Issue - meetings

      Report of the Chief Executive.

Reasons for taking the item in private:

Paragraph 3 - information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Cllr Philip Whitehead, Leader of the Council and Cabinet member for Economic Development, MCI and Communications presented the report seeking Cabinets consideration of the Council submitting an offer for an option

on land as set out in Appendix A to this report.  In addition, the report seeks consideration of acquiring land from Wiltshire College including an agreement on overage.

It was noted that offers for the option on land set out in Appendix A to the report were required by the 16December 2020 and if payment was required before the end of the financial year it would be necessary to bring forward unallocated capital funds from the 2020/21 capital programme.

The Cabinet noted that the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Environment Select Committee had received a briefing on the proposals on 30 November 2020 and expressed their support for the proposals.

Resolved:

1.    That the Council makes offers for an option on the land owned by the Shiles family to the south of Chippenham as shown in appendix A to the report.

2.    That the Council makes offers for an option on the Shiles land based on maximum existing use value for the land and a percentage of the land value uplift if the site comes forward for development minus the Council’s costs plus the vendors fees , and another offer based on reduced existing use value and vendors fees but increased percentage of land value uplift minus the Council’s costs.

3.    That the existing use value is determined by an independent valuation.

4.    That the detailed offers are made by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

5.    That subject to the Council providing loan finance to Wiltshire College to enable them to refinance their existing loans the Council makes an offer to purchase land at the Lackham college site at existing use value.

6.    That the Council enters into an agreement with Wiltshire college to purchase an element of land value uplift on that land if it comes forward for development.

7.    That the agreement will require Wilshire College to repay the Council the agreed sum plus the Council’s costs at an agreed date if the land does not come forward for development.

8.    That the detail of the agreement with Wiltshire College is delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

9.    That if the offers are accepted and payment is required in 2020/21 financial year the requisite capital allocation is brought forward from the 2021/22 unallocated capital programme.

Reason for Decision:

The proposals will enable the Council to make offers for land that has strategic importance both in terms of relationship with the Council’s existing land ownership but also the possible route for a distributor road around the south east of Chippenham.