Decision details

Purpose of Report: To update Members on the current status of the project to develop the York Central site.

Members will be asked to consider a range of matters regarding the project.

This item has been deferred until August as further discussions are required with the relevant Portfolio Holders around the complexities involved in this project.

This decision will now be taken by Executive on 26 November to enable further discussions to take place with the Portfolio Holder around the complexities involved in this project.

This decision will now be taken by Executive on 17 December.  It was agreed to slip the report until after the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement as there may be implications for the project.

Resolved:  That Executive agree:

(i)           To instruct officers to take all necessary preparatory steps to proceed with Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO) for all third party land on York Central, to be undertaken in parallel with a negotiated acquisition.

(ii)          To delegate to the Leader the authority to agree the final purchase price, following a negotiated acquisition of land off Leeman Road, in advance of the potential initiation of CPO’s, to be funded from the £10m set aside to support the delivery of York Central.

(iii)        To agree an emerging York Central Planning Policy as part of the development of the Local Plan.

(iv)        To agree to initiate an informal public consultation on the future development of the York Central site in order to inform the development of a formal Planning Framework.

(v)         To endorse officers to negotiate a detailed partnership agreement with land owners and investors to jointly deliver the York Central Scheme and to bring this back to Executive for agreement.

(vi)        To bring back to Members a funding strategy to deliver upfront infrastructure to facilitate development of the York Central site, setting out how any investment will be repaid from future retained business rates arising from the award of Enterprise Zone status and from development values from the York Central site.

(vii)      To undertake due diligence on the most appropriate corporate instruments for City of York Council to use to engage in developing a York Central Partnership and to bring this back to Executive as part of the proposal for a legally binding partnership.

(viii)     To delegate the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader and Deputy Leader the agreement of the procurement of advisors for the partnership.

Reason:     (i)      To complete the land assembly of the York Central site to ensure that a development scheme can be delivered.

(ii)      To complete the land assembly of the York Central site to ensure that the land required for key infrastructure is available and so a development scheme can be delivered.

(iii)     To inform the site allocation within the developing Local Plan.

(iv)     To ensure public engagement in the ongoing development of plans for York Central.

(v)     To put in place effective partnership arrangements to ensure York Central is developed.

(vi)     To secure any investment made by the City of York Council.

(vii)    To create robust delivery arrangements for the York Central project.

(viii)   To provide the partnership with a range of professional advice specifically focussed in the long term benefit interests of the partnership.