On 12
October 2021, Cabinet:-
(i) Noted the progress on the proposals to
bring forward the development of the Bordesley Park (former Wheels site) (shown
at Appendix 1 identified within bold area) in accordance with the Bordesley
Park Area Action Plan adopted by the City Council on 14th January 2020;
(ii) Noted that the Council is awaiting the
outcome of its Levelling Up Fund (LUF) capital application to the Government
totalling £17.145m for the full remediation and provision of services to the
site which will enable the Council to retain interest in the site. In the event
of an unsuccessful bid the Council will progress the remediation and addition
of services and infrastructure with the intention of recovering its costs from
a disposal of the site;
(iii) Approved the release of development funding
of up to £1.2m to progress the development of the site, including the
procurement of Japanese Knotweed removal, undertaking site investigations,
securing the site, and on-going security (estimates set out in Exempt Appendix
3) to be funded from either the LUF or the future capital receipt from the
disposal of the site;
(iv) Approved the strategy and commencement of
the procurement activity for the removal of Japanese Knotweed on the site as
detailed in Appendix 2 to the report;
(v) Delegated the award of contracts for the
removal of Japanese Knotweed and site investigations to the Acting Director,
Inclusive Growth in conjunction with the Interim Assistant Director, Procurement
(or their delegate), the Director of Council Management (or their delegate) and
the Acting City Solicitor (or their delegate);
(vi) Authorised the City
Solicitor to take all necessary steps to carry out preparatory work for
compulsory purchase order(s) in respect of any of the land shown edged black
and hatched black on the plan of the Wheels site and Cambabest; site on Venetia Road in Appendix 1a together with the plans in appendix
1b of the Cherrywood Industrial Estate and the former Meadway Spares site,
including the appointment of land referencers, prior to authority being sought for
the making and progressing of compulsory purchase order(s);
(vii) Authorised the Acting Director, Inclusive
Growth to enter into negotiations to acquire any third party owned land
interests in the land shown on the plans in advance of the compulsory purchase
order(s);
(viii) Approved the strategy and award of contract
for undertaking site investigations in the site as detailed in Appendix 2 to
the report;
(ix) Noted that an Outline Business Case report
will be produced to accept the LUF grant if successful and a Full Business Case
report to Cabinet will be produced to finalise the commercial arrangements for
either the development and ongoing management of the Bordesley Park site or its
disposal;
(x) Authorised the Assistant Director of
Property to commence market engagement to establish whether there are early
opportunities to bring forward the development which would be subject to
further Cabinet approval;
(xi) Authorised the Acting City
Solicitor (or their delegate) to negotiate, execute, and complete all necessary
documentation to give effect to the above recommendations.
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