Agenda item

(Director of Neighbourhoods) To consider the attached report AMED-002-2017/18.

The Director of Neighbourhoods presented a report to the Cabinet Committee and updated Members on further developments to the report since it had been published.

(1)        Epping Forest Shopping Park

There was a separate detailed report on the progress of the Epping Forest Shopping Park at Agenda Item 8.

(2)        Oakwood Hill Depot

Work had commenced on the feasibility of relocating the Housing Repairs Services to the Depot at Oakwood Hill. This was agreed, in accordance with the Council’s accommodation strategy, by the Cabinet on the 9 March 2017. There were cost increases associated with the installation of an alarm system and a final report will be submitted to Cabinet before the end of the year. There were a number of snagging issues to be fully resolved with the building contractor, however progress was being made.

Councillor Breare-Hall asked why there were still issues with snagging as he thought that staff had been in situ for some time now and that these would have been remedied by now. My questions to the Director of Neighbourhoods are:

(a)  When did staff occupy the building; and

(b)  Have Building Control signed off on the depot.

The Director of Neighbourhoods advised that staff moved into the building in September/October 2016 and Building Control had signed off the building apart from one issue which was a means of escape for people with disabilities from the first floor.

The outstanding snagging issues were associated with the configuration of the external landscaping and the offsite monitoring of the alarm system which have contributed to the extra cost involved.

(3)        Pyrles Lane Nursery

In March 2016, outline planning permission was granted for the demolition of the District Council’s tree/plant propagation nursery in Pyrles Lane, Loughton and the erection of up to 36 dwellings with a mix flats and houses) with associated car parking, landscaping and supporting infrastructure. The Council had commissioned specialist advice on the value and marketing of the site. A report will go to the next Cabinet meeting on the 11 July 2017, with an independent report on the value of the site and some proposals of how the marketing and disposal could be conducted. There were however a number of issues regarding affordable housing on the site and a steer would be sought from Members.

(4)        St John’s Road Development

Final agreement between the District Council, the Town Council and Frontier Estates had now been reached on the provision of the community elements of the scheme, in particular assurance around the provision of the cinema. This was now in the hands of the respective solicitors to complete the final legal agreement, which should be ready to be entered into by mid-July. Once achieved, further work would commence on a planning application which could be submitted by the end of the year.

(5)        North Weald Airfield

After an unsuccessful attempt to galvanise external interest in terms of an operational partner there had been work done through the Local Plan process in terms of employment uses that would be appropriate at the Airfield. The findings were shared by a Member Workshop held on 22 June 2017. More detailed site assessment work will now commence on all the initial sites identified including the Airfield. This will set the planning context in which future commercial aviation related opportunities could be taken forward.

(6)        Site of the former Winston Churchill Public House

The scaffolding had now been removed and joint agents have been appointed to let the retail space on the ground floor, for which the Council would retain the income. To date there had been more interested parties than there was space and it was hoped that the retail space would be occupied by September/October 2017.

Councillor Mohindra stated that he thought the ground floor units would be let out and open to the public by September 2017 and not later as Members had just been informed. The Director of Neighbourhoods replied that the target date had always been September 2017. The slight delay was due to the main building being behind schedule and the expressions of interest hadn’t come through as quick as we would have expected.

(7)        Hillhouse Development

The contract with the Council’s new Leisure Management partner Places for People, had been entered into and the management responsibilities were transferred to them on the 1 April 2017.   The outline planning permission, on the discharge of all the conditions to include the completion of the Section 106 Agreement, was issued in late March 2017. Places for People were working on the full application for the new Leisure Centre, which would be due for consideration by the District Development Management Committee on 10 July 2017.

Resolved:

That the current progress on the Council’s Asset Management and Development projects were noted.

Reasons for Decision:

To comply with the Cabinet Committee’s previous request to monitor the development of the Council’s Property Assets on a regular basis.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

None, as this was a monitoring report for information not action.