Agenda item

Report of the Director of Property Services and Development

Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Property Services and Development which indicated that City Centre South (CCS) will deliver transformational improvements to Coventry city centre through the creation of a new residential led community providing new homes, jobs, commercial and leisure opportunities and high-quality public spaces.

In January 2022, as part of a wider report authorising the making of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to support scheme delivery, Cabinet approved the appropriation of the land needed for the development for planning purposes and the application of Section 203 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 in order for certain third party rights over the land to be overridden and enabling anyone who suffers loss in terms of a reduction in value of their land to be able to claim statutory compensation.

Since Cabinet approved these matters in January 2022, the CCS scheme has progressed significantly with the Hill Group becoming funding and development partners for the scheme and a S73 Planning Consent (Ref: PL/2023/0002218/RVC) establishing key development parameters for the scheme, including up to 1575 new homes. As the Planning Consent establishes the proposed development parameters for the CCS scheme, the report sought approval for Cabinet to reconfirm the appropriation of scheme land within this updated context.

Appendices to the report detailed land to be appropriated and the report detailed the powers available to the Council for the acquisition and appropriation of land for planning purposes, together with the consequential powers to override existing third-party rights and restrictions over such land and the availability of compensation to affected parties.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1)  Agrees to appropriate, for planning purposes, the land owned by the Council within the proposed redevelopment site shown on the plan at Appendix 1 to the report pursuant to section 122 Local Government Act 1972 in order to facilitate the CCS scheme.

2)  Authorises the Director of Property Services and Development, following consultation with the Director of Law and Governance, the Director of Finance and Resources and the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, to settle claims for compensation under s204 Housing and Planning Act 2016 in respect of rights, interests or restrictions which are overridden and/or to reach agreement for the release of any such rights etc. by affected third parties

3)  Delegates authority to the Director of Property Services and Development, following consultation with the Director of Law and Governance, the Director of Finance and Resources and the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, to:

(a)  Place statutory advertisements as required by section 122(2A) Local Government Act 1972 of the Council’s intention to appropriate for planning purposes the open space land in the Council’s freehold ownership shown on the plan at Appendix 2 to the report; and

(b) Consider any representations received in response to the statutory advertisements referred to in paragraph (a) above and to decide whether any such land should be appropriated for planning purposes and dispose of to facilitate the CCS scheme; and

(c) Take all necessary, incidental or ancillary steps for the carrying into effect any of the recommendations set out in this report.