Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor James Mason and apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Alan Quinn.

Members of Cabinet are asked to consider whether they have an interest in any of the matters of the Agenda and, if so, to formally declare that interest.

Councillor Quinn declared a personal interest in respect of all matters under consideration, as both his son and daughter in law are employed by the NHS, his wife is employed by the Citizens Advice Bureau and he is a member of the trade union, Unite. He had also previously invested in Village Greens in Prestwich who have a shop in the Longfield.

Questions are invited from members of the public about the work of the Council and the Council’s services.

Approximately 30 minutes will be set aside for Public Question Time, if required.

The following question was submitted in advance of the meeting by a member of the public, Jennifer Toole:

Why are children with special needs being failed by our local authorities and the SEN team so badly? Why is the system so poor and why is funding constantly being cut when its desperately needed? Our children have the right to an education that is tailored around them but there are so many barriers it’s impossible. How are the council going to address these ongoing issues and can special needs school provision be made a priority? Because two in the borough is not enough for reception age children! We get more secondary schools/primary schools but no mention of help for children who are in greater need. Can more help be made available for families with SEN children or at least more information made available?

Councillor Tamoor Tariq, Cabinet Member for Children ,Young People and Skills, responded:

Firstly, may I thank Ms Toole for her question and for meeting with SEN officers this week.  I understand how difficult transitions are for children and for parents and especially so for children with special educational needs.

We recognise that there is a lot of work to do to get services for our children in Bury to the very best standard.  To make this a reality we are embarking on a Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) transformation programme over the next 4 years to truly transform how we deliver services and outcomes for children and young people with SEND in Bury. We want to meet the expectations for families from their Council, their schools and their health services.

As part of this transformative work, the Council is engaging with the Department for Education who are working with local authorities, such as Bury, to improve SEND provision and provide additional funding to create more school places within the borough to meet a wider range of needs.  There is a national governmental review of SEND services currently underway, which is due for publication soon.  We look forward to its recommendations.

As Cabinet Members are aware, we are intent on improving the child and parent experience of SEND services.  We are working closely with our parent carer forum and are keen to hear from parents about their experiences as part of the improvement journey.

Questions are invited from Elected Members about the work of the Cabinet.  15 minutes will be set aside for Member Question Time, if required.

Notice of any Member question must be given to the Monitoring Officer by 9.30am on Friday, 21 May 2021.

The following question was submitted in advance of the meeting by Councillor Carol Birchmore:

I recently visited the site of the proposed East Lancs Paper Mill development with some concerned residents. Whilst I am obviously in favour of building on brownfield land I do have some concerns in relation to this particular site. Being perhaps the only person in this room that has spent 5 years living with a building site directly behind my house there are a number of issues that I believe should be considered. In my personal experience the lack of Council/developer communication with residents makes the experience something of a nightmare. Will the Council agree to commit to a full, open and honest consultation with residents over any plans and commit to addressing residents’ concerns in a timely fashion? Also, a number of residents have expressed concerns in relation to the increased traffic volume caused by the proposals. Can I remind you that the proposals are for 400 houses so assuming 2 cars per household that would result in an additional 800 cars using roads which are in the main minor roads with an already significantly heavy traffic loading. Will the Council commit to carrying out full and detailed traffic surveys and fully consider ways of designing access on and off the site to make sure that the current road network is not overloaded which would result in increased journey times for existing residents along with increased traffic pollution level exposure which is likely to impact on the health of existing residents? Finally, will the Council commit to ensuring that independent wildlife surveys (not ones paid for by developers) are carried out on the site to make sure that a full understanding of the potential impact on wildlife species is determined and that measures are put in place to mitigate any impact on wildlife including in relation to the proposed open public spaces?

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth, responded:

The council has a brownfield first approach to development and East Lancashire Paper Mill is the largest housing site in the district. Development on brownfield sites must have a full construction management plan approved to mitigate any impact on surrounding residents. This will be approved by the planning authority and will include (but not limited to) approved plans identifying construction access to the site, phasing of delivery, noise / dust / vibration mitigation whilst works are ongoing. We would also expect Considerate Constructors best practice to be followed regarding local resident communications.

