Policy, Resources and Performance Cabinet Panel Wednesday 23 November 2011 at 2Pm Item
HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
CABINET
MONDAY,28 NOVEMBER 2011 AT 2.00 PM
THE FUTURE OF LAND AT HARPENDEN ROAD, ST ALBANS
Report of the Director Resources Performance
Author: Peter Tiernan, Senior Estate Officer, Herts Property 01992 556208
Executive Member: David Lloyd, Resources and Economic Well-Being
Local Members: Alan Siao Ming Witherick (St Albans North)
Chris White(St Albans Central)
1. Purpose of report
1.1To enable Cabinet to consider the future of land at Harpenden Road,
St Albans and to seek Cabinet’s agreement to market and dispose of this site.
2.Summary
2.1The land at Harpenden Road, St Albans is part of a larger site known as the former Ariston Works site, being industrial premises prior to their acquisition and redevelopment by the County Council many years ago.
2.2The land the subject of this report is shown on the plan at Appendix 1 and has a total area of 4.138 hectares (10.22 acres) and is no longer required for statutory service purposes, subject to the re-provision of those statutory services now remaining at the site.
2.3It is proposed that the land is marketed and sold subject to an output specification to re-provide the statutory public service facilities now on the site. Also that the County Council’s potential need for additional land in central and urban areas of St Albans, for future primary school use, be made known in the sale arrangements so that any potential land exchange can be identified and considered.
3.Recommendations
3.1The Policy, Resources & Performance Cabinet Panel will consider a report on this item of business at its meeting on 23 November 2011. The recommendation being made to the Panel is that the Panel recommend to Cabinet:-
“That Cabinet agrees that:
(i) disposal of the Land at Harpenden Road, St Albans, as shown on the plan HP 1929 (the ‘Site’),be authorised and that the sale arrangements include a requirement that the purchaser re-provides, with no loss of continuity of service provision, replacement facilities in accordance with an output specification for the statutory public services facilities that now remain on the Site;
(ii) during the marketing of the Site it be made known that the County Council would be interested in exchange land within the central and urban areas of the City of St Albans that could be suitable for development as a primary school site, to meet potential further rising demand for school places; and
(iii)approval of the detailed commercial terms for the disposal of the Site and of arrangements for the re-provision of the statutory public services facilities that now remain on the Site be delegated to the Director Resources & Performance in consultation with the Executive Member for Resources & Economic Wellbeing.”
3.2The Panel’s recommendation(s) to Cabinet will be reported orally at the meeting and circulated to Members in the Order Sheet.
4.Background
4.1The County Council’s land at Harpenden Road, St Albans, is located to the north of St Albans off Harpenden Road (A1081) with access via Heathlands Drive. The whole of the County Council’s freehold land ownership at this location is shown on the plan at Appendix 2, edged red and blue. None of this land is within Bernard’s Heath, an adjoining public open space.
4.2Part of the land in the County Council’s ownership, some 2.65 hectares (6.54 acres) in extent and shown on the plan at Appendix 3, has been the subject of a planning application for development for residential and community facilities.
4.3That part of the Site has been in multiple occupations and now includes:-
-Ambulance Station
-Youth Service
-Pioneer Youth Club (incorporating an indoor skateboard facility)
-St Albans Judo Club
-Woodland and amenity land
-Access to HeathlandsSchool [located on an adjoining site]
4.4That site also includes the former fire station which was relocated to London Road, St Albans in 2005, the former County Council Youth Offending Team’s offices which were vacated in 2010, and a former Depot.
4.5St Albans City & District Council (SADC) resolved to grant outline planning permission (Ref: 5/2002/0852) for the redevelopment of the part of the site shown edged red on Appendix 2 for housing and community purposesin 2002. This is subject to a Section106 Agreement.
4.6The plan at Appendix 4 shows the land originally acquired by the County Council with the former industrial (suet & tallow works, and clay working pits) and nursery garden uses. From this it can be seen that the majority of the land has been developed previously.
4.7The rear former playing field lands, to the south of HeathlandsSchool, have very recently suffered from land subsidence and initial remediation has been undertaken by surcharging the area affected with imported inert soils. This treatment ensures that earlier voids are covered and any further settlement is filled by the surcharge material.
