Issue details

The purpose of this report is to update the Executive on recent land assembly changes at Welborne and agree the termination of the Council’s procurement process to appoint a Delivery Partner.

The report also notifies the Executive of a future report(s) setting out an updated Delivery Strategy and governance arrangements for Welborne Garden Village.

Following the approval of the Welborne Delivery Strategy in February 2016, the Council progressed work to secure the comprehensive development of Welborne.

The Delivery Strategy included taking appropriate actions to work towards achieving comprehensive land assembly at Welborne, where possible on a voluntary basis, in pursuit of getting the new community delivered. 

In June 2017, at an early stage of its procurement process, the Council shortlisted four potential Delivery Partners for Welborne Garden Village. 

However, in July 2017, Buckland Development Ltd (via a new entity Welborne Land Ltd) contracted to acquire the Dean Farm Estate. Completion of that land transfer took place on 22^nd September 2017 resulting in the Buckland organisation now owning over 90% of the land at the Welborne site. 

This voluntary land assembly, secured in line with the Council’s Delivery Strategy, and the assurances provided by Buckland Development Ltd to the Council in relation to it, give the Council confidence that the objectives of the Welborne Garden Village project will be delivered. 

It also recognised that Buckland Development Ltd submitted an outline planning application for Welborne in March 2017 that aims to meet the aspirations set out in the Welborne Plan. 

Consequently, the need for the Council to appoint a Delivery Partner, in combination with using its compulsory purchase powers to assemble the site (if necessary), and deliver Welborne has fallen away. 

It is therefore now appropriate for the Council to fully review and update its Delivery Strategy in moving forward to the implementation phase of Welborne Garden Village.  This report seeks confirmation that in such circumstances the current procurement process to appoint a Delivery Partner should be terminated. 

The Council may have a future lead role in securing any necessary minority land holdings, including any areas of land in unclear or unknown ownership, through Compulsory Purchase in order to secure the accelerated delivery of Welborne Garden Village.  Compulsory purchase will only be used where voluntary land assembly options prove unsuccessful.

Executive approval is also sought for officers to develop an updated Delivery Strategy and updated governance proposals for consideration and approval at a future Executive meeting(s).

In implementing the Delivery Strategy, the Council’s activities have positively resulted in the award of Garden Village status for Welborne from the Government; secured capacity funding of over £228,000 with a further application for £555,000 submitted in August 2017; and a bid to the Homes and Communities Agency for £10M of Housing Infrastructure Marginal Viability Funding.