A planning application would be required to bring forward development of the site and would include a full public consultation. It is anticipated that the selected developer would conduct this consultation in 2022. The site also sits within the Radcliffe Strategic Regeneration Framework programme which is subject to a separate community and stakeholder engagement plan.

In 2018 the site received outline planning consent including approved means of access onto the surrounding highway network. Additional traffic, transport assessments and habitat  ...  view the full minutes text for item CA.68

Minutes from the meeting held on 24 March 2021 are attached.

It was agreed:

Minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2021 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

A report from the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth and the Cabinet Member for Housing Services is attached.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth, presented the report which set out a clear process to bring the site forward, working in partnership with Homes England and delivered through a formal Collaboration Agreement. It was noted that the detail would be set out when the proposal reached the planning stage, and significant public consultation would be undertaken.

In response to a Member question about the flood risk, the Leader advised that the flood risk element was only on part of the site and as such could be mitigated through site layout with other protection measures to be determined at the planning stage. With regards to other complexities, ground inspections and remediation would be needed, and the cricket club currently on the site would need relocating.

Decision:

That Cabinet:

1.   Notes progress made by the Council to bring the site forward for housing.

2.   Provides approval to enter into the Collaboration Agreement (Heads of Terms set out in Appendix A in the Part B of this report) with Homes England and delegates the finalisation of the Agreement and any further approvals to the Chief Executive, Section 151 and Monitoring Officers.

3.   Agrees the delivery strategy as set out within the Collaboration Agreement and outlined in section 4.2 of this report, including transfer of the Councils land comprising two sites at Rectory Lane and Tower Farm to Homes England and the procurement of a development partner through their Delivery Partner Panel.

4.   Notes the potential for a capital receipt for the Council’s land and the increased council income generated by new homes on the site.

Reasons for the decision:

East Lancashire Paper Mill is the largest brownfield housing site in Bury District and sits within the regeneration programme in Radcliffe. This is a long-term vacant site and has considerable abnormal costs that have historically presented a viability challenge in the context of housing development.

Several attempts in the past by previous owners to bring the site forward have failed. A new collaborative approach will ensure that the procurement of a developer and the delivery of much needed homes will ensure the site is comprehensively developed to the highest environmental and social standard.

Other options considered and rejected:

Other options have been considered. The options have been considered in relation to risk, likelihood of development in the short to medium term and best value for the Council. These are:

·         Do nothing; The site is in the five-year housing supply and forms some of the infrastructure land (and enabling development) for the wider site. To Do nothing would mean the sites are not developed and the new homes are not built. The site is a liability to Bury Council and a maintenance budget would be required to hold the site. Do nothing is not an option politically or financially.

·         The Council brings its own site to the market independently of Homes England; there is no collaboration with Homes England. The two sites are intrinsically linked  ...  view the full minutes text for item CA.70

A report from the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth is attached.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth, presented the report which provided an update to the March 2021 Cabinet Paper regarding the acquisition of the Longfield Shopping Centre. The confidential Part B report provided the detailed terms of the transaction and a best value report for approval.

In response to a Member’s questions, the Leader advised that of a site manager would be appointed to undertake consultation with existing tenants as well as longer term engagement.

Decision:

That Cabinet:

1.   On the terms set out in the report in Part B report, approves the acquisition of the Longfield Shopping Centre and delegate to the Chief Executive, Leader and Lead Member for Growth in consultation with the Council’s s.151 and Monitoring Officer the finalised documentation in respect of the acquisition.

2.   Notes that a Vacant Possession Strategy will be developed and a full engagement exercise will take place with the current tenants of the Shopping Centre.

3.   Confirms the decision made by Cabinet in March the Council’s intention to negotiate a Joint Venture vehicle/development partnership with Muse to deliver the Prestwich Village Regeneration project, the details of the Joint Venture/development partnership will return to a future meeting of Cabinet for approval.

