Issue details
Somer Valley Enterprise Zone Statutory Mechanisms
BANES has undertaken a procurement exercise to
secure strategic and implementation advice on the statutory
mechanisms available to the Council to enable delivery of the
commercial outcomes at Somer Valley Enterprise Zone (SVEZ) through
the acquisition of land parcels.
An in-principle statutory mechanisms resolution was adopted in
February 2024. In accordance with the adopted resolution, approval
is sought to bring forward a report to Cabinet to determine the use
of compulsory purchase powers to acquire the land and rights in
land required for the SVEZ scheme.
The Council is looking to deliver a mixed used regeneration project
in the Somer Valley, predominantly on the land forming part of the
SVEZ which is held in multiple ownerships. The SVEZ has been
allocated for mixed use development in the Council’s local
plan since 2007 but has not been bought forward by the private
sector. In addition to the development of the SVEZ, there are a
number of highways works that will be necessary in order to deliver
the project, including a new access from the A362 and network
junction interventions.
The Local Planning Authority (LPA) is promoting a Local Development
Order (LDO) across the SVEZ, and highway enabling works to assist
in bringing the site forward.
In order to secure delivery of the outcomes at SVEZ the Council
needs to acquire the majority if not all of the land within the
SVEZ as well as several small parcels of land outside of the
highway boundary.
It is therefore necessary to consider the statutory mechanisms
available to the Council, via a Compulsory Purchase Order, to
enable the acquisition of the land parcels should ongoing
negotiations not lead to private treaty acquisitions.
Decision type: Key
Reason Key: Significant Financial Impact and Affects more than 1 ward;
Decision status: For Determination
Wards affected: Paulton;
Notice of proposed decision first published: 11/06/2024
Decision due: 11 Jul 2024 by Cabinet
Lead member: Cabinet Member for Economic and Cultural Sustainable Development
Lead director: Director of Capital & Housing Delivery
Contact: Richard Holden, Operations Manager - Bath Enterprise Zone Email: simon_martin@bathnes.gov.uk Email: Richard_Holden@bathnes.gov.uk Tel: 01225 47 7655.
Consultation process
The project team and its consultants have been
in regular dialogue with the landowners over the last 24 months.
The project reports into the Cabinet Member and a Key Stakeholder
Group.
An informal public engagement was held in May-June 2022 and the
formal LDO documents were published on 16th January 2023 and the
formal public consultation concluded on 23rd February 2023.
Following the initial statutory consultation, the project team
attended workshops with Development Management to address comments
received and revised documents were submitted back to the LPA. The
revised statutory consultation began on 22nd September 2023 and
concludes on 20th October 2023.
The informal public engagement in May/June 2022 consisted of a
public webinar, consultation boards in local libraries and hard
copy and online surveys. Engagement events were undertaken at
Midsomer Norton Town Council, Radstock Town Council, Paulton Parish
Council and a resident meeting in Paulton.
Consultees
Both statutory consultations were hosted on
the Planning Portal, with a dedicated webpage on the B&NES site
that described the documents uploaded and then directed through to
the Planning Portal for comment. Statutory consultees were
contacted directly by Development Management to inform them of the
application being published for comment. Prior to the revised
statutory consultation, the project team attended Farrington Gurney
Parish Council meeting on the 18th September and the Somer Valley
Forum on 20th September.
EFP Reference: E3557