Issue - meetings

To consider proposal to commission Cornerstone Place to develop land at Grounds Avenue, March and enter relevant legal documentation to lease the land to a Registered Provider for 125 years with the Council providing directly the required management and support to residents in the properties.

AGREED to delegate to the Section 151 and Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Portfolio holder for Housing and the Leader to:

·         enter into agreement with Cornerstone to develop the Grounds Avenue site to provide 12 properties to support the housing duties;

·         enter into a 125-year lease with an RP for the land;

·         enter into a management lease with the RP to enable the Council to control the nominations into and undertake the management and support responsibilities; and

·         allocate at-risk costs of circa £92k dependent on a planning permission, securing a RP and the relevant grant funding and private finance, all to be refunded at funds drawdown.

Members considered a proposal to commission Cornerstone Place to develop land at Grounds Avenue, March and enter relevant legal documentation to lease the land to a Registered Provider (RP) for 125 years with the Council providing directly the required management and support to residents in the properties presented by Councillor Hoy.

Members made comments, asked questions and received responses as follows:

·         Councillor Tierney requested clarification on who would use these properties? Councillor Hoy responded that they would be for local housing need, for a local person who is made homeless to avoid them being placed in a hotel which is costly and not for asylum seekers.

Proposed by Councillor Hoy, seconded by Councillor Count and AGREED to delegate to the Section 151 and Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Portfolio holder for Housing and the Leader to:

·         enter into agreement with Cornerstone Place to develop the Grounds Avenue site to provide 12 properties to support the housing duties;

·         enter into a 125-year lease with an RP for the land;

·         enter into a management lease with the RP to enable the Council to control the nominations into and undertake the management and support responsibilities; and

·         allocate at-risk costs of circa £92k dependent on a planning permission, securing a RP and the relevant grant funding and private finance, all to be refunded at funds drawdown.

(Councillor Mrs French declared that she is a member of Planning Committee and took no part in the discussion and voting thereon)