Agenda item

This report provides an update in respect of housing delivery and the projects currently managed by the Development & Major Projects Directorate.

The Divisional Director for Development, Skills & Regeneration introduced this item to the Panel. He wished to highlight the following points from within the report.

The Core Strategy identifies a requirement for 11,500 homes between 2006 -2026. About 3,000 of these can be secured as affordable housing. The vast majority of development (about 90%) will take place on brownfield sites. To date 2600 units have been delivered (an average of c430 per annum) with a further 8900 (an average of 635 per annum) required by 2026 to achieve our targets. This requires a 47% increase in annual delivery rates to achieve our targets. The Council is working to achieve no less than 25% of the total new housing supply being affordable housing.

Work continues on Planning and Financing the Future programme (PaFF). This is being carried out to establish the impact of development upon viability and corporate financing. The project is a response to the new and emerging income streams available to local authorities such as New Homes Bonus (NHB), Tax Increment Finance (TIF), Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and the potential for retention of Business Rates which are linked to the delivery of housing and employment growth.

Somerdale

• Deliver new housing – 650-700 new homes, with 35% affordable housing that is pepper-potted throughout the housing development.
• Deliver employment land / premises to create 1000 new jobs be unmistakably and identifiable as Somerdale, but be integrated with the existing town.

Enterprise Area

Work continues to articulate the scope of the Bath Enterprise Area. Key activities are:

• A study has been commissioned to identify options for the delivery of up-stream flood storage as part of a Strategic Flood Risk Management Strategy for the river corridor in Bath.
• Work has started to develop a policy basis which will help to ensure speedy delivery of sites within a target framework
• Progression of discussions with interested development parties.
• Work is progressing to produce ‘Development Values’ for Bath Quays South.

London Road

• The future of Caroline House is still being discussed between PfP and the Council and an update will follow in due course
• London Road budget to deliver physical regeneration £750k for 2012/13 was approved by Cabinet 13th June 2012 for delegated officer decision on individual budget elements.
• A new community group ‘The Gateway Group’ has been formed to make recommendations to the Sponsoring Cabinet Member of projects to be tested and assessed against agreed criterion. If and when approved, projects will be delivered by a delivery team headed by Development & Major Projects.

MOD Sites

For sites such as these, the Council would normally prepare formal planning policy through a Development Plan Document (DPD) but because there is insufficient time in the disposal timescale to complete this statutory process, the Concept Statements are being prepared instead. However, the Concept Statements are the first stage in the preparation of the Council’s Placemaking Plan (Site Allocations DPD) and their preparation will be subject to the initial stages of statutory Plan preparation, including public consultation. This will provide sufficient planning weight to provide a basis for on-going discussions with developers.

The concept statements set out in a concise manner:

• The aspirations for each 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.

A project plan was agreed with the M.O.D that enabled the three Concept Statements to be prepared and by the Council to meet with MoD’s disposal timescales. The Concept Statements have undergone a period of public consultation ahead of being submitted for approval by Cabinet in September 2012.

The Chair commented that she would like the Panel to be shown a more holistic approach for the projects associated within Keynsham and Radstock. She also asked if any funds had been allocated to the Flood Mitigation project.

The Divisional Director for Development, Skills & Regeneration replied that the Council would be seeking to gain funding from the Revolving Infrastructure Fund and to draw back funds from either Section 106 agreements or the Community Infrastructure Levy from city centre properties.

The Chair asked if the Flood Mitigation works were in respect of Bath only.

The Divisional Director for Development, Skills & Regeneration replied that the initial study was district wide and that he would enquire as to whether the current proposals were for the district.

Councillor Will Sandry commented that he was concerned over the lack of a Council role / lead officer on the matter of the future electrification of the Great Western rail line.

The Divisional Director for Development, Skills & Regeneration replied that he did not know the detail of that matter, but would seek an answer from colleagues within Planning & Transport for the Panel.

Councillor Les Kew commented that he felt that the Ward Councillors should also be invited to events such as the ‘Somerdale – Officers and relevant Cabinet Members workshop’.

Councillor Geoff Ward commented that he felt if any of the proposals involved planning permission within Bathavon North that the local residents would be against them. He also asked if an officer could comment on a rumour he had heard regarding the MOD site of Ensleigh. He had read in the local paper that plans for the site may attempt to spread onto the land of Kingswood School.

The Divisional Director for Development, Skills & Regeneration replied that he was not familiar with the site and would ask colleagues to respond in due course.

Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones asked if the budget for the Public Realm in 2013 was known yet.

The Divisional Director for Development, Skills & Regeneration replied that he would pass on that question to the Divisional Director for Project Management and ask him to respond to the Panel.

The Panel RESOLVED to note the report.