Agenda item

To receive, for noting and information only, the report of the Director of Regeneration and Environment presenting the outcome of the Meridian Water Master Developer Partner procurement process.

(Report No: 20)

(Key Decision – Reference number KD 4241)

TO FOLLOW

Members are asked to note that Cabinet, at the meeting held on 18 May 2016, approved the selection of the Council’s Preferred Developer Partner for Meridian Water and delegated authority to agree the final terms of the Master Developer Framework Agreement and all associated contract and property documents/agreements. 

Councillor Sitkin moved and Councillor Oykener seconded the report (Report No: 20) of the Director of Regeneration and Environment presenting the outcome of the Meridian Water Master Developer Partner procurement process.

NOTED that

1.               Cabinet at their meeting held on 18 May 2016 had approved the decision which Council was being asked to note. 

2.               The praise of Councillor Sitkin, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Business Development and other members, for this multimillion initiative involving the creation of 10,000 new homes and over 6,700 permanent jobs in the area. 

3.               The thanks to officers who had helped bring about the deal including Rob Leak, James Rolfe, Ian Davis and Peter George. 

4.               The pride in the significance of the achievement in concluding the deal, one of the biggest in the UK, which had received positive publicity in the BBC and on other news outlets, and the hope that all would celebrate it.

5.               That the 10,000 new homes built would go a long way to address the housing crisis, 30% being affordable.  Ten thousand construction jobs would also be created.

6.               That this initiative should enable Edmonton to be no longer one of the top ten most deprived places in the country. 

7.               A full range of infrastructure facilities would also be provided including two new primary schools, a new secondary school, a health centre and the new station.  The principle beneficiaries would be local people. 

8.               The happiness of the Opposition Group to note the deal, which had been initiated under their administration, but also concern:

a.     That the decision had been taken, under the urgency rules, by Cabinet in part 2, and that there had not been a proper opportunity to debate, possibly the biggest decision the Council had ever taken, at full Council.

b.     That many of the jobs created by Sergo, the commercial partner, would be low skilled and that this was a missed opportunity to create high skilled, high waged jobs for local people. 

c.     That the right choice of developer might not have been made.

d.     That there had been delays in getting the work on site started and concern whether work would be completed within the timescales. 

e.     That more compulsory purchase orders should have been used and that if there was legal advice to the contrary this should have been publically available.

f.      That the developer should be bearing more of the infrastructure costs and also making a larger contribution to the subsidy arrangements for 4 trains per hour. 

g.     That there should be regular reports back to Council over the next 20 years. 

9.               To recognise that thanks were due to Boris Johnson, the former Mayor of London, for his support of the scheme. 

10.           In response to the concerns raised in Item 8 above the majority view that it was necessary that certain commercial issues be considered in the part 2 section of a meeting and that the Council would receive a significant return on the investments.  That this was a fantastic opportunity to create an economically viable, socially uplifting new community in a piece of land that was previously a wasteland.  Land had been bought with a view to bringing about dramatic change.  A range of jobs requiring different skill levels and support to help upskill the local population would be provided. 

11.           The legal advice that the decision to award the contract was clearly an executive function. 

AGREED to note the selection of Barratt Homes as the master developer for Meridian Water, in addition to their commercial partners Segro.

Councillor Achilleas Georgiou and Councillor Nick Dines declared disclosable pecuniary interests in this item.  Councillor Achilleas Georgiou left the meeting at the start of the item and did not take part in the discussion or vote.  Councillor Dines left the meeting when he became aware that he had an interest.