Issue - meetings

(Commercial & Estates) To agree to approve the funding of the construction of a new combined Control Tower Building (CTB) and Fire Station at North Weald Airfield in order to allow the safe continuation of aviation activities following the adoption of the Master Plan and subsequent land sale which incorporates the current facilities (C-006-2024-25).

(1)        That the Cabinet agreed to approve the funding of the construction of a new combined Control Tower Building (CTB) and Fire Station at North Weald Airfield in order to allow the safe continuation of aviation activities following the adoption of the Master Plan and subsequent land sale which incorporated the current facilities. The estimated sum was £4,859,000;

(2)        That the Cabinet agreed to allow officers and advisers to instruct and finalise negotiations with contractors in order to award the contract for construction of the new combined Control Tower Building (CBT) and Fire Station subject to Leader, Portfolio Holder, and Section 151 Officer approval;

(3)        That the Cabinet agreed to approve funding for associated equipment required for the new Control Tower Building including that for the Visual Control Room (VCR) subject to Council approving a variation to the Capital Programme. The estimated sum was £300,000; and

(4)        That the Cabinet agreed to approve the funding for the management and delivery of obligatory capital works arising from the transaction conditions within the sale of land inside the employment Master Plan area subject to Council approving the variation to the Capital Programme. This included the adaptation of a new interim Airfield access point and enabling works associated with the electrical power supply. The estimated sum was £554,916.

Councillor T Matthews (Commercial & Estates Portfolio Holder) introduced the report and remarked that as the control tower was located on the land that had been sold to Google, it needed to be relocated. Also, the current facilities in the control tower were quite old.

Councillor N Bedford commented that this was an excellent report. The Council was committed to investing in both the North Weald Airfield and its facilities, and the residents in North Weald. Councillor S Patel (Transformation Portfolio Holder) and Councillor S Murray both supported this development proposal.

Councillor M Morris queried if the money was coming from the Google land sale? The Portfolio Holder replied that the breakdown was detailed in the report, but it had been covered by money coming in from Google. D Goodey (Service Manager Commercial) confirmed the money had come from the capital receipt from Google’s land purchase.

The report set out the options considered, if any, and the reasons for the recommendation and the decision.

            Decision:

(1)        That the Cabinet agreed to approve the funding of the construction of a new combined Control Tower Building (CTB) and Fire Station at North Weald Airfield in order to allow the safe continuation of aviation activities following the adoption of the Master Plan and subsequent land sale which incorporated the current facilities. The estimated sum was £4,859,000;

(2)        That the Cabinet agreed to allow officers and advisers to instruct and finalise negotiations with contractors in order to award the contract for construction of the new combined Control Tower Building (CBT) and Fire Station subject to Leader, Portfolio Holder, and Section 151 Officer approval;

(3)        That the Cabinet agreed to approve funding for associated equipment required for the new Control Tower Building including that for the Visual Control Room (VCR) subject to Council approving a variation to the Capital Programme. The estimated sum was £300,000; and

(4)        That the Cabinet agreed to approve the funding for the management and delivery of obligatory capital works arising from the transaction conditions within the sale of land inside the employment Master Plan area subject to Council approving the variation to the Capital Programme. This included the adaptation of a new interim Airfield access point and enabling works associated with the electrical power supply. The estimated sum was £554,916.