Agenda item

To update the committee on the progress of negotiations with the shortlisted bidders, and to seek authority for how to take negotiations forward.

The Chair invited the Group Head of Technical Services to provide members with an overview of the report. He outlined that investment conditions had deteriorated over the last 12 months. He reminded members that at the committee meeting held in July 2021, members instructed officers to market the land for sale, with a preference for retaining 100 car parking spaces, WC and enhanced approach to Hotham Park. In March 2022 a further report was brought back to committee where officers were instructed to enter into a second and final round of bidding with the 4 bids that had been shortlisted to negotiate best and final offers, once this had been completed officers were to bring those results back to members, which was what was detailed in the report for them at today’s meeting. He then ran through the 4 offers in detail including the councils recommended action for each bid.

During discussion it was clear that members were not agreeable to the offers as they were and that there were no options that members could fully support. The Group Head of Technical Services advised members that should they be inclined not to pursue the recommendations before them, there would be agent fees payable and maintenance costs for the area that would need to be undertaken by the council e.g., Toilet and Car Park maintenance. Further discussion was had around regeneration for the site versus options that would provide revenue for the Council and social value. There was a request for a member briefing to be held to review further options that could be achieved with the site. A suggestion from a non-member of the committee was that the council should explore potential commercial partnership options further. The resounding mood of the committee was that now, was not the right time to move forward with the offers as they were.

There was a detailed conversation across the room in reaching agreement for the wording of the resolution where it was agreed and proposed by Councillor Cooper, seconded by Councill Walsh that;

The Committee

          RESOLVED

1.    Committee reject the offers as they stand and requests that officers and members continue to explore options within a masterplan for the site