Agenda item

The Panel will receive a presentation on this item from the Development & Major Projects Director.

The Development & Major Projects Director gave a presentation to the Panel in relation to this item, a summary is set out below.

He informed the Panel a report on this matter would be presented to the September meeting of the Cabinet.

Our Vision for Bath and North East Somerset

•  Vision – placing people at the forefront of the agenda

•  Vision built upon strengths:

-  Beauty and Unmatched Heritage – only city in UK with World Heritage Status

-  World Renowned Brand – internationally recognised

-  Good Regional Access

-  Excellence in Sports – Bath Rugby, Team GB at University of Bath

-  Innovative and Entrepreneurial Spirit

•  Flourishing economy

-  Our economy is built upon high value businesses

-  We have strengths in Creative Industries and we are home to many international companies including Future Publishing

-  We have strengths in ICT and Microelectronics businesses – Bath company, Picochip was recently sold for $60million

-  We have a growing the economy, and by 2026 we expect to have grown it by £1.6billion GVA to £3.3billion GVA

-  We are delivering new jobs – 8,500 by 2026

•  One of our priorities is to provide new homes that supports our growing economy

Delivery mechanism for Core Strategy

•  The Strategy outlines our requirement for over 11,500 new homes

•  We have identified locations that meet our vision:

•  Sites that are sustainable

•  Tackles out-commuting

•  Supports local retail

•  Protects and contributes to existing communities

•  Reuse of brownfield sites

•  No urban extension

•  35% affordable units

Opportunities

•  Historically housing has been delivered on a small scale to date

•  We must enable delivery on larger sites

•  Bath Riverside is off the ground:

•  The Council invested £12.4m into the project

•  Working with our partners, we were able to help secure additional funds from:

•  Somer Housing - £10.3m

•  HCA - £8m

•  48 affordable homes have already been delivered

•  A number of large sites have been granted planning permission

•  K2B, Keynsham – 285 dwellings

•  There are a number of projects coming forward including

•  Somerdale – 600 homes

•  Alcan, Radstock

•  There are a number of major development sites coming forward:

•  MoD sites at Ensleigh, Foxhill and Warminster Road

•  K2A, Keynsham

Development Agenda – Sites

Bath:

Enterprise Area (Bath Quays Sth / Bath Quays Nth / Manvers Street), Bath Riverside, MoD Ensleigh, MoD Foxhill, MoD Warminster Rd

Keynsham:

Town Hall, Somerdale, K2A & B, Riverside

Somer Valley:

NRR, Alcan, Welton Bibby Baron, Old Mills

Enterprise Area and Corridor of Wealth

Within 5 years:

113 new businesses

3,500 new jobs

72,000 m² commercial floorspace

25 years - £292 million business rates

Challenges to address

Strategic flood mitigation

Land remediation

Transportation infrastructure

Detailed masterplan

MoD sites

1,200 new homes

Timetable

Vacate sites - March 2013

Market sites - Autumn 2012

Sold on the open market - March 2013

‘Concept Statements’

•  The aspirations for each individual site.

•  The key planning priorities and requirements for new development.

•  The process setting out how developers (once the sites have been sold) should engage with local communities.

Planning and Financing the Future

Delivery model brings together all available tools at the Council’s disposal

Modelling

Financial predictions

Focus on investment

Working in Partnership

Understanding the industry

•  Demonstrable occupier market

•  Predictable timescales

•  Certainty of process- Regulation

•  Viability

•  Exit strategy

•  Occupiers

•  Investors

•  Buyers

The Chair thanked him for the presentation.

Councillor Brian Simmons asked if he had seen the River Corridor report.

The Development & Major Projects Director replied that he had and found it to be aspirational with some good short term opportunities.

Councillor Brian Simmons asked if there was any movement on the Bath Quays South site.

The Development & Major Projects Director replied that there was more interest generally in Bath at the current time than he could recall over the last seven years. He added that the three distinct communities of the Council should look to work together as integration was the key to future success.