Agenda item

This report recommends that the Committee approves the purchase of land at Poppleton Bar and Askham Bar to enable the proposed construction of the sites to progress in accordance with the delivery programme.

Members received a report which asked them to approve the purchase of land at Poppleton Bar and Askham Bar to enable the construction of two new Park & Ride sites.

Officers gave the Committee a brief outline of how the current situation had been arrived at and the reason for the urgency of the decision, in that an extension to purchase the land from the local land owners would end on 31^st March 2012.

It was reported that funding had already been allocated in the Council’s Capital Programme for the purchase of land, but that this provision was on the basis that the land would not be acquired before full approval had been obtained from the Department for Transport. Owing to delays caused by the suspension of the Major Scheme programme by the Government the options for land purchase therefore would lapse before full approval was obtained.

Some Members agreed that the recommended approach to purchase the land now was the most appropriate way forward, but highlighted the risk that if the scheme was not approved then the Council would be paying a premium price  for the land, which could only be sold back at a lower agricultural value due to its location in the Green Belt.

Other Members asked what would happen to the two purchased areas of land before construction could take place.

It was noted that on the Poppleton Bar site farmers would be permitted to crop the land up until the end of the season removing the need for compensation to be paid for the value of the crop. However compensation would still need to be paid if the crop was damaged during site investigation work. It was reported that it was not expected that access for construction would be needed until January 2013. In relation to the Askham Bar site, Officers informed the Committee that the land would be prepared in the summer of 2012 ready to receive the material to be translocated from the proposed car park areas when construction would begin in January 2013.

Following a question from a Member about the possibility of renting the land temporarily to farmers following the purchase of the land. Officers suggested that the anticipated construction start date of January 2013 would not give sufficient time for a crop to be cultivated after harvest in 2012. If the start date was significantly delayed then the option to rent the land would be reconsidered.

RESOLVED:       (i)      That the report be noted.

(ii)      That Option 1-‘Purchase of Land for Askham Bar and Poppleton Bar before Expiry of Land Options’ be approved which includes;

·        Purchase of land for the Askham Bar site in accordance with the conditional agreement.

·        Purchase of Phase 1 land for the Poppleton Bar site in accordance with the conditional agreement.

·        Payment of the deposit for Phase 2 land for the Poppleton Bar site in accordance with the conditional agreement.

·        Authorisation of the Director of CBSS to reprofile the capital plan in accordance with the revised payment profiles.

REASON:                     To ensure that land is available for delivery of the Access York Park & Ride Project.