Decision details

To consider a report of the Cabinet member for Resources seeking approval to delegate authority to Senior Manager Property Procurement and Contract Management to approve the final detailed terms of purchase

This report will summarise why it is necessary to acquire land within the Eastern Dock to deliver a new public park and the estimated cost of the acquisition.  The report seeks approval to delegate authority to Senior Manager Property Procurement and Contract Management to approve the final detailed terms of purchase.  The cost of acquiring the Pan Handle car park will be met through a reduction in the scale and scope of the peripheral works associated with, but not subject to, the schemes delivery rather than a reduction in contingencies.  Any increase in costs beyond the allocated contingency will be found from non general funding sources including the Local Transport Plan (LTP) and S106 developer contributions. 

NOTE: Elements of this report may be considered exempt from public distribution.

1.  To approve the purchase of the freehold interest of the Pan Handle Car Park and part of the Triangle Car Park Platform Road and to delegate authority to the Senior Manager Property, Procurement and Contract Management, to agree the final terms and conditions of purchase.

2.  To delegate authority to the Senior Manager Property, Procurement and Contract Management in consultation with the Director of Environment and Economic Development to do anything necessary to give effect to the recommendations in this report.

3.  To note the level of expenditure of the purchase and associated costs of purchase.  The total expenditure will be funded from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) grant funding from Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), which has been subject to previous approvals.

To enable the construction of the Platform for Prosperity road scheme in providing replacement parkland following the development of Vokes Memorial Gardens as carriageway.

1.  Do not purchase the property – rejected.  The City Council has gained public support to the scheme based upon a statement of intent that there is not a net loss of public open space following development of Vokes Memorial Gardens.  This support will be lost if the parkland is not replaced.

2.  Reduce the scheme to within the existing highway boundary removing the need to replace the park land. This has been rejected as this would not deliver the level of capacity enhancement required to serve peak demands in Port activity, which is a key objective of the road scheme.