Issue - meetings

Report attached.

Appendix D to this report, containing exempt information, appears at Agenda Item 12, in Part C of the Agenda.  The implementation of the decisions taken under Agenda Item 5 will be conditional upon the adoption of the recommendation at Agenda Item 12.

The Cabinet considered a report of Councillor Miles Parkinson OBE, Leader of the Council, regarding authorisation for the making of a Compulsory Purchase Order for Burtons Chambers.

The Leader outlined some key points within the report in relation to the process of developing the Town Centre Investment Plan (TCIP) and the resultant Accrington Acre redevelopment, as well as noting the potential to draw in £70m investment, which would build upon £55m of public and private monies already invested.  Regeneration of Burtons Chambers had always been an ambition of the Council following its slow decline as retail premises over a period of 20 years.  The approvals being sought today would ensure that there would be no delay in progressing the current plans by putting in place the necessary authorisations.  The acquisition of the relevant freeholds had been resolved, but dialogue was still on-going in relation to leaseholders.  Good progress was being made and, ultimately, a CPO might not be required.

Councillor Dad commented that he was satisfied that all the correct steps were being undertaken to progress the project.  The Leader added that the whole scheme was something of a jigsaw, but all of the pieces were now falling into place.  This had taken a lot of hard work by the stakeholders, officers and consultants.

Approval of the report was a key decision.

Reasons for Decision

The report:

• Updated Cabinet on progress to date with the acquisition of interests in two interventions within theCouncil’s Levelling Up Funding (LUF) programme.

·        Invited Cabinet to authorise the making of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) under Section 226(1)(a) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to acquire compulsorily land, existing rights and interests at Burtons Chambers where agreement could not be reached in order to deliver the comprehensive 'Accrington Acre' redevelopment which was the subject of the LUF submission.

·        Set out details of the proposed order lands by way of a draft CPO plan included as Appendix C to the report.

·        Sought approval for the Executive Director (Environment), following consultation with the Executive Director (Legal & Democratic Services) to agree compensation and acquisition payments where this would avoid the need to compulsorily purchase interests.

The report included detailed information on the following matters:

• Background and the need for redevelopment;
• Appointment of a preferred developer and partner/operator;
• Land assembly and obtaining clean title to the land;
• Description of the Order Land;
• Description of interests in the Order Land  (The interests to be acquired in the Order Lands were set out in the draft CPO Schedule provided as Appendix D to the report, which appeared in the private part of the Agenda (Minute 338 refers));
• The need for a Compulsory Purchase Order;
• Details of attempts to acquire interests by agreement;
• The planning position of the Order Land; and
• Funding.

In summary, the recommendations were brought forward in order to progress the redevelopment of the ‘Accrington Acre’ and contribute to the implementation of the TCIP.

If the Accrington Acre redevelopment  ...  view the full minutes text for item 332