Agenda item

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its two appendices and to make the following resolution:

That subject to the Southern Gateway Masterplan being adopted by the Council the Project Initiation Document attached at appendix 1 to the agenda report be approved.

RESOLVED

That subject to the Southern Gateway Masterplan being adopted by the Council the Project Initiation Document attached at appendix 1 to the agenda report be approved.

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

The report was presented by Mr Dignum.

Mr Over was available to comment and answer questions on this item.

Mr Dignum referred to the report and the PID in appendix 1 in the first agenda supplement. He said that the Southern Gateway was the largest regeneration project in the city within living memory. The site had long been recognised as presenting an opportunity to make better use of the southern approach to the city, which would now include the Chichester magistrates court, crown court and county court and the Kingsham First and Middle School, following the announcement of their closure. The area included the Bus Station and Depot, the Basin Road car park, the Police Station and the Royal Mail depot.  Among the many project outputs and outcomes were (a) a successful Local Growth Fund bid and other funding which would secure an estimated £83m private sector investment; (b) some 1,454 new jobs; (c) the protection of existing jobs (Stagecoach and Royal Mail); (d) new homes and student accommodation; (e) two hectares  of business/retail and leisure floor spaces; (f) potential new community health facility; (g) return on CDC investments; and (h) improvements to the public realm, the transport system and the appearance of the townscape and buildings in the area. The PID contained a timetable of key milestone dates, at the end of which the best way to implement should have been identified.

Mr Over pointed out that implementation was entirely subject to the adoption by the Council meeting later in the month of the Southern Gateway Masterplan. It was difficult to be precise at this time as to which parts of the site would be delivered at particular times but any further CDC funding opportunities or commitments beyond those identified in the PID would be notified to the Cabinet as they arose.  In the meantime CDC was working closely with the two key businesses which would need to be relocated in readiness to proceed expeditiously once, if approved by the Council, the SGM was adopted. Stage reports would be periodically presented to the Cabinet. Key milestones were set out in the PID project plan timetable (section 11). This was an exciting time and venture for CDC with the prospect of considerable benefits being delivered. Many of the concepts in the Southern Gateway Framework 2001 had been implemented by the private sector. It was now time for the remaining parts of the development (including the major relocations required) to be delivered with public sector financial support.       

Mr Dignum drew attention to the proposed Growth Deal agreement which CDC hoped to conclude with West Sussex County Council in due course.

Mr Over responded to questions by Mrs Hardwick, Mr Wilding and Mrs Taylor with regard to (a) managing effectively corporate risks (sections 7.2 and 9 of the agenda report and section 13 of the PID); (b) achieving the challenge of an 80% public satisfaction target in outcome measures (section 4.3 of the PID); (c) the conditions which would be used in a conditional sale (Options Summary section 8 of the PID); and (d) approaches already being received from interested developers and being made by CDC, to include soft market testing (stage 6b in the Project Plan section 10 of the PID).  

Decision

The Cabinet voted unanimously on a show of hands in favour of making the resolution set out below.

RESOLVED

That subject to the Southern Gateway Masterplan being adopted by the Council the Project Initiation Document attached at appendix 1 to the agenda report be approved.