Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport in relation to the delivery of ‘Platform for Prosperity’ Platform Road Improvement Scheme to:
• To approve the Councils intention to Advertise and Appropriate Public Open Space (subject to no objections - and to report back any objections.
• To Approve the outline scheme design.
• To Approve, subject to due diligence, to spend of £5.595m of Regional Growth Fund capital grant funding from BIS and £1.255m of capital funding from the Council.
• To Delegate Authority to Senior Manager Property Procurement & Contract Management in consultation with Executive Director for Corporate Services and Executive Director for Economic Development the acquisition of land required to deliver the scheme.
• To Delegate authority to Senior Manager Property & Procurement & Contract Management to approve the payment of compensation to any claimant in respect of the road scheme.
• To authorise the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services to make a CPO to acquire land required to proceed with the Platform for Prosperity Road scheme under S226 (1) (a) Town & Country Planning act 1990 and Land Acquisition Act 1981 (if required).

(i)  To approve the outline design of the Platform for Prosperity Road Improvement Scheme as illustrated in Drawing 11ALM019023 Revision C as set out in Appendix 1 and delegate authority to the Highways Manager to undertake any future amendments to the design.

(ii)  To approve the purchase of the freehold interest of the water pumping station within Vokes Memorial Gardens from Southern Water Plc and to delegate authority to the Senior Manager Property, Procurement and Contract Management following consultation with the Director, Environment and Economy, Director of Corporate Resources, and Cabinet Member for Resources, to agree the purchase price and the final terms and conditions of purchase.

(iii)  To authorise the Head of Legal, HR & Democratic Services to advertise the proposed appropriation of Vokes Memorial Gardens and Queen’s Park for two consecutive weeks in a local newspaper circulating in the locality the areas L1, L2, L3 and L4 shown hatched in red on Drawing 11ALM019019 Revision G as set out in Appendix 2.

(iv)  To note that should any objections be received, to bring a subsequent report and refer those objections to the Cabinet Member for determination.

(v)  Subject to there being no objections, to approve the appropriation of the land to Highway Act Powers to enable the development of the new carriageway.

(vi)  To delegate authority to the Highways Manager to make any order, decision or application required under the Highways Act 1980 or Town & Country Planning Act 1990, to facilitate the delivery of the Platform Road Project including (but not limited to) making a planning application for change of use of areas of the car park and Latimer Street in Queen’s Park and the Pan Handle Car Park to Open Space and to make the necessary application to the Secretary of State under S.247 Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to stop up Latimer Street to highway traffic and to advertise under S.257 Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to stop up the footpath in Queen’s Park, labelled S3 on Drawing 11ALM019019 Revision G as set out in Appendix 2, on the basis that this is necessary for any change of use permission to be implemented.

(vii)  To delegate authority to Senior Manager Property, Procurement and Contract Management to approve the payment of compensation to any claimant in respect of the road scheme.

(viii)  To delegate authority to the Director, Environment and Economy, following consultation with the Director of Corporate Services and Cabinet Members for Resources, and Environment and Transport; to do anything considered appropriate to facilitate the delivery of the Platform for Prosperity Scheme including, but not limited to, the entering into of contracts, purchase orders, agreements, licenses, land purchase or land development agreements, subject to remaining within the overall approved spend.

(ix)  To note that a subsequent report will be taken to Cabinet in Autumn 2012 to seek approval to purchase the freehold interest of the Pan Handle Car Park and any other additional land within the ownership of Associated British Ports adjacent to public highway and to delegate authority to the Senior Manager Property, Procurement and Contract Management following consultation with the Director for Corporate Resources, to agree the final purchase price, terms and conditions of purchase.

1. Financial Procedure Rules require that approval to spend is secured to deliver schemes within the Council’s Capital Programme.
2. The recommendations approve the layout design and provide the necessary delegated authority to amend the scheme layout as necessary.
3. It is necessary to acquire land to replace the loss of public open space (Vokes Memorial Gardens) following redevelopment to provide part of the highway improvements.  Cabinet recommendation (ii) provides the necessary authority to purchase the Southern Water PLC owned pump house and to enable the Head of Legal, HR & Democratic Services to advertise the proposed appropriation of public open space to allow construction of the highway improvements.  Cabinet recommendation (ix) notes that a subsequent report will be taken to Cabinet to seek the necessary authority to purchase the Pan Handle Car Park and other land from Associated British Ports.
4. The recommendations provide the necessary authority to pay any compensation liabilities which will be incurred by the City Council from delivering the Platform for Prosperity Project.

1. Working closely with Associated British Ports, the proposed scheme layout has been designed following extensive modelling of peak traffic demands, associated with busy cruise days.  Original design proposals to retain both “In” and “Out” movements at Gate 4 have been rejected, as these were less efficient in terms of traffic movement.
2. In terms of the changes to public open space, additional land is being acquired to ensure there is no overall net loss in the area of public open space.  The option to advertise changes resulting in an overall loss of public open space has been rejected, as this would be unacceptable to open space interest group and is contrary to Council Policy in the Core Strategy.