Issue - meetings

Report of Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Regeneration and Planning

Lead Cabinet member: Councillor William Meyer

(This report contains exempt appendices. Any discussion of these must take place at item 14 following exclusion of the public.)

(Key decision):

(1) To approve the project known as the Former Newhaven Police Station, making an allocation within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Programme of up to £6.2m, in accordance with the business case as set-out at the Exempt Appendix 1 to the report.

(2) To approve the Council entering into a construction contract with the preferred bidder to build out the Former Newhaven Police Station, subject to the business case, demolishing the existing buildings and developing 21 new Council homes.

(3) To approve the disposal of the two HRA assets identified, in accordance with the business case as set-out at Exempt Appendix 2 to the report, including a policy to ring-fence the capital receipts generated within the annual budget to support in the financing of other Council-led housing developments in Lewes town, enabling the re-allocation of retained Right to Buy (RTB) receipts.

(4) To authorise the Director of Regeneration and Planning, in consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Housing, Finance, and Assets, also the Chief Finance Officer, to carry out all necessary actions to facilitate the recommendations including feasibility, financing, appointment of professional services, development, sales, lettings, and determining the terms of, and authorising the execution of, all necessary documentation, in accordance with the business case(s).

The Cabinet considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Regeneration and Planning, providing regular updates on key housing developments in Lewes District.

The proposals contained in the report followed the recent opening of new homes in Lewes at Saxonbury House and Palmerston House in Fort Road. The design of the Former Newhaven Police Station had been subject to a full review of the sustainability features and was in accordance with the Council’s corporate priorities.

The Policy and Performance Advisory Committee (PPAC) at its meeting on 16 September 2021, made the following recommendation to Cabinet:

To support the recommendations in the Cabinet report subject to the following amendment to recommendation (3) being considered by the Cabinet:

(3) That the two HRA assets identified, in accordance with the business case as set out in (Exempt) appendix 2 to the Cabinet report, are not disposed of but improved and brought back into council house use, to support two families in Lewes, as part of the council’s corporate goal.

Councillor Miller, Chair of PPAC, was in attendance to present PPAC’s discussion.

Following presentation of the report, Cabinet resolved to exclude the public whilst discussing the exempt appendix, recommendations from PPAC and comments from visiting members, as otherwise there was a likelihood of disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial and business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

(Note: Councillor O’Keeffe left the meeting during the exempt discussion before Cabinet determined the matter)

Following the exempt discussion, the public meeting resumed, and Cabinet unanimously agreed the officer recommendations as set out in the report.

Resolved (Key decision):

(1) To approve the project known as the Former Newhaven Police Station, making an allocation within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Programme of up to £6.2m, in accordance with the business case as set-out at the Exempt Appendix 1 to the report.

(2) To approve the Council entering into a construction contract with the preferred bidder to build out the Former Newhaven Police Station, subject to the business case, demolishing the existing buildings and developing 21 new Council homes.

(3) To approve the disposal of the two HRA assets identified, in accordance with the business case as set-out at Exempt Appendix 2 to the report, including a policy to ring-fence the capital receipts generated within the annual budget to support in the financing of other Council-led housing developments in Lewes town, enabling the re-allocation of retained Right to Buy (RTB) receipts.

(4) To authorise the Director of Regeneration and Planning, in consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Housing, Finance, and Assets, also the Chief Finance Officer, to carry out all necessary actions to facilitate the recommendations including feasibility, financing, appointment of professional services, development, sales, lettings, and determining the terms of, and authorising the execution of, all necessary documentation, in accordance with the business case(s).

Reason for decisions:

To provide  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30