Agenda and minutes

Any apologies for absence will be noted at this point.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and explained that the meeting would be held in two parts due to the confidential nature of some of the subject matter relating to the Southern Gateway Regeneration project.  The Committee was pleased to hold the meeting in public, however due to legislation certain elements of the project would need to be discussed in private session because of commercially sensitive negotiations.  It was hoped that residents would respect and understand that certain answers to questions cannot be given in public.

An apology had been received from Mr Hughes.

In the absence of the Vice-Chairman it was proposed and seconded that Mrs Apel be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for today’s meeting.

RESOLVED

That Mrs Apel be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for today’s meeting.

Members and officers are reminded to make any declarations of disclosable pecuniary, personal and/or prejudicial interests they may have in respect of matters on the agenda for this meeting.

Mr Moss declared an interest as a CDC representative of Coast to Capital and Coastal West Sussex.

Mr Purnell declared an interest as a Member of West Sussex County Council.

Mr Plowman declared an interest as a Member Chichester City Council and a Member of Chichester Area Conservation Committee.

Mr Dignum declared an interest as a Member of Chichester City Council.

Mrs Apel declared an interest as a Member of Chichester City Council.

Mrs Sharp declared an interest as a Member of Chichester City Council.

Mrs Lishman who was observing the Committee declared an interest due to her employment by the Stagecoach Group and Mr Bennett confirmed that Mrs Lishman would be required to leave the meeting during the Part II element of item 5.

The Chairman will announce any urgent items that due to special circumstances are to be dealt with under the agenda item below relating to late items.

There were no urgent items.

The procedure for submitting public questions in writing no later than 12 noon 2 working days before the meetingis available upon request from Democratic Services (the contact details for which appear on the front page of this agenda).

Question from Bob Mousley

1.    Officers need to produce a statement on each individual site about ownership, state of negotiations, and honest appraisal about the possibility of delivery within the overall context?

2.    What needs to happen for each site to be delivered ie bus garage relocated?  Where is each site today?

3.    The contract with HBD will need to be retendered as under EU rules and the content has changed significantly?

4.    Does the current proposal allow for flexibility to content and makeup?

5.    Is it correct that no works can commence until all sites are in the ownership of the Council?

6.    What research have the officers done in regard to alternative proposals for each site?

7.    The railway station is a key element in the proposal, what negotiations have been undertaken with Network Rail.

8.    How long are the Law Courts to be reused on a temporary basis? They can be included in any later phase?

9.    What are the officer's proposals for what happens next?

10.What research have the officers completed into electric buses new transport network for Chichester?

11.How have the officers built key concerns on biodiversity and sustainability?

12.How does southern gateway relate to the emerging Neighbourhood Plan for the city?

Basically, there needs to be a fact-finding exercise over the next two months that pulls together as much information as possible, on:

Southern Gateway

Southern Link Road

Northern Link Road

Neighbourhood plan

Transport infrastructure Public and A27 A259, Midhurst road etc. 

WSCC Growth Deal

Future of education: schools, university, colleges etc.

Manor Farm Green building Park (WSCC)

CDC Offices

WSCC County Hall future

High Streets greening

Cathedral Square

Northern gyratory

Cycle routes

and more

There needs to be a basic independent overview of opportunities (Jenny Anderson to lead with Julie Kapsalis involvement) with provisional costings ( (Nick Burrell WSCC to lead)

WSCC, CDC, CC plus interested groups engaged in the process.

It is then possible to move forward quite quickly with various projects but they have to be within the context of an overall Masterplan (inc. sustainability, bio diversity etc.) for the whole of Chichester and immediate environs.   WSCC would be up for that.

Then having delivered some small projects which show possibilities, it will attract funding for the bigger picture.  Masterplan design to happen within a fixed 12-month timeframe and include Citizens Assembly and Neighbour Plan. A lot of the information gathering already exists.

This project will be phased over a number of years, but it has to be within a cohesive Masterplan so that no project interferes with any other.

This will engage the community who have a lot to offer and can help with micro-steps/projects leading up to 2030.

I could explain more, all of this is achievable with good communication and cooperation from all concerned.

Nobody is interested in the past, that's gone,

So where are we now?

Where do we want to go?

How do we get there?

