The Panel was presented with the most
recently published Executive Forward Plan. In accordance with Procedure Rules, formal
requests had been made for three future Executive agenda items to
be first considered by the Panel. These
items were as follows:
(a)
Investing in
Kingsbridge
The Deputy Leader introduced
this item and advised that the officer report had now been
published with the Executive agenda.
The report highlighted that the Kingsbridge Hotel development
project and Business Case was originally approved by the Executive
in December 2018 (Minute E.62/18 refers). Since this initial approval, the Deputy Leader
informed that the business case had been changed therefore
requiring a revised approval from the Executive so as to
proceed. It was noted that the key
changes were:
-
That the cost of the project had
increased from £9.10 million to £10.13
million;
-
That the scale of the
development had changed from 76 rooms to 85 rooms; and
-
The height of the development
had been reduced from 5 storeys to 4.
At this stage, the Chairman
invited the local Ward Members in attendance to address the
Panel. In so doing, they raised a
number of points that included:-
-
the apparent lack of public
consultation that had been undertaken to date;
-
the apparent lack of an
independent assessment of the Business Case to underpin the
project;
-
it being somewhat misleading to state that
Kingsbridge Town Council was largely supportive of the
project. In light of the Town Council
recently calling for a public meeting on the proposals, a Member
felt that the Executive decision should be deferred pending the
outcome of this meeting;
-
a number of misgivings over the timing and
presumptive tone of the press release that had been published
earlier in the week. In addition,
disappointment was expressed that they had not been consulted prior
to the press release being issued;
-
the local Neighbourhood Plan
being in the early stages of development;
-
the perception that the car park was
underutilised was incorrect. As a
result, the Members questioned where the hotel users would park;
and
-
there being local demand for high skilled
employment.
In countering a number of these
points, the Deputy Leader stated that:-
-
Hotel accommodation was
currently much needed in Kingsbridge;
-
whilst some negative comments
had been expressed, the Town Council had confirmed its support for
the principle of these proposals;
-
the vast majority of local
traders were also supportive of the proposals;
-
the Council was committed to working closely
with the Town Council and engaging with local residents on the
development and there would be two opportunities for the public to
make their comments to the Council.
Firstly, there would be a public consultation exercise following
the Executive meeting and there would then be a second opportunity
as part of the planning process;
-
the Council was not viewing these proposals as
an income generation project for the Council. Instead, the Panel was advised that the main
drivers ...
view the full minutes text for item O&S12/19