Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Special Meeting, Cabinet - Tuesday, 23rd February, 2021 4.00 pm

Venue: remotely via Zoom. View directions

Contact: Emma Denny  Email: emma.denny@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

34.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Cllr S Butikofer and Cllr L Shires.

35.

Declarations of Interest

Members are asked at this stage to declare any interests that they may have in any of the following items on the agenda. The Code of Conduct for Members requries that declarations include the nature of the interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest

Minutes:

None received.

36.

Property Acquisition Land at North Walsham pdf icon PDF 145 KB

 

Summary:

 

 

 

 

Options considered:

The report outlines a proposal to acquire land at a key gateway to North Walsham Town Centre to support the North Walsham Heritage Action Zone place making initiative.

 

The proposed option is to acquire the land to support the programme by improving the access to the town centre via the adjacent Loke.  The alternative option, not to acquire the land, would miss the potential opportunity of further grant funding.

 

 

 

Conclusions:

 

 

 

The Council has the opportunity to acquire land adjacent to its existing landholding (Bank Loke Car Park) that would support the objectives of the North Walsham Heritage Action Zone place making project and offer scope for improvement that could further enhance the locality and services provided by the Council. The total budget required for the acquisition, associated legal costs and immediate costs involved in securing the site, once acquired are expected not to exceed £100,000.

 

 

 

Recommendations:

 

 

 

 

 

Reasons for

Recommendations:

 

It is recommended that Cabinet resolve to acquire the land, and instruct the Director for Resources to do so at his discretion, in consultation with the NWHSHAZ Working Party, subject to all reasonable due diligence and legal advice. 

 

To augment the High Street HAZ place making project in North Walsham.

 

Cabinet Member(s)

Cllr Eric Seward

Cllr Richard Kershaw

 

Ward(s) affected North Walsham

Contact Officer, telephone number and email: Renata Garfoot, Asset Strategy Manager, 01263 516086, Renata.Garfoot@north-norfolk.gov.uk

 

 

 

Decision:

Decision:

 

RESOLVED

 

To acquire the land, and instruct the Director for Resources to do so at his discretion, in consultation with the NWHSHAZ Working Party, subject to all reasonable due diligence and legal advice.

 

Reasons for the decision:

 

To augment the High Street HAZ place making project in North Walsham

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Sustainability, Cllr R Kershaw, introduced this item. He explained that an opportunity had arisen to acquire land at a key gateway to North Walsham town centre, which would support the North Walsham Heritage Action Zone place-making scheme.

 

He said that purchase of the land would improve access  to the town centre via the adjacent loke. The Council already owned the adjacent site (Bank Loke car park) and this purchase would offer scope for improvement that could enhance the locality and services provided by the Council.

 

Cllr V Gay said that she was fully supportive of the proposals. One of the key objectives of the HAZ project was to improve the entry ways into the market place and this entrance was currently unattractive and could be improved considerably. She seconded the proposal.

 

Cllr A Fitch- Tillett said that she supported the proposals but sought reassurance that there would be an opportunity for the Council to get some funds back if possible.

 

Cllr R Kershaw replied that this proposal was to just for to purchase the land for the Heritage Action Zone scheme and any other proposals would have to come back to Cabinet for consideration.

 

It was proposed by Cllr R Kershaw, seconded by Cllr V Gay and

 

RESOLVED

 

To acquire the land, and instruct the Director for Resources to do so at his discretion, in consultation with the NWHSHAZ Working Party, subject to all reasonable due diligence and legal advice.

 

Reasons for the decision:

 

To augment the High Street HAZ place making project in North Walsham

37.

Use of s106 Commuted Sums to support delivery of affordable homes in North Norfolk pdf icon PDF 169 KB

Summary:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Options considered:

This report seeks support to allocate £900k of existing Section 106 commuted sums to provide enabling grant to Registered Providers to deliver new affordable homes in North Norfolk. The funding would help deliver five housing schemes providing approximately 181 affordable homes (an average of below £5k grant funding per home). The funding would be required between 2021/22 and 2023/24 and provision for this can be built into future capital programmes (£500k has already been included in the 2021/22 capital programme).

 

The Section106 monies held can only be used to fund delivery of affordable homes. The option of retaining the monies for alternative future affordable housing schemes is rejected as this runs the risk of not using the receipts effectively and meaning that some of the monies may need to be repaid.

 

 

Conclusions:

 

The proposals in this report help deliver the Corporate Plan objective “Local Homes for Local Need” and will help deliver 181 good quality, energy efficient, affordable homes.

 

 

Recommendations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reasons for

Recommendations:

 

That Cabinet allocate £900k of the existing s106 monies held to support Registered Provider deliver new affordable housing schemes. Provision to be made in the capital programme for five specific housing schemes within the S106 Enabling Budget with £450k allocated in 2021/22, £275k in 2022/23 and £175k in 2023/24.

 

To provide authority for expenditure over £100,000.

 

Cabinet Member(s)

Cllr Greg Hayman

 

Ward(s) affected:

North Walsham West, Stalham, Priory, Bacton

Contact Officer, telephone number and email:

Nicky Debbage, Housing Strategy & Delivery Manager, 01263 516027, nicky.debbage@north-norfolk.gov.uk

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Decision

 

RESOLVED to

 

Allocate £900k of the existing s106 monies held to support Registered Provider deliver new affordable housing schemes. Provision to be made in the capital programme for five specific housing schemes within the S106 Enabling Budget with £450k allocated in 2021/22, £275k in 2022/23 and £175k in 2023/24.

 

Reasons for the decision:

 

To provide authority for expenditure over £100,000 (key decision threshold)

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Housing & Benefits, Cllr G Hayman, introduced this item. He said that this was an exciting proposal to allocate £900k of existing Section 106 commuted sums for the provision of enabling grants to registered providers to deliver new affordable homes in North Norfolk. It was anticipated that the funding would help deliver five housing schemes providing approximately 181 affordable homes. He explained that the Section 106 monies held could only be used to fund the delivery of affordable homes. He concluded by saying that the proposals helped deliver the Corporate Plan objective ‘Local Homes for Local Need’.

 

The Housing Strategy & Delivery Manager drew members’ attention to the potential ‘Extra Care’ housing scheme in North Walsham. Almost £690k of the s106 receipts had been generated by a recent development in North Walsham and by supporting the extra care scheme, the housing would not only be delivered near to the site which had generated the funds but would also support the Corporate Plan objective to support the delivery of 500 units of ‘Housing with care’ units.

 

The Chairman said that he welcomed the proposals. He added that there were some outstanding planning issues regarding some of the proposals and it was important to ensure that these were addressed before the projects progressed too much further.

 

Cllr R Kershaw said that he supported the proposals. As local member for Warham, he said that the scheme was welcomed by residents of the village.

 

It was proposed by Cllr G Hayman, seconded by Cllr J Toye and

 

RESOLVED to

 

Allocate £900k of the existing s106 monies held to support Registered Provider deliver new affordable housing schemes. Provision to be made in the capital programme for five specific housing schemes within the S106 Enabling Budget with £450k allocated in 2021/22, £275k in 2022/23 and £175k in 2023/24.

 

Reasons for the decision:

 

To provide authority for expenditure over £100,000 (key decision threshold)

38.

Exclusion of Press and Public

To pass the following resolution:

“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs _ of Part I ofSchedule 12A (as amended) to the Act.”

39.

Private Business