4.   Confirm the decision made by Cabinet in March that the Council will appoint an experienced property centre manager to manage the Centre on an interim basis pending the development of the site.

Reasons for the decision:

The acquisition of the Longfield Shopping Centre is the first step in a key strategic acquisition in achieving the ambitions of the Council in regard to the regeneration of Prestwich Town Centre. To deliver such regeneration and truly achieve the vision for Prestwich, The Longfield Centre must form an integral component of any redevelopment plans.

The acquisition will pave the way for a new Prestwich centre which should lead to delivery of new homes, a Library and Community Hub, small business workspace, outdoor space/public realm and Market Hall as part of our ambitious vision for a thriving local economy. The purchase of Longfield Shopping Centre will be a catalyst post COVID-19 for delivering Bury Council’s regeneration ambitions which supports economic recovery.

Other options considered and rejected:

Other options have been considered and have been subject to external validation by the Council’s advisers CBRE. The options have been considered in relation to risk, likelihood of development in the short to medium term and best value for the Council. These are:

·         do nothing;

·         buy the lease;

·         developer to buy the lease as part of a Joint Venture approach

·         Compulsory Purchase Order

A report from the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth is attached.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth, presented the report which proposed the submission of two bids in round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund. The deadline for round 1 bids was 18th June 2021.

In response to a Member’s question, the Leader advised he was confident the ambitions of the Council were substantiated by its people, resources and professional expertise. The bids were strengthened by their ties to other pieces of work across the borough and the support from networks, partners and local organisations, as well as wider public engagement. The bids represented a ‘people case’ as well as a physical regeneration and would work to improve the lives of the borough’s residents.

Decision:

That Cabinet:

1.   Agrees to develop and submit two Levelling Up Bid applications – one for Radcliffe (subject to approval at Radcliffe Cabinet Committee on the 27^th May 2021) and a second for Bury town centre. Final approval of the submissions on or prior to the 18th June 2021 will be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

2.   Approves expenditure up to £125,000 per project as required to support the development of proposals submitted as bids to the Levelling Up Fund to enable the delivery of the project within the required timescales.

Reasons for the decision:

The Radcliffe Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) was adopted in September 2020 as the Council’s policy for the future regeneration of the town.

In Area policy BY6 - Central Shopping Area, the current development plan states that the Council will encourage and support proposals for retailing and appropriate ancillary retail uses within Bury town centre's central shopping area.

S1/1 - Shopping in Bury Town Centre, the Council will protect, maintain and enhance the role of Bury Town Centre as a sub-regional shopping centre and promote the centre as a focal point for further development. In particular, the Council will support the expansion of the centre through the development of additional comparison shopping floorspace, complementary non-food retail warehousing and speciality shopping.

Access to monies from the Levelling Up Fund would support the delivery of projects in Radcliffe and Bury, within a timeframe that is strategically aligned to the implementation of priorities outlined in the Let’s do It, Bury 2030 plan.

Other options considered and rejected:

None.

A report from the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth is attached.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth, presented the report which set out the approach for the procurement of the Council’s contract for banking services in collaboration with GM and wider participating authorities for which Bury are acting as Lead Authority.

Decision:

That Cabinet:

1.   Approves the collaborative procurement strategy and Bury’s role as Lead Authority;

2.   Authorises the Joint Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member (Finance and Growth) to award the framework and subsequent calloff contract and facilitate the execution, implementation and operation of the contract.

Reasons for the decision:

Achievement of Best Value for Money

·         Consolidating requirements and spend across a number of organisations to create an attractive package of business to present to the marketplace will drive out the best commercial terms.

·         A collaborative approach reduces duplicated effort across GM resulting in better use of resources. Bury benefits from access to frameworks and contracts established by our GM partners and it is important that we make a positive contribution in order to reap the benefits that collaborative procurement brings.

·         The opportunity to maximise social value from the contract is enhanced by the greater significance of the contract to the supplier and through collaboration and the shared objectives of the participants.

