Agenda item - Meridian Water: Proposed Delivery Arrangements

Agenda item

Meridian Water: Proposed Delivery Arrangements

A report from the Director of Regeneration and Environment and Director of Finance, Resources and Customer Services is attached. This considers the next steps that the Council will need to undertake. (Report No.9, agenda part two also refers) (Key decision – reference number 3921)

(Report No.7)

(8.35-8.40pm)

Minutes:

Councillor Ahmet Oykener (Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Regeneration) introduced the report of the Director of Regeneration and Environment and Director of Finance, Resources and Customer Services (No.7) considering the next steps that the Council would need to undertake to further build confidence in the market and advance accelerated delivery of housing within Meridian Water.

 

NOTED

 

1.               That Report No.9 also referred as detailed in Minute No.19 below;

 

2.               Councillor Oykener paid tribute to the considerable work which had been undertaken by the former Councillor Del Goddard. The report considered the proposed way forward.

 

3.               The recent visit to the Meridian Water site by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer in connection with the Government’s new housing zones initiative. It was noted that Enfield was one of the front runners.

 

4.               Councillor Oykener outlined the recommendations as set out in the report and detailed in the decisions below.

 

5.               Councillor Andrew Stafford reported that the proposals clearly set out the Council’s intention to continue to be at the heart of the development and demonstrated confidence in the market as the delivery was driven on.

 

6.               Councillor Doug Taylor stated that the Council had demonstrated its ability to deliver and was more advanced than other authorities. The implications of the Government’s new housing zones initiative were unclear at this stage but Enfield was in a good position to proceed.

 

7.               Councillor Alan Sitkin noted that the proposals would progress the implementation of the Meridian Water development.

 

Alternative Options Considered: There were a number of procurement options available to the Council, to secure a delivery partner. If the Council did not secure a delivery partner then in order to deliver the Council’s stated objectives it would be necessary for the Council to fully finance the planning and delivery of Meridian Water which was not supported by the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan.

 

DECISION: The Cabinet

 

1.               Noted the background to the emerging Meridian Water proposed delivery arrangements;

 

2.               Agreed to delegate authority to the Cabinet Members for Housing and Estate Regeneration and Finance acting in consultation with the Directors of Regeneration and Environment and Finance, Resources and Customer Services to finalise and agree appropriate delivery arrangements and associated legal agreements for Meridian Water.

 

3.               Noted the progress made in developing a housing zone and agreed that Meridian Water could be a “front runner”.

 

4.               Noted that the brief of Jones Lang LaSalle Limited, the Council’s external property advisor in this matter, was to be widened to further support the Council’s delivery of Meridian Water in accordance with the existing provisions of Government Procurement Services Framework Agreement RM928 Estates Professional Services.

 

Reason: For the Council to bring forward development in Meridian Water it was imperative that a delivery partner solution was procured that provided sufficient flexibility to respond to opportunities as they were presented. Control of land, combined with appropriate delivery arrangements would ensure that the planning and development objectives for Meridian Water were achieved in a timely manner thus attracting further investment to the area.

(Key decision – reference number 3921)

Supporting documents: