Decision details

Purpose of Report

The report provided the Executive with and update on the position with the Jasmin Green land transfer and housing project last considered by Executive in October 2019.

Decision

(1)          That, subject to the revision set out in (2), the decisions by the Executive in July 2017 and in October 2019 to support in principle the transfer of land to Birchwood Area Community Land Trust be reaffirmed.

(2)          That the area of land to be transferred on a freehold interest to Birchwood Area Community Land Trust be revised to that set out in Appendix 3 to the report, at the nominal value of £1.

(3)          That the intended disposal at an undervalue, set out in (2) above, would help to secure the promotion or improvement of the economic, social, or environmental wellbeing of the area. 

(4)          That decisions on the final terms and details of the transfer of the land, including any nomination rights to the new affordable housing, be delegated to the Director of Housing and Investment, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Quality Housing, the Monitoring Officer, and the Section 151 Officer, subject to the provision of the business case and a successful bid for funding, with the agreement being conditional upon the provision, by Birchwood Area Community Land Trust, of a viable business case which included all known development costs and a successful bid to Homes England to support the housing development.

(5)          That the Executive agree, ahead of any transfer, to give notice of intention to dispose of public open space as per section 6.4 above and report back any objections raised for consideration.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None. 

Reasons for the Decision

There had been several reports to the Executive on the potential transfer of a significant piece of housing revenue account land at Jasmin Green in the Birchwood area to the Birchwood Area Community Land Trust, which had originally been established with the intention of developing play and recreation facilities for young people in the area. 

The basic concept would see the development of community affordable housing on a proportion of the site to be transferred. Income from which would fund the ongoing maintenance, in perpetuity of recreation and play facilities adjacent to the housing. These would mainly take the form of a skate park the capital costs of which would be funded by Birchwood Big Local.

To protect the Council’s long-term position and the public purse, the Council had been seeking a definitive business plan/proposal that would demonstrate that a viable development could be delivered, which would complement the Council’s existing vision and strategies and in turn meet the stated outcomes of Birchwood Area Community Land Trust.