Other options considered and rejected:

Given the absence of acceptable existing framework options, the creation of a bespoke framework, from which individual participating organisations will be able to call-off their own contracts, represents the most appropriate procurement option.

A report from the Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Operations is attached.

Councillor Alan Quinn, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Operations, presented the draft Climate Action Strategy and Climate Action Plan for Bury to set out what needs to be done to achieve the target to be carbon neutral by 2038.

It was noted that the draft Climate Action Strategy set out the background information, the scale of the challenge facing the Borough and the need to work together and take action now, with the Action Plan being a more fluid document that would be updated each year and will be used to monitor progress across the community, partners and the council to ensure delivery and keep things on track. It was proposed that these be subject to consultation with residents and other stakeholders.

Decision:

That Cabinet:

1.   Acknowledges the work to date on developing the draft Climate Action Strategy and Climate Action Plan.

2.   Approves the draft Climate Action Strategy and Climate Action Plan for public consultation for a period of ten weeks.

3.   Notes that a further report will be presented to Cabinet for adoption, with the final Climate Action Strategy and Climate Action Plan, that takes into account the results and feedback from the consultation.

Reasons for the decision:

Climate change is a long lasting and universal problem that will affect everyone and those most impacted will be our most vulnerable residents. It will be the young people who will have to deal with our legacy into the future and we owe it to them to take the drastic action required.

The Climate Action Strategy and Action Plan needs to be owned by the Council, residents and stakeholders and the consultation will seek the views of the wider community to ensure feedback is considered and the importance of different aspects of the strategy are understood across the different neighbourhoods.

Other options considered and rejected:

The Council did consider having one document that included both the Strategy and Action Plan. However, it was felt that some people may not be interested in the background and detail of the Strategy but may still be keen to get involved and take action. By having a separate and fluid Climate Action Plan the community and stakeholders can commit to helping to deliver one or a number of actions and see how these fit into the wider strategy.

A report from the Cabinet Member for Housing Services is attached.

Councillor Clare Cummins, Cabinet Member for Housing Services, presented the report regarding the draft Housing Strategy for Bury, which had been updated and a high-level action plan has been developed to support delivery, following feedback from the twelve-week consultation which ran from 30 November 2020 to 22 February 2021.

In response to Members’ questions, Councillor Cummins advised that the response levels were adequate to give meaningful feedback and detailed the hard work of officers to drive response levels. With regards to the protection of greenbelt land, Councillor Cummins advised that although the report reflected respondents’ views on this issue, it was about people and ensuring there were suitable homes in the borough rather than being a strategic planning document.

Decision:

That Cabinet:

1.   Notes the findings of the public consultation and the post consultation revisions, comments and updates.

2.   Adopts the Housing Strategy and proposed arrangements for implementation and governance as set out within this report.

Reasons for the decision:

The new Housing Strategy contributes towards meeting the Council’s priorities across a range of policy areas including climate change. It sets out the scale of housing issues and challenges facing the Borough and provides a clear direction of travel for the delivery of a balanced, diverse housing supply and an opportunity to create successful and inclusive neighbourhoods in conjunction with our Bury 2030 vision.

The Strategy has been informed by our new Housing Need and Demand Assessment and, through early and extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including private developers and registered providers. It was approved by Cabinet for public consultation on the 14 October 2020.

Other options considered and rejected:

Utilise the existing Housing Strategy (2014 – 2024) to deliver housing priorities and guide economic growth and investment in the Borough - this option has been considered and rejected for the following reasons:

·         The existing Housing Strategy (2014 – 2024) is obsolete as the housing landscape and the way in which housing services are delivered has changed considerably in recent years.

·         The Council and its partners would be unclear on their priorities and how to deliver them.

A report from the Cabinet Member for Corporate Affairs and HR is attached.

Councillor Tahir Rafiq, Cabinet Member for Corporate Affairs and HR, presented the report which proposed the detail of the Agile Working Strategy, subject to a structured evaluation. It was noted that the agile working model would be subject to regular, structured review, with the first formal review taking place in December 2021. 

