Agenda and minutes

            In accordance with Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chair determined that an additional item concerning "Residents Parking Review" should be considered as a matter of urgency to enable the Council to respond to urgent concerns raised by the local community and to authorise the advertisement of a relevant Traffic Regulation Order.  (Minute 32 refers.)  

Members are reminded that at the start of the meeting they should declare any known interests in any matter to be considered, and also during the meeting if it becomes apparent that they have an interest in the matters being discussed.

            The Chair reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting. 

            Councillor Roderick Bluh made a personal and prejudicial declaration of interest in respect of the Additional Agenda Item as he lived within a Residents’ Parking Zone in Swindon. (Minute 32 refers.)

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 7^th November 2006.

            Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 7^th November 2005, be confirmed and signed as a correct record.  

See explanatory note below.  Please phone the Committee Officer whose name and number appears at the top of this agenda if you need further guidance.

            No public questions were asked under Standing Order 28.

Certain items are expected to include the consideration of exempt information and the Standards Committee is, therefore, recommended to resolve "That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded during the discussion of the matters referred to in the items listed below, on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in the respective paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information".

            Resolved – That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded during the discussion of the matters referred to in Agenda Item No. 6 of the Notice of the Meeting and the Additional Agenda Item on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 (Minute 31) and Paragraph 5 (Minute 32) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information concerned.   

            The Cabinet Member for Resources, the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Sustainable Development and Transport Planning, the Group Director, Resources and the Director of Property submitted a joint report concerning the proposed redevelopment of the Granville Street area of Swindon Town Centre that detailed the process undertaken to seek development partners and how the proposals received had been evaluated. A supplementary joint report was also submitted setting out the outcome of the detailed financial and cost appraisals of the proposals put forward by potential developers.

            The Director of Property and the Director of Planning, together with Mr. Neil Parlett and Mr. Richard Ellis of CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), the Council’s consultants, presented the detailed proposals received from Amec; CTP St James; Modus and Wilson Bowden Developments and explained the outcome of the evaluation of those schemes that was set out in Appendix 1 to the joint supplementary report.

            Resolved – (1) That the Committee believes that the Modus development scheme is the most successful response to meet the Council’s regeneration objectives for Swindon Town Centre, and that Modus be appointed as the Council’s preferred development partner for the Granville Street Regeneration Scheme.

            (2) That the Director of Law and Democratic Services be authorised to enter into all necessary documentation, including service of notices for statutory or other purposes, to secure completion of a Collaboration Agreement with Modus, the Preferred Developer for the Granville Street Regeneration Scheme, and this Agreement be consistent with securing the development proposals set out in the joint reports and on such other detailed terms and conditions as are agreed with the Director of Property to protect the Council’s interests.

            (3) That the Director of Law and Democratic Services be authorised to enter into a Development Agreement, and any required supporting actions and documentation, to secure development of the Granville Street Regeneration Scheme, and this agreement be subject to (a) the grant of a satisfactory planning permission, and (b) the agreement of the Cabinet to detailed terms and conditions prior to completion.

            (4) That, subject to the grant of a satisfactory planning permission, the Council recognises the need to make a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) associated with the Granville Street Regeneration Scheme, and confirms that it will do so once planning permission has been granted, with the CPO procedure and costs involved of any kind being met by the preferred developer and documented accordingly.

            (6) That the Group Director Resources, in consultation with Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Sustainable Development and Transport Planning, be authorised to announce the appointment of Modus as the Council’s preferred development partner for the Granville Street Regeneration Scheme.

            (7) That the Director of Planning be requested to advise the Planning Committee of the Special Committee’s belief that the Modus development scheme is the most successful response to meet the Council’s regeneration objectives for Swindon Town Centre, and that the proposed mixed use of the development will assist the successful regeneration of the area, and asks that the Planning Committee considers these aims when reviewing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

            The Director of Transport referred to concerns expressed by local residents, businesses and Ward Councillors following the recent implementation of the Council’s policy that residents in Residents’ Parking Zones A, D, E, F, G and L within central Swindon would be restricted to one Residents’ Parking Permit per household. In view of the concerns expressed, the Director wished to undertake a further review of the impact of the policy restricting the number of permits, particularly for new residents and the “knock-on” effect of this for existing residents, businesses and the wider community, and in the interim to seek to amend the current Traffic Regulation On-Street and Off-Street Consolidation Order 2003 to reverse the policy.

            The Director of Law and Democratic Services advised on the Council’s legal position and the action that it was possible for the Council to take.

            Resolved – (1) That the Director of Transport be authorised to advertise a Traffic Regulation Order to amend the Swindon On-Street and Off-Street Consolidation Order 2003 to enable residents in Residents’ Parking Zones A, D, E, F, G and L to be allowed two Residents’ Parking Permits per household.

            (2) That the Director of Transport be authorised to undertake a review, and consultation exercise, on the Council’s policy that residents in Residents’ Parking Zones A, D, E, F, G and L within central Swindon would be allowed not more than one Residents’ Parking Permit per household, and to report to the Cabinet on 7^th June 2006 with his findings.

            (3) That the Director of Transport, in consultation with Cabinet Member for Corporate Affairs, Policy and Performance, be authorised to announce the decisions to amend the existing Swindon On-Street and Off-Street Consolidation Order 2003 to enable residents in Residents’ Parking Zones A, D, E, F, G and L to be allowed two Residents’ Parking Permits per household and to undertake a review of the existing policy of restricting the number of permits to one, and of the reasons for this action.

(Councillor Roderick Bluh made a personal and prejudicial declaration of interest in respect of above item as he lived within a Residents’ Parking Zone in Swindon, and left the meeting taking no part in the discussion.)