Agenda item

This report proposes the Council and the developer of the SGN Site work collaboratively to investigate the level of contamination and consequent environmental implications for development on any part of the wider gas works site.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved with 7 votes for and 1 abstention to:

(1)       Agree to undertake a Ground Investigation (GI) survey of the Council’s car park site at a cost of up to £30,000 (which includes £7,000 contingency as detailed in this report), to be funded from the Property Maintenance Reserve.

(2)       To release (in principle) the Hook Road Car Park to facilitate the wider redevelopment of the gas holder site.

(3)       Note that the Director of Environment, Housing & Regeneration and Head of Property & Regeneration, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Strategy & Resources Committee, Chief Finance Officer and Chief Legal Officer, have express authority to take all necessary actions further to the above decisions being made that commit resources, as is necessary and appropriate.

The Committee received a report proposing the Council and the developer of the SGN Site work collaboratively to investigate the level of contamination and consequent environmental implications for development on any part of the wider gas works site.

The report was previously considered at Environment Committee on 16 July 2024.

The following matters were considered:

a)            Consideration by Environment Committee. The Chair provided the Committee with an update on the Environment Committee’s consideration of the report, which had taken place following the publication of the agenda for the meeting of the Strategy and Resources Committee. This was as follows:

·                     The Environment Committee had not agreed to request the Strategy and Resources Committee to undertake a Ground Investigation Survey.

·                     A member of the Environment Committee meeting had raised a query regarding the contaminants at the site, and a list of contaminants had subsequently been provided to the councillor. A member of the Strategy and Resources Committee requested a copy of the document and it was note that this would be provided to them following the meeting.

·                     The Chair provided updates on other matters considered by the Environment Committee: the water table at the site, potential payback on initial investment and need for rapid consideration.

b)           Payback on cost of Ground Investigation. In response to a question from a member, the Chair informed the Committee that he was very confident that the Council would receive a significant payback on the initial investment required to undertake a Ground Investigation survey.

c)            Ground Investigation Survey. In response to a question from a member, the Head of Property and Regeneration informed the Committee that the Council would undertake a separate Ground Investigation Survey to the developer of the adjacent SGN site. This would enable the level of knowledge about the council’s site to be brought up to the same level as the adjacent site. This would subsequently enable an environmental plan for the whole area to be produced if the two sites were combined at a later stage.

d)            Correction to recommendation 3. In response to a question from a member, the Chair informed the Committee that a correction to recommendation 3 of the report was as follows:

That recommendation be corrected to read as follows: “Note that the Director of Environment, Housing & Regeneration and Head of Property & Regeneration, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Strategy & Resources Committee, Chief Finance Officer and Chief Legal Officer, have express authority to take all necessary actions further to the above decisions being made that commit resources, as is necessary and appropriate.”

Following consideration, the Committee resolved with 7 votes for and 1 abstention to:

(1)      Agree to undertake a Ground Investigation (GI) survey of the Council’s car park site at a cost of up to £30,000 (which includes £7,000 contingency as detailed in this report), to be funded from the Property Maintenance Reserve.

(2)      To release (in principle) the Hook Road Car Park to facilitate the wider redevelopment of the gas holder site.

(3)      Note that the Director of Environment, Housing & Regeneration and Head of Property & Regeneration, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Strategy & Resources Committee, Chief Finance Officer and Chief Legal Officer, have express authority to take all necessary actions further to the above decisions being made that commit resources, as is necessary and appropriate.