In response to a Member’s question, it was noted that the Corporate Landlord model was under development and was working to the same timescale as the first phase of Agile Working, that being December 2021. 

Decision:

That Cabinet endorses the roll out and evaluation of the agile model for all staff, as described in this report, from Stage 4 of the national roadmap out of lockdown, which is currently assumed to be 21 June 2021.

Reasons for the decision:

In October 2021 the Council’s Cabinet agreed to the principle of an agile working model for Bury town centre based office staff. The same decision was made for CCG staff by NHS Bury CCG Governing Body. The approval of the concept of agile working was given on the basis of:

·         harnessing the technology and new ways of working which evolved during the pandemic response

·         providing an opportunity to drive the productivity of the workforce; reduce costs; promote inclusion and further the ambition for carbon neutrality and

·         helping manage the risk of the poor condition of much of the Council’s office estate, including the reduction of available office space in the Town Hall by c50%

It is recognised that any change in the way that we work needs to be carefully managed and that there are complex issues across workforce, estate and technology to address.

Other options considered and rejected:

None; Agile working will be open for all staff subject to the requirements of their role, but there is a particular imperative within the Bury town centre sites where estate maintenance and social distancing adaptations have required significant reductions in estate footprint. Staff whose role is location dependant will continue to operate from their normal work place.

A report from the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing is attached.

Councillor Andrea Simpson, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, presented the report which set out a summary of the local response to the on-going Covid-19 pandemic highlighting the additional measures to address the emergence of the more transmissible Variant of Concern B617.2 (Indian) variant and the need to maintain an on-going Covid-19 response over the longer term. Members also discussed their concerns over the amount of people experiencing poverty issues with regards to self-isolation, with the government’s eligibility criteria acting as a barrier.

Decision:

That Cabinet:

1.   Notes the comprehensive response to date.

2.   Notes the potential for a fourth wave of Covid-19 and the potential for impact on hospitalisations, disruption to education, social and economic life and the planned further easing of lockdown measures.

3.   Notes the need to maintain an on-going local response in the context of the continued global pandemic

4.   Notes the resources received and committed to date and the work underway to develop a further resource allocation plan to support the continued response.

Reasons for the decision:

N/A

Other options considered and rejected:

N/A

A report from the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing is attached.

Councillor Andrea Simpson, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, presented the report which outlined proposals to recommission the Bury Integrated Sexual Health Service, which had been provided by Virgin Care Ltd since January 2016 as part of a cluster commissioning arrangement with Rochdale and Oldham Councils (known as ORB).

Decision:

That Cabinet:

1.   Approves to proceed to market for a full tender process commencing June 2021 for a new service to be in place by 1 April 2022.

2.   Agrees that Bury remains as part of a collaborative commissioning arrangement with Oldham and Rochdale Councils.

Reasons for the decision:

There is no provision to extend the current contract. Undertaking a full tender process, including revising the specification of the service to include additional elements (based on data and intelligence from the 2019 Sexual Health Needs Assessment) and to better align with local and regional ambitions, as well as including new required provision, will ensure that we have a high functioning and appropriate Integrated Sexual Health Service for Bury.

The cluster arrangement between Oldham, Rochdale and Bury has worked well to date and there have been significant benefits to collaboratively commissioning the service for the three boroughs. The locality footprints and demographics are such that the population health needs are similar across the cluster. The service has also benefited from reduced overheads and management costs and has been able to provide a more flexible service in response to staffing pressures or other service need.

Other options considered and rejected:

The recommendation is that Bury remains as part of a collaborative commissioning arrangement, as opposed to commissioning as a single locality- the rationale is to standardise quality of care across the localities as well as to manage costs associated with the process, reduce duplication, and avoid unnecessary expense.

A report from the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing is attached.

Councillor Andrea Simpson, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, presented the report which requested approval to progress to tender for the new Care at Home service for a further 3 years with the option of up to 2 year extension.