4.8Part of the former playing fields land is not affected by the subsidence and that has been identified, and is being held in reserve, for a potential detached playing field for an additional primary school at Hatfield Road, St Albans.
4.9Previous iterations of the City and District of St Albansemerging Core Strategy Development Plan Document have identified land at HarpendenRoadas a potential food store. Although that potential use is not explicit in the current consultation on the Core Strategy [December 2010 – February 2011], the land may be of interest to food retailers,subject to obtaining the appropriate planning permission.
4.10On 16 December 2010 the Education and Skills Cabinet Panel was advised that the land at Harpenden Road is not situated in a part of St Albans with a predicted shortfall of primary school places. Indeed Bernard’sHeathPrimary School has very recently been increased in capacity by1 Form of entry. This site is, therefore,no longer under consideration as part of the current schools’ expansion programme.
4.11The occupation of part of the Site by the Ambulance Service is by way of statutory user rights. That occupation will need to be varied to accommodate redevelopment of the land, by way of the re-provision of suitable alternative accommodation. This could either be on site as part of a developer’s scheme or off site as might be agreed.
4.12The occupation of part of the Site by the Judo Club, under leasehold arrangements, is not as a statutory service. That use is classified as a community use by the Local Planning Authority and it may be expected that a developer will need to ensure in a redevelopment scheme that the requirements of the Local Planning Authority are met in respect of that use. This could either be on site as part of a developer’s scheme or off site as might be agreed.
4.13The occupation and use of part of the Site – the Pioneer building, incorporating skateboard facilities – by the Pioneer Youth Club, is not a statutory service. That use is classified as a community use by the Local Planning Authority and it may be expected that a developer will need to ensure in a redevelopment scheme that the requirements of the Local Planning Authority are met in respect of that use. This could either be on site as part of a developer’s scheme or off site as might be agreed.
4.14The occupation and use of part of the land – the Pioneer building - by the Youth Service is as a statutory service. That occupation will need to be varied to accommodate redevelopment of the land, by way of the re-provision of suitable alternative accommodation. This could either be on site as part of a developer’s scheme or off site as might be agreed.
4.15It is,therefore, proposed that the Site is marketed and sold subject to an output specification to re-provide the statutory public service facilities now on the Site.
5. Financial Implications
5.1The estimated value of the Site, with planning permission for development for residential and community facilities, is in the region of £6m. The disposal would be subject to an output specification obliging the purchaser to re-provide accommodation for the statutory services now on the site and the cost of the re-provision would be expected to leave the County Council with a lower net capital receipt, perhaps in the region of £3m depending on the developer’s own cost estimates.
5.2The disposal of the former Ariston Works site would be at the best consideration reasonably obtainable in accordance with the provisions of Section123 of the Local Government Act 1972. Best consideration would include an evaluation of the deal that gives the County Council the best outcome in terms of meeting the output specification for replacement facilities, any land exchange proposals and cash paid.
6. Equality Implications
6.1 When considering proposals placed before Members it is important that they are fully aware of, and have themselves actively considered, the Council’s statutory obligations in relation to equalities. This will include paying close attention to any equalities impact assessment produced by officers.
6.2The Equality Act 2010 requires the Council when exercising its functions to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct prohibited under the Act, promote equality of opportunity for and foster good relations with individuals with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics under the Equalities Act 2010 are: race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religious belief and pregnancy & maternity.
6.3 An Equalities Impact Assessment has identified that there could be an impact on the users of the Youth Service currently located at Pioneer Youth Club which can be mitigated against, but which will require further work with the future developer of the Site. The impact is currently considered to only be during the construction phase of the contract and will be addressed during the pre-planning consultation and as part of the planning application. The County Council intends to work with the developer of the Siteand the management committee and users of the Youth Service and the Pioneer Youth Club to manage the situation.
7.Conclusions
7.1Subject to the re-provision of accommodation for the remaining statutory services, the land is surplus to requirements and should be sold with the benefit of a planning permission for development for residential and community facilities.
7.2It is proposed that the County Council proceeds to market and dispose of the land at best commercial consideration subject to a requirement for the developer to meet an output specification to re-provide specific statutory public service facilities currently on the Site. It is also proposed that the County Council’s potential need for land for a reserve primary school in central and urban areas of St Albans be made known during marketing.
Background Information
Report to Policy, Resources and Performance Cabinet Panel, 23 November 2011
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