Leader of the Council, Councillor Patrick Molyneux, to present report EDP.45, seeking to secure Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) funding in support of the Cinderford Regeneration Programme.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Patrick Molyneux, presented report EDP.45, detailing proposals relating to the construction and financial arrangements for delivery of the Cinderford Northern Quarter Spine Road. The spine road will open up the Steam Mills Site in Cinderford and play a vital role in providing access to new developments as part of the Cinderford Regeneration Programme. The Leader informed members that, subject to minor changes, the principle of the report remained unchanged.

Regeneration Manager, Wendy Jackson confirmed that she and the Solicitor to the Council, Marie Rosenthal had attended a meeting with Gloucestershire County Council and the Homes and Communities Agency at Shire Hall on Tuesday 17 January 2012 to discuss the legal framework from which the council would support the successful delivery of the Cinderford Northern Quarter Spine Road.

She said that, following several key outcomes from this meeting, it was necessary to make changes to recommendation a) of report EDP. 45. One of the outcomes had been that this council, in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council, had agreed to share the financial role required to undertake the pre-development activity required ahead of the construction work. Furthermore, Gloucestershire County Council had agreed to procure all construction work.  The Regeneration Manager pointed out that the original report EDP.45 included a proposal for the Forest of Dean District Council to take on the entire financial role to lead on all pre-development activity and phase 1 works.

Due to the revised agreement, it was necessary to amend recommendation a) to reflect the required change. The Regeneration Manager outlined the revised recommendation and said that the council’s pre-development activity role included taking the lead on land acquisition. It also included the appointment of an urban design specialist to monitor the quality of the emerging highway design and a cost controller to validate all qualifying expenditure associated with the delivery of the new road. The county council’s pre-development activity role involved appointing consultants to undertake highway design, planning application preparation and all ecological survey work needed to support an Environmental Impact Assessment.

Councillor Brian Robinson, Cabinet Member for an Efficient Council and Planning Policy, informed members that the revised recommendation had not incurred any financial implications other than those included in the original report. The Leader said that it was good to see the situation progress and enquired when work on the spine road was likely to commence. The Regeneration Manager said that, due to a significant amount of essential ecological work, it would be January 2013 before any works commenced. Cabinet noted the amended report and,

RESOLVED to,

a)     Approve FoDDC’s involvement in the proposed FoDDC/GCC joint financial role to progress pre-development activity and launch delivery of the new Cinderford Northern Quarter spine road,

b)     Using the HCA grant funding, FoDDC to appoint a suitably qualified Urban Designer and a Cost Control specialist to monitor the detailed design and the project costs,

c)      Authorise the Group Manager - Legal and Democratic; Group Manager - Planning and Housing and Group Manager – Finance and Property, in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for an Efficient Council and Planning Policy, authority to implement the recommendations and complete the necessary legal documentation.