Issue - meetings

To consider a joint report by the Cabinet Member for Highways, Travel and Environment and the Cabinet Member for Housing.

Decision

(1)       That entry into a Funding Agreement with Homes England be authorised to secure up to £6,310,000 of Housing Infrastructure Funding on terms and conditions to be agreed by the Cabinet Member for Highways, Travel and Environment, in consultation with the Executive Director for Place.

Reason for decision: To promote and assist in the delivery of the proposed Gillingham Strategic Site Allocation by the former North Dorset District Council under the North Dorset Local Plan Part 1 2011-2031 (NDLP).

The Cabinet considered a report by the Cabinet Member for Highways, Travel and Environment proposing that, following the success of an application made by North Dorset District Council, Dorset Council enter into a Funding Agreement with Homes England to secure Housing Infrastructure Funding (HIF) to enable the design and construction of a principal street within the proposed urban extension upon land to the south of Gillingham and help serve the wider development. This grant was conditional upon the Council ultimately recovering the HIF in full from the benefitting developers but with the agreement that any sums recovered may be reinvested in housing projects throughout Dorset.

The Cabinet Member for Planning, who was one of the Members for the Gillingham Ward, explained that he had been involved in the bid for the HIF and very much welcomed the report.  He explained that the construction of the proposed principal street would ensure that construction vehicles could access the development site with ease and would accelerate the construction programme.  He reminded the Cabinet that the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government had held Gillingham up as an exemplar of community-led planning. 

The Leader reported comments from one of the Members for the Gillingham Ward, Cllr Ridout, supporting the recommendation as set out in the report.

One of the Members for the Rodwell and Wyke Ward, Cllr Heatley, drew attention to the omission of any commentary on the implications of Climate Change in the report and requested that this should be included in all reports.  Officers acknowledged the omission from this report but confirmed that this was now included in the report template.

Decision

1.   That entry into a Funding Agreement with Homes England be authorised to secure up to £6,310,000 of Housing Infrastructure Funding on terms and conditions to be agreed by the Cabinet Member for Highways, Travel and Environment, in consultation with the Executive Director for Place.

Reason for Decision

To promote and assist in the delivery of the proposed Gillingham Strategic Site Allocation by the former North Dorset District Council under the North Dorset Local Plan Part 1 2011-2031.