Issue - meetings

To consider recommending to Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to:

1. Approve the introduction of a Development Delivery Strategy;

2. Approve the form and content of the draft Development Delivery Strategy attached to this report; and

3. Refer the Development Delivery Strategy to Council for adoption.

The Sub-Committee received a report on the draft Development Delivery Strategy. The Group Head Assets advised that delivery options would be considered on a site-by-site basis and that the strategy would set out the criteria for deciding the relevant options for each site.

The Sub-Committee asked for clarification over what would be prioritised; achieving the objectives of the Corporate Plan or the need to achieve financial returns on the sites. The Group Head Assets advised that while the Council has a statutory obligation to achieve best value in terms of financial returns, it is the Councillors who would make the decision as to how the sites are progressed and could decide that best value meant something beyond the financial implications.

The Sub-Committee queried how residents should interpret Appendix 2 and were advised that it showed anticipated delivery mechanisms that would be acceptable to the market, but that no decision would be made until a report was brought to the relevant committee. The Sub-Committee expressed reservation about Appendix 2 being in the public domain and it was resolved that it would not be published with the rest of the Development Delivery Strategy.

The Sub-Committee queried whether it would be possible to do nothing and wait for interest rates and construction cost to reduce. The Chief Accountant advised that doing nothing was not an option and that progress needed to be made on the sites to avoid £15m being transferred to the revenue budget.

The Chair suggested that further work on the strategy was needed to identify which sites should be prioritised. The Group Head Assets suggested the report be withdrawn and that a workshop with selected Councillors held to identify priority sites. The report could then return to Development Sub-Committee in May 2024.

The Sub-Committee resolved to withdraw the report and reconsider it at the next meeting.