Issue - meetings

The appendix to this reports contains exempt information during which the public is likely to be excluded from the meeting subject to determination by the Scrutiny Committee following consideration of a public interest test.  This exclusion would be made under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Matter for Decision

The Executive Councillor approved a proposal to delegate authority to the Strategic Director (in consultation with the Executive Councillor) following the Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee in March 2018 to finalise negotiations on a commercial deal for redevelopment of Park Street Car Park, in line with an approved strategic brief.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships

     i.        Noted the progress made in relation to the project and confirmed delegated authority to the Strategic Director to finalise the due diligence and lease documents/conditional contracts required to ensure delivery of the project within the agreed parameters and timescales.

   ii.        Noted that the legal documents would be conditional upon a successful planning application

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Strategic Director.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

     i.        Welcomed the redevelopment of Park Street Car Park but would have preferred housing to have been included on the site. Also welcomed the network infrastructure for electric vehicle charging points.

    ii.        Pleased to see electric vehicle charging points.

   iii.        Questioned if the Committee would be assisting in the selection of the architects for the project.

  iv.        Asked if there would be toilets in the hotel element of the project that members of the public could use and whether the tenants of the building would pay their workers the living wage.

The Strategic Director said the following in response to Members’ questions:

     i.        The Head of Environmental Services was in the process of undertaking a review into the toilets at Quayside, but the proposal to ensure sufficient provision replacing the current Park Street provision forms part of that review. 

    ii.        The architects for the project have won awards for hotels and have been involved in the project for all the preliminary work. The Developer has confirmed that they will continue to use them.

   iii.        It would be a matter for the hotel operator to determine what facilities (if any) would be made available to members of the public. The Council would work with the developer to encourage the tenant of the sublease to sign up to the living wage.

The Chief Executive confirmed that the concerns expressed regarding the loss of toilet facilities at Park Street and the quality of facilities at Quayside would be fed into the toilet facilities review.

The Committee resolved by 4 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendations.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.