Agenda item

To receive members’ questions under procedure rule no.11.  The procedure rule provides that any member may ask the chairman of a board or group any question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the District, provided that three clear days’ notice in writing has been given to the Head of Legal and Support Services.

Councillor J Legrys put the following question to Councillor T J Pendleton:

Officers have been actively working with developer Barrett for Change of Use from neighbourhood equipped area for play (NEAP)/Multi-uses Games Area (MUGA) to informal public open space off Lillehammer Drive Coalville. To date the work has not been carried out. Can the Portfolio Holder please tell if the work will be completed before the start of the 2016 school holidays, and why it is taking so long to complete negotiations between developer and the Council?

Councillor T J Pendleton gave the following response:

Officers have indeed been actively working on this matter for a significant period of time and not for the want of trying progress has been slow.

The current position is that the Council are waiting for the developer Barratts to sign off a Deed of Variation to the S106 agreement.

This will facilitate the changes agreed by our planning committee on the 7 October 2014. These changes will see the current Multi Use Games Area replaced with informal open space for residents and local children to use and enjoy.

However, the area will be subject to our current opening and closing times for parks in order to prevent any use after dark and minimise late night Anti Social Behaviour issues for the immediate neighbours.

Barratts submitted proposals on 1 June for the informal open space landscaping scheme as required through a planning condition. Officers responded with some minor suggestions on 10 June 2016.

Barratts shared the proposals on 16 June with immediate neighbours, interested parties on the wider estate, the Council and the local Ward member for final comment.

The Council now expects to receive feedback from Barratts regarding this final consultation process (noting this was only sent out 12 days ago). Subject to broad agreement from residents it is expected the signing of the Deed of Variation will follow, planning permission granted and subsequent development will follow.

The Deed of Variation is currently drafted to include for the development of a Multi Use Games Area at Scotlands Playing Fields which is deemed a more suitable location.

However, the Council has recently received a proposal from Barratts which disappointingly does not include any resource to facilitate the development of a new Multi Use Games Area. Officers are currently seeking legal advice on this matter.

As the school holidays are now less than 4 weeks away it appears unlikely that Barratts will be able to complete the works to the Lillehammer site for use in the summer holidays, despite Officers consistently pushing for this outcome.

Barratts have advised they expect to be undertaking the removal of the Multi Use Games area during the school holidays and commence site preparation in order to be ready for the first available planting season thereafter.

I am reassured that matters are still progressing albeit I am disappointed with Barratts latest communication and that it has taken so long to get to this point.

I am happy to provide the Ward Member with regular updates going forward as soon as we have any news to relay.

Councillor J Legrys declined to ask a supplementary question and stated that he shared Councillor T J Pendleton’s disappointment in the outcome.