Decision details
Bath Western Riverside
Decision Maker: Director Finance - Section 151 Officer
Decision status: Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose:
The purpose of this decision is to:
1) Authorise the Wales & West Utilities gas rationalisation
purchase order in line with the executed contract terms for the
remaining contract value of £4,170,000, that being the full
contract value of £5,560,000 less deposit monies paid of
£1,390,000.
2) Authorise the progression and execution of a supporting
agreement with National Grid Property Twenty-Severn Limited, a
third-party landowner at the Bath Western Riverside development
site, to secure a fixed funding contribution towards the gas
rationalisation works and land swap obligation in order to create
independent development plots for each party at 6 years from
agreement entry, conditional upon completion of the gas
rationalisation works.
Decision:
In accordance with the delegation of approvals
set out in the Cabinet Decision E3168, the Director of Economy and
Growth in consultation with the S151 Officer authorises the Wales
& West Utilities gas rationalisation purchase order of
£4,170,000, and progression and execution of a supporting
agreement with National Grid Property Twenty-Severn Limited to
secure a fixed funding contribution towards the gas rationalisation
works and land swap obligation in order to create independent
development plots for each party at 6 years from agreement entry,
conditional upon completion of the gas rationalisation
works.
Alternative options considered:
The Council has considered the other options
available to safeguard the delivery of new homes in Bath as;
Do Nothing – Council does not procure the gas rationalisation
works and leaves it to the market to bring the land forward once
viable to do so. Given the complexity and expense of upfront
infrastructure and remediation, this is likely to continue to stall
development for a number of years.
Delay – Do not procure the gas rationalisation works on
current programme. This option has been discounted as the contract
deposit has been placed and pre-works committed. Delaying would
result in the council losing the ability to procure the gas works
with programme certainty and would not support the council’s
land investment or provide any programme certainty to the delivery
of new homes needed in Bath.
Publication date: 09/11/2020
Date of decision: 06/11/2020