Agenda item

A report from the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment will be circulated as soon as possible. (Report No.43, agenda part two also refers). (Key decision – reference number 4470)

(Report No.42)

(7.20 pm – 7.35 pm)

TO FOLLOW

Councillor Achilleas Georgiou (Deputy Leader) left the meeting for this item, Minute No.2 above refers.

Councillor Alan Sitkin (Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Business Development) introduced the report of the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment (No.42) seeking approval to the allocation of funding from the existing Neighbourhood Regeneration Capital Programme and to enter into further agreements with Network Rail to ensure the delivery of the new Rail Infrastructure at Meridian Water.

NOTED

1.               That Report No.43 also referred as detailed in Minute No.14 below.

2.               The new rail infrastructure, as set out in the report, was crucial to deliver the Meridian Water Regeneration Scheme unlocking the potential for 10,000 homes and 6,700 jobs in the area.

3.               Members’ attention was drawn to the funding implications and risks as detailed in the report (Report No.43 also referred), and were advised of the ongoing discussions with Network Rail in the proposals going forward.

4.               Councillor Brett expressed her thanks to officers for the considerable work which had been undertaken to date and acknowledged the value that the new station would have for the Borough.

Alternative Options Considered: Do nothing. This would fail to achieve the objectives set out for delivery of Meridian Water, and lose the significant economic, social and environmental benefits set out with the Meridian Water Masterplan.

DECISION: The Cabinet agreed to

1.               Approve additional funding from the Neighbourhood Regeneration Capital Programme to deliver the new Rail Infrastructure for Meridian Water (Report No.43, Minute No.14 below, set out the full financial details and legal agreement).

2.               Authorise entering into further Implementation Agreement and subsequent variations within the approved budget (Report No.43 set out the financial details, as referred to in Minute No.14 below).

3.               Delegate authority to the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment to enter in to agreements relating to the maintenance and operation of the station (Report No.43 set out the financial details, as referred to in Minute No.14 below).

4.               Authorise entering into a pre-contract arrangement with Barratt (Planning Services Agreement) to develop design and progress towards the submission of reserved matter for the Zone 1 planning application (Report No.43 set out the financial details, as referred to in Minute No.14 below).

Reason: The Meridian Water station added a new station to the TfL tube and rail map, so quite literally puts Meridian Water on the map. The existing station at Angel Road was inaccessible, intimidating, cut off from Meridian Water and far from the Council’s aspiration for a new neighbourhood at Meridian Water station. The new station overcomes all of the limitations of the existing station whilst providing an enhanced customer experience as well as being Crossrail 2 ready. The entry into of the Planning Services Agreement with Barratt, ahead of the entry into the Master Development Framework Agreement (MDFA), was to ensure that the planning delivery of homes was not further delayed so that work on Reserved Matter approvals could proceed in advance of the final approval of the MDFA.

(Key decision – reference number 4470)

At this point in the meeting, the Cabinet passed a resolution to enable consideration of the part two report – Report No.43 – Meridian Water: Station Update and Budget to take place, whilst Councillor Georgiou was absent.

RESOLVED, in accordance with Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the item listed on part two of the agenda on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

Any press and public present left the meeting. The Minutes reflect the order of the published agenda. Following the conclusion of the part two report, the meeting returned to part one for the consideration of the remaining part one agenda items and Councillor Georgiou returned to the meeting.