Decision:

That Cabinet approves the request to re-tender the Care at Home service.

Reasons for the decision:

Re-tender of the Care at Home contract allows for changes to be made to the service specification that will allow greater flexibility and choice for customers in how their needs are met. The strengths of this are:

·         A well-functioning and sustainable Care at Home service will have a positive impact for other areas of health and social care, for example, reduced social isolation, reduced admissions to hospitals, reduced carer breakdown, more people being able to live at home for longer.

·         Enabling providers to have a stronger role in assessment and care management will allow more capacity for social workers.

·         A truly person-centred service for customers will be developed.

·         Opportunity for new care providers to enter the market and share their knowledge and expertise.

·         Implementation of innovative ideas that the current contract does not allow.

·         Alignment to the Integrated Neighbourhood Teams and Locality Plan.

Other options considered and rejected:

·         Extend the current contract for a further 12 months was considered but rejected given the benefits of re-tendering the service and the positive impact this will have on customers now.

·         Under procurement rules you can make slight changes to a contract without having to re-tender the service. This was rejected as it was felt we should be more ambitious and give customers greater options in the way their needs are met.

To consider the minutes of meetings of the Manchester Combined Authority held on 12 February and 23 March 2021.

Members discussed the Greater Manchester Combined Authority minutes, noting that the cost implications of meeting weekly food waste collections would not fall on Bury Council to meet. In response to a Member’s question regarding Bus Reform, the Leader advised that Bury was fully supportive of the scheme, and that Bolton would not be excluded from the plans despite their current opposition to them. He also undertook to provide a breakdown of the financial risks and liabilities of the plans.

It was agreed:

Minutes of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority meeting held on 12 February and 23 March 2021 be noted.

There were no items of urgent business.

Decision:

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting under Section 100 (A)(4), Schedule 12(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, for the reason that the following business involves the disclosure of exempt information as detailed against the item.

A report from the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth and the Cabinet Member for Housing Services is attached.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth, presented the confidential report which set out a clear process to bring the site forward, working in partnership with Homes England and delivered through a formal Collaboration Agreement.

Decision:

That Cabinet:

1.   Notes progress made by the Council to bring the site forward for housing.

2.   Provides approval to enter into the Collaboration Agreement (Heads of Terms set out in Appendix A in the Part B of this report) with Homes England and delegates the finalisation of the Agreement and any further approvals to the Chief Executive, Section 151 and Monitoring Officers.

3.   Agrees the delivery strategy as set out within the Collaboration Agreement and outlined in section 4.2 of this report, including transfer of the Councils land comprising two sites at Rectory Lane and Tower Farm to Homes England and the procurement of a development partner through their Delivery Partner Panel.

4.   Notes the potential for a capital receipt for the Council’s land and the increased council income generated by new homes on the site.

Reasons for the decision:

East Lancashire Paper Mill is the largest brownfield housing site in Bury District and sits within the regeneration programme in Radcliffe. This is a long-term vacant site and has considerable abnormal costs that have historically presented a viability challenge in the context of housing development.

Several attempts in the past by previous owners to bring the site forward have failed. A new collaborative approach will ensure that the procurement of a developer and the delivery of much needed homes will ensure the site is comprehensively developed to the highest environmental and social standard.

Other options considered and rejected:

Other options have been considered. The options have been considered in relation to risk, likelihood of development in the short to medium term and best value for the Council. These are:

·         Do nothing; The site is in the five-year housing supply and forms some of the infrastructure land (and enabling development) for the wider site. To Do nothing would mean the sites are not developed and the new homes are not built. The site is a liability to Bury Council and a maintenance budget would be required to hold the site. Do nothing is not an option politically or financially.

·         The Council brings its own site to the market independently of Homes England; there is no collaboration with Homes England. The two sites are intrinsically linked and cannot be developed to their full potential in isolation, taking into account site constraints, the cricket club and flood risk. This option has been pursued previously by the Council and it was deemed unviable.