Happy to talk or attend  ...  view the full minutes text for item 101.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee note the background information contained in the part one report and makes any recommendations to Cabinet.

The Chairman welcomed Mr Roberts to the meeting who was a consultant from JLL and Mr Dignum as Cabinet member for Growth, Place and Events.

The Chairman invited Mrs Hotchkiss to present the item.  Mrs Hotchkiss began by confirming Mr Roberts was the director of JLL which was an international property company and he had wide experience of advising on regeneration projects. 

Mrs Hotchkiss explained that the Council with its partner West Sussex County Council has under a collaboration agreement been working to implement the Southern Gateway Regeneration Project for a number of years.  Following an agreement at full Council to test the market, an open competition was run and following evaluation of the bids it was recommended at Cabinet and full Council in December 2019 to agree the preferred development partner, Henry Boots Developments (HBD).  The pandemic had resulted in a significant impact on the project, and the market sectors the project was planning to bring forward including leisure, retail, hospitality, office accommodation and a hotel.  In addition, the decision by Her Majesty Courts & Tribunal Service to open a Nightingale court to address current case backlog, had also impacted.  Officers supported by JLL had worked with HBD to consider different options within the project.  As part of the tender process HBD had proposed to develop the old police field, school site and Magistrates Court for residential and mixed use.  Due to the HMCTS decision, the court house cannot be included within phase one, but there was a commitment to working with HBD to develop a viable phase one and investigate alternative sites within the Southern Gateway Regeneration Project area.   Mrs Hotchkiss confirmed that regular updates had been provided for Cabinet and full Council, and monthly bulletins for all Members regarding progress on the project. 

Members had asked a number of Part I pre-prepared questions which were read by the Chairman and Members, and also asked further questions:

Question 1

We have heard there will be a health centre in Southern Gateway.  Is this a proper medical centre where procedures can be carried out i.e. hospital appointments with consultants, physio radio therapy etc.?  This can save patients many hours of travelling and waiting in hospitals.  It also saves the local NHS money as less hospital appointments are needed?

Mrs Hotchkiss responded:

The Sussex Community Foundation Trust (SCFT) would look to incorporate the relocation of all SCFT’s outpatient community health services provided within the City of Chichester.

In summary SCFT would occupy c. 3,200m2 of accommodation and this will include:

-          Outpatient physiotherapy

-          Special care and emergency dental services

-          Child development centre

-          Specialist community nursing clinics, including lymphedema, intravenous nursing, long term conditions such as Parkinson’s

-          Staff base for adult community nursing services (where most patient contact is within patient homes) aligned to the primary care networks

-          Healthy child programme nursing staff base

-          Children’s specialist therapies, including speech and language therapy  -aligned to the child development centre, delivered in schools, clinics, homes and other settings  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102.

The Committee is asked to consider in respect of the following item whether the public, including the press, should be excluded from the meeting on the grounds of exemption under Part 3 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information))of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as indicated against the item and because, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption of that information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. The reports dealt with under this part of the agenda are attached for members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and senior officers only (salmon paper).

Resolved

The Committee is asked to consider whether the public including the press should be excluded from the meeting on the grounds of exemption under paragraph 3, information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person including the authority holding that information of section 12a of the Local Government Act 1972 as indicated and because in the circumstances of the case the public interest of maintaining the exemption of that information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Mrs Lishman left the meeting due to her declaration of interests.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is asked to note the progress to date on the Southern Gateway Regeneration project and refer any recommendations to Cabinet to consider.

Mrs Hotchkiss and other officers responded to Members’ Part II pre-prepared questions.

RECOMMENDED TO CABINET AND COUNCIL

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee makes the following recommendations:

1.    That a Southern Gateway regeneration project is strongly supported and is seen as important to the long term prosperity of Chichester City and surrounding community and the Masterplan is retained;

2.    That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee supports ongoing negotiations with Henry Boot Developments subject to the outcome of the LEP funding and a viable scheme; and

3.    That a recommendation is brought to Full Council prior to signing the Development Agreement.

Consideration of any late items as follows:

a)    Items added to the agenda papers and made available for public inspection.

b)    Items which the Chairman has agreed should be taken as matters of urgency by reason of special circumstances reported at the meeting.

There were no late items.