Agenda and minutes

(Assistant to the Chief Executive) To declare interests in any item on this agenda.

Pursuant to the Councillors Code of Conduct, Councillors B Sandler, K Chana, G Mohindra and L Wagland declared personal interests in item 5 (Grange Farm, Chigwell) by virtue of being members of Chigwell Parish Council. The members remained in the meeting for the duration of the discussion and voting on that item.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive)  To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

It was noted that Councillor D Wixley was substituting for Councillor Markham at this meeting.

Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, together with paragraphs 6 and 25 of the Council Procedure Rules contained in the Constitution requires that the permission of the Chairman be obtained, after prior notice to the Chief Executive, before urgent business not specified in the agenda (including a supplementary agenda of which the statutory period of notice has been given) may be transacted.

In accordance with Operational Standing Order 6 (non-executive bodies), any item raised by a non-member shall require the support of a member of the Committee concerned and the Chairman of that Committee.  Two weeks' notice of non-urgent items is required.

There was no further business for consideration at the meeting.

(Director of Planning and Economic Development) To consider the attached report.

The Committee gave further consideration to proposals made to the Council by the developer of the Grange Farm Core site which had been deferred by the Committee at its last meeting on 9 June 2009 in order to allow for the provision of additional information and seek observations from the Director of Finance & ICT.

The Committee noted that since 2002 there had been outline planning permission to redevelop the core area of the former holiday and camping centre at the above site for residential development in this Green Belt location. On 20 December 2006 after protracted negotiations a S106 Agreement had been completed and a renewed planning permission EPF/2190/05 granted subject to a number of conditions.

Under the Agreement, the rehabilitation works and the sports field works were to be carried out by the Developer and the Sports Pavilion and Interpretation Centre are to be constructed by Grange Farm Centre Trust (GFCT) before it was then leased to Chigwell Parish Council to manage and maintain.

The threshold for payment of the maintenance sums, Sports Pavilion and Interpretation Centre contributions, which were to be passed to GFCT and then to Chigwell Parish Council (CPC), as well as the contamination land assessments and affordable housing was that half was payable prior to implementation of the houses and the remainder prior to occupation of the 20^th house. The Education and Transportation contributions were both required in their entirety prior to implementation.

Work has commenced on the clearing of the core area, ready to begin the residential development. The developer had written to the Director of Corporate Support Services seeking variations to the Agreement aimed at cost reductions because their funders were withholding funding of the development until the budget was reduced in view of the changed financial environment. They outline that over time, costs for open space and parkland works and  roundabout access works had risen significantly over estimate and the economic downturn had resulted in the development being placed in jeopardy.

Following the last meeting, the developer had made further representations to the Council regarding payments to be made under the section 106 Agreement which instead of seeking not to pay elements of the Agreements sums, rather sought to the revised rephrasing of the payments to later in the development phase. Additionally, contributions to the sports pavilion, interpretation centre and community projects were proposed to be held by the developer and drawn down during the construction of the community facilities.

The Committee received representations from an objector, the GFCT and the developer.

It was the view of the Committee that there was a significant threat to the scheme, including the desired community elements, in the current economic environment. Additionally grant money promised to the scheme would also be lost if the scheme was further delayed or stopped. Officers had suggested proposals that protected the payments to the Council for the Sports Pavilion and Interpretation Centre Building Sum and the balance of the Community Project Sum as part of any deed of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.