·         The Council acquires Homes England owned land (if they are agreeable to sell) and brings the whole site to market. Homes England have not given consent to do this and their value expectation would likely fail the best value test.

·         Homes England acquires the Council owned site and pursues its own disposal / development approach with  ...  view the full minutes text for item CA.83

A report from the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth is attached.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth, presented the confidential report which provided an update to the March 2021 Cabinet Paper regarding the acquisition of the Longfield Shopping Centre. This report provided the detailed terms of the transaction and a best value report for approval.

Decision:

That Cabinet:

1.   On the terms set out in the report in Part B report, approves the acquisition of the Longfield Shopping Centre and delegate to the Chief Executive, Leader and Lead Member for Growth in consultation with the Council’s s.151 and Monitoring Officer the finalised documentation in respect of the acquisition.

2.   Notes that a Vacant Possession Strategy will be developed and a full engagement exercise will take place with the current tenants of the Shopping Centre.

3.   Confirms the decision made by Cabinet in March the Council’s intention to negotiate a Joint Venture vehicle/development partnership with Muse to deliver the Prestwich Village Regeneration project, the details of the Joint Venture/development partnership will return to a future meeting of Cabinet for approval.

4.   Confirm the decision made by Cabinet in March that the Council will appoint an experienced property centre manager to manage the Centre on an interim basis pending the development of the site.

Reasons for the decision:

The acquisition of the Longfield Shopping Centre is the first step in a key strategic acquisition in achieving the ambitions of the Council in regard to the regeneration of Prestwich Town Centre. To deliver such regeneration and truly achieve the vision for Prestwich, The Longfield Centre must form an integral component of any redevelopment plans.

The acquisition will pave the way for a new Prestwich centre which should lead to delivery of new homes, a Library and Community Hub, small business workspace, outdoor space/public realm and Market Hall as part of our ambitious vision for a thriving local economy. The purchase of Longfield Shopping Centre will be a catalyst post COVID-19 for delivering Bury Council’s regeneration ambitions which supports economic recovery.

Other options considered and rejected:

Other options have been considered and have been subject to external validation by the Council’s advisers CBRE. The options have been considered in relation to risk, likelihood of development in the short to medium term and best value for the Council. These are:

·         do nothing;

·         buy the lease;

·         developer to buy the lease as part of a Joint Venture approach

·         Compulsory Purchase Order

A report from the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth is attached.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien, the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Growth, presented the confidential report which proposed the submission of two bids in round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund. The deadline for round 1 bids is 18th June 2021.

Decision:

That Cabinet:

1.   Notes progress to date on the development of the Radcliffe Civic Hub and Bury Flexi Hall.

2.   Agrees to develop and submit two Levelling Up Bid applications – one for a new Civic Hub in Radcliffe (subject to approval at Radcliffe Cabinet Committee on the 27th May 2021) and a second for Bury town centre. Final approval of the submissions on or prior to the 18th June 2021 will be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

3.   Approves expenditure up to £125,000 per project as required to support the development of proposals submitted as bids to the Levelling Up Fund to enable the delivery of the project within the required timescales.

Reasons for the decision:

The Radcliffe Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) was adopted in September 2020 as the Council’s policy for the future regeneration of the town.

In Area policy BY6 - Central Shopping Area, the current development plan states that the Council will encourage and support proposals for retailing and appropriate ancillary retail uses within Bury town centre's central shopping area.

S1/1 - Shopping in Bury Town Centre, the Council will protect, maintain and enhance the role of Bury Town Centre as a sub-regional shopping centre and promote the centre as a focal point for further development. In particular, the Council will support the expansion of the centre through the development of additional comparison shopping floorspace, complementary non-food retail warehousing and speciality shopping.

Access to monies from the Levelling Up Fund would support the delivery of projects in Radcliffe and Bury, within a timeframe that is strategically aligned to the implementation of priorities outlined in the Let’s do It, Bury 2030 plan.

Other options considered and rejected:

None.