Issue - meetings

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its two appendices in the agenda supplement and to make the resolutions set out below:

(1)  That the Development Brief in appendix 1 to the agenda report be approved.

(2)  That the revised PID and timescales contained therein in appendix 2 to the agenda report be approved.

(3)  That a procurement process governed by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 via the Official Journal of the Economic Union (OJEU) to secure a development partner be approved.

(4)  That the Deputy Chief Executive, after consultation with the Leader of the Council, be delegated to conduct the procurement, select bidders with suitable financial standing and experience, invite tenders and take all steps up to but not including selection of preferred bidder

(5)  That the Deputy Chief Executive, after consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Growth and Place, be authorised to make any non-material changes to the Development Brief and finalise the OJEU procurement documentation.

[Note There is a background paper which is confidential exempt material (Paragraphs 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and/or 5 (information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings) and/or 6 (information which reveals that the authority proposes – (a) to give under any enactment a notice under or by virtue of which requirements are imposed on a person or (b) to make an order or direction under any enactment)) and this is published in the third agenda supplement for online viewing only by members and officers]

RESOLVED

(1)  That the Development Brief in appendix 1 to the agenda report be approved taking on board the feedback received at the meeting.

(2)  That the revised PID and timescales contained therein in appendix 2 to the agenda report be approved.

(3)  That a procurement process governed by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 via the Official Journal of the Economic Union (OJEU) to secure a development partner be approved.

(4)  That the Deputy Chief Executive after consultation with the Leader of the Council be delegated to conduct the procurement, select bidders with suitable financial standing and experience, invite tenders and take all steps up to but not including selection of preferred bidder

(5)  That the Deputy Chief Executive after consultation with the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Growth and Place be authorised to make any non-material changes to the Development Brief and finalise the OJEU procurement documentation.

The Cabinet received and considered the agenda report and its two appendices in the agenda supplement.

In his brief introduction before inviting Mr Over to comment in more detail, Mr Dignum said that all CDC members had been afforded the opportunity via a workshop on 3 September 2018 to contribute to the emerging Southern Gateway Regeneration Development Brief (the DB). The consultation stage having been completed, the DB incorporated comments made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Chichester Growth Board, Chichester City Council and the aforementioned workshop. Comments subsequently made by the Chichester BID would be taken into account via the non-material changes provision being recommended in para 3.5 of the report. The DB, the revised Project Initiation Document (PID) and the procurement process were now ready to be approved by the Cabinet.   

Mr Over summarised the report by dealing with the three key areas set out in section 6.

·       The DB (para 6.1 and appendix 1 at pages 33 to 47 of the agenda supplement) had undergone significant consultation and engagement with members (as outlined by Mr Dignum). The late comments from Chichester BID would be taken into account where they were relevant to the DB (the most part of its responses related to the Masterplan and so were not applicable). One of the BID’s chief concerns related to ensuring that the project did not impact adversely on the city centre. This was addressed by section 5.5 of the DB (page 38 of the agenda supplement), to which could be added a reference to the development’s links to the south with Canal Basin and Chichester Gate. The resultant document (maps etc still needed to be added) should be as clear and simple as possible to facilitate a development which was viable and deliverable. In addition to the DB being approved by the Cabinet, it would also need to be signed off by CDC’s strategic partners, West Sussex County Council and Homes England.

·       The PID (para 6.3 and appendix 1 at pages 49 to 62 of the agenda supplement). A correction was required to the total figure in the project delivery costs table in section 7 (page 55): this should be £14.63 m and not £13,655,000.

·       The procurement process (para 6.20).   

Questions were asked only with respect to the DB. The Cabinet did not raise any points.

Mr Dignum allowed Mr A Moss (Fishbourne) on his prior request to address the meeting.

Mr Moss commended the draft DB as a very worthy document. With reference to section 3.1 of the DB about strategic location (page 35 in the agenda supplement), he emphasised the need for the DB to be seen by third parties as more than just a CDC publication but as a self-evidently inspirational and iconic document, which conveyed Chichester as a great city and how it could offer more to residents, workers and visitors. Accordingly, he advocated the inclusion of a prominent section at the start of the document which would attract developers’ attention by way of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 586