Issue - items at meetings - Preston Barracks Development

Report of the Executive Director for Environment, Development & Housing (copy attached).

(1)               That the work to date summarised in Section 3 of the report, and the cross-party Project Board’s recommendations to proceed accordingly be noted;

(2)               That the Project Board’s view, that the partnership with the University of Brighton and alignment with the Greater Brighton City Deal ‘Growth Hub’ proposals presents the preferred route to successful delivery of the regeneration of the Preston Barracks site; and

(3)               That the Executive Director Finance & Resources, Executive Director Environment Development & Housing and Head of Law be authorised to enter into further negotiations to actively consider disposal of the Preston Barracks site to the University of Brighton and/or its development partner to enable delivery of the mixed use scheme, subject to a further report to the Project Board and Policy & Resources Committee being required to detail the proposed terms of such a disposal.

20.1         The Head of City Regeneration introduced the report which provided an update on the progress made in relation to the development opportunities for the Preston Barracks site and land owned by the University of Brighton.  He wished to thank the Members of the Project Board for their support and contributions over the past months and stated that it was hoped to bring final recommendations to the Board later in the year, taking into account best consideration arrangements.

20.2         Councillor Bowden welcomed the report which had been a long time in coming forward and he hoped that a further report could be brought to committee before the end of the year.

20.3         Councillor K. Norman stated that it had been a lengthy period of time in regard to finding a solution for the development of the site and he hoped that the University of Brighton would be able to deliver on any part of a future development that came forward.  With this in mind, he suggested that it may be helpful to work with any other developers who could be interested in the site rather than just the university at this stage.

20.4         Councillor Morgan welcomed the report and sated that he was pleased to see the reference to the co-operative housing element for any development.

20.5         Councillor G. Theobald stated that he believed the economy was improving and therefore suggested that other potential developers should not be precluded from the process, albeit that the University was the obvious choice.

20.6         The Chair noted the comments and stated that they would be taken on board and noted that there was also a need to give consideration to a number of uncertainties e.g. City Deal which relied on government actions.  He then put the recommendations to the vote.

20.7         RESOLVED:

(1)         That the work to date summarised in Section 3 of the report, and the cross-party Project Board’s recommendations to proceed accordingly be noted;

(2)         That the Project Board’s view, that the partnership with the University of Brighton and alignment with the Greater Brighton City Deal ‘Growth Hub’ proposals presents the preferred route to successful delivery of the regeneration of the Preston Barracks site; and

(3)         That the Executive Director Finance & Resources, Executive Director Environment Development & Housing and Head of Law be authorised to enter into further negotiations to actively consider disposal of the Preston Barracks site to the University of Brighton and/or its development partner to enable delivery of the mixed use scheme, subject to a further report to the Project Board and Policy & Resources Committee being required to detail the proposed terms of such a disposal.