the Sports Pavilion (including an allocation of £300k from the Renewable Energy Reserve) 

b.      £6.5m for the Community Building funded from Capital Receipts. 

     II.    Approve an amendment to the Capital Programme to increase the allocation by £1.38m for the Phase 2 Civic Hub funded by the s106 to reflect the total allocation after indexation. 

    III.   Approve an additional £4.82m allocated to the Civic Hub programme funded from Capital Receipts.  

   IV.   Note that the Phase 2 Sports Pavilion is likely to be underfunded, but that delivery is not expected until 18 months after the 500th occupation on Phase 2.  Although an exact amount cannot be estimated at this time, it is proposed an additional allocation of £2m be made in the General Fund Capital Programme, funded from Capital Receipts, for this project.  

     V.    Create a further provision of £433,000 (£219,000 plus indexation) for the Phase 1 Section 106 shortfall.  

   VI.   Create a provision for Phase 2 Section 106 commitments of £1.6m 

  VII.    Request that officers undertake a further review of infrastructure prioritisation in the S106 agreement for phase 2 in light of this report and report the matter back to the Planning Committee for consideration.    

VIII.   Agree to the Community Centre and Local Centre being built on Parcel 6 via a Direct Delivery or Development Manager model.  

   IX.   Pause the wider Enterprise Zone development (on Parcels 1,2, 3 and 4) for an initial period of 12 months. A report to come back to Council in six months’ time.

     X.    Agree the approach to Parcel 5 taking into account the option agreement set out in the exempt section of this report