[To declare part of the WEC site surplus to requirements and approve the disposal of the site for housing development; to allocate funds for demolition and planning consent; and to transfer the remainder of the site for future use and maintenance as part of Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve]
Decision:
1. That area (1) of the Wolverhampton Environment Centre (WEC) site (shown in Appendix 1 to the report) be declared surplus to requirements.
2. That the remainder of the WEC site area (2) be designated as part of the Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve, subject to statutory requirements, and the site be allocated for future maintenance as public open space by Environmental Services.
3. That the proposal to tender the demolition of the glasshouses on area (1) at an estimated cost of £175,000 be approved.
4. That the proposal to obtain Outline Planning consent for residential use for area (1) at an estimated cost of £6,000, to be funded from the disposals capital programme be approved.
5. That the necessary virements of unallocated resources within the disposals capital programme to create a budget of £175,000 for the demolition be approved.
6. That the transfer of area (1) would be subject to a requirement that the purchaser would enter into a Section 106 agreement to pay £80,000 to meet the costs of maintenance for ten years of the remainder of the WEC site as part of Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve.
7. That the disposal of the freehold of area (1) to WV Living at a market value to be determined by the District Valuer for the development of housing be approved subject to approval by the WV Living Board; and that authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Housing and City Assets in consultation with the Director of Finance to approve the details associated with the disposal of the asset.
8. That the re designation of the land at Westacre Crescent, (as shown yellow on the plan at Appendix 1 to the report) to General Fund Pubic Open Space from the Housing Revenue Account, to be managed as open space be approved.
9. That it be noted that the Capital Budget Quarter Three Monitoring 2016/17 report to Council would seek approval to a budget allocation of £205,000 as match funding to draw down European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Black Country Blue Network bid resources to improve the remainder of the site and incorporate it into Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve (LNR).
10. That it be noted that the tender acceptance process for the demolition would be considered in the procurement report to Cabinet (Resources) Panel.
11. That it be noted that a further report would be submitted around the further improvements to Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve as part of the opening of the remainder of the site following the land disposal once the capital receipt for the site is fully known.
12. That it be noted that a report would be submitted to WV Living Board as part of the approvals to agree the Section 111 Agreement and transfer the land to WV Living.
Minutes:
Cllr Peter Bilson sought approval to declare part of the Wolverhampton Environment Centre (WEC) site surplus to requirements and to dispose of the site for housing development by WV Living (subject to approval by their Board); to allocate funds for demolition and planning consent and to transfer the remainder of the site for future use and maintenance as part of Smestow Valley Local Nature Reserve.
Resolved: