Issue - meetings

The Council considered the recommendation of Corporate Policy and Resources Committee on Ashford Victory Place.

Resolved to approve the specification changes (option A) sought by Planning Committee prior to submitting revisions to the Local Planning Authority (LPA).

The Corporate Policy and Resources Committee are asked to:

1.    agree specification changes sought by Planning Committee prior to submitting revisions to the Local Planning Authority (LPA).

2.    note that subject to the above, Assets will finalise contract terms and build costs with the contractor. Execution of their contract is subject to planning, Development Sub-Committee, the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee and Full Council approval dependent on the value of spec enhancements agreed above.

Reason for exemption:

This report contains exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006 Paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information because, disclosure to the public would prejudice the financial position of the authority in the bidding process for the site/services by allowing other bidders to know the position of the Council.  This in turn prejudices the Council by (i) distorting the bids process and (ii) prejudicing the opportunity for the Council to acquire a site/services in order to enable regeneration in the Borough.

The Committee considered an exempt report on Ashford Victory Place.

The Committee discussed the options presented in the report in detail and agreed that it was right that the Councill lead the way and ensure that developments were future proofed, as green as possible and provide much needed affordable and key worker housing.

The Committee agreed that option A was their preferred option and acknowledged that their recommendation on this item would need to be presented to Council on 15 July 2021 due to the value of the required specification enhancements.

Resolved to;

1.    agree specification changes sought by Planning Committee prior to submitting revisions to the Local Planning Authority (LPA) with option A, the preferred option, agreed by the Committee.

2.    note that Assets will finalise contract terms and build costs with the contractor. Execution of their contract is subject to planning, and Full Council approval due to the value of the spec enhancements agreed above.