Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

1.    That an appropriate and suitable design consultancy be appointed to undertake the preliminary design work, with an estimated cost of £0.73m incurred by Surrey County Council, in advance of a full funding agreement being entered into with the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

2.    That a further report be brought to Cabinet in September 2020 regarding progress with the terms and conditions of the funding agreement and to seek full approval for the scheme.

3.    That authority be given to officers to commence early discussions with landowners with respect to the acquisition of third-party land, it being understood that this may need to progress to compulsory purchase where necessary, which would be subject to both the signing of the Funding Agreement by the Council and a further Cabinet Member resolution.

Reason for decision:

The decisions recommended will enable the early work to develop the project to commence in a way that will ensure that the project has the best opportunity to meet the challenging HIF spend timetable of March 2024. It will also enable some of the currently identifiable risks to be better understood and mitigated before Cabinet are asked for a decision for SCC to give full approval for the scheme and to sign the proposed funding agreement.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee]

The Deputy Leader introduced a report that explained how Surrey County Council (SCC) in conjunction with Runnymede Borough Council (RBC) submitted a bid to the HIF in March 2019 to facilitate the provision of 3,687 additional homes currently included within the Runnymede Local Plan. He explained that there were several risks currently with the project that needed to be mitigated and which officers were working to resolve before SCC signs the Funding Agreement. 

However, in the interim, there is a need to commence work on the project as early as possible, to ensure the project could be delivered to the required timetable. Approval was sought to incorporate the Scheme within the Council’s capital delivery programme to allow preliminary design to be undertaken in the development of the scheme prior to the signing of the Funding Agreement with MHCLG.  A further report would be brought to Cabinet in September 2020 with recommendations on the signing of the Funding Agreement.

A discussion was had about the wording of the third recommendation and it was agreed that the following changes be made:

‘Authority be given to officers to commence initial negotiations early discussions with landowners in respect  of the for the acquisition of third-party land, it being understood that this may need to progress to compulsory purchase where necessary, which would be subject to both the signing of the Funding Agreement by SCC and a further Cabinet Member resolution.’

RESOLVED:

1.    That an appropriate and suitable design consultancy be appointed to undertake the preliminary design work, with an estimated cost of £0.73m incurred by Surrey County Council, in advance of a full funding agreement being entered into with the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

2.    That a further report be brought to Cabinet in September 2020 regarding progress with the terms and conditions of the funding agreement and to seek full approval for the scheme.

3.    That authority be given to officers to commence early discussions with landowners with respect to the acquisition of third-party land, it being understood that this may need to progress to compulsory purchase where necessary, which would be subject to both the signing of the Funding Agreement by the Council and a further Cabinet Member resolution.

Reason for decision:

The decisions recommended will enable the early work to develop the project to commence in a way that will ensure that the project has the best opportunity to meet the challenging HIF spend timetable of March 2024. It will also enable some of the currently identifiable risks to be better understood and mitigated before Cabinet are asked for a decision for SCC to give full approval for the scheme and to sign the proposed funding agreement.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee]