Agenda and decisions

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned either a

(a)   personal interest

(b)   prejudicial interest

(c)   disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI)

and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

To provide an update on progress in respect of Housing Levelling Up activity first announced by the Council and Government in March 2022. To seek authorisation to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) with Homes England for initial funding to develop detailed development proposals designed to improve housing quality and the environment in Inner Blackpool, undertake public engagement and consultation on the proposals, and to commence the process of property and land acquisition to enable development to be subsequently brought forward. To seek approval for the approach to governance and delivery of the programme, to include expansion and changes to the responsibilities of our wholly owned housing companies as appropriate.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1.      To authorise the Director of Resources to enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with Homes England (up to the amount of £90.4m) on behalf of the Council following consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Chief Executive and the Director of Strategy and Assistant Chief Executive.

2.      To agree the programme governance structure, acknowledging Blackpool Council as Accountable Body for administration of grant funding, that the Shareholder Committee be delegated with strategic oversight of the programme on behalf of the Council and to confirm Blackpool Housing Company Limited (BHC) as the preferred programme delivery agent / partner, being the Council’s wholly owned housing regeneration vehicle.

3.      That the updated Terms of Reference of the Shareholder Committee attached at Appendix 2a, to the Executive report, be approved.

4.      As set out in paragraph 6.27, to agree in principle that all asset management, landlord services and back-office functions currently split between Blackpool Housing Company Limited and Blackpool Coastal Housing Limited be delivered from one entity and the Chief Executive be authorised to develop the detail behind this working with company representatives and a report be brought back to the Shareholder Committee in due course for it to agree the next steps. 

5.      To confirm the “Central Intervention Area”, being an area to the South of the Town Centre broadly between Chapel Street and Rigby Road, and the Promenade and Central Drive corridor, as the initial area of focus for detailed scheme development, community engagement and property acquisitions in preparation for development. In doing so authorise the Director of Strategy and Assistant Chief Executive to:

•                    undertake detailed masterplanning;

•                    prepare for and commence a programme of community engagement and consultation outlining the spatial extent of the proposed housing-led regeneration including, when available, details of a proposed first phase, together with initial ideas of the form and content of new development and proposals for long-term transformational change and, for the avoidance of doubt;

•                    to update proposals for subsequent consideration and approval by the Council prior to lodging one or more planning applications.

6.      To authorise the Council to undertake further masterplanning and scheme preparation as appropriate in the South Shore and Claremont areas of Inner Blackpool in anticipation of further capital funding.

7.      To delegate the finalisation of proposals for the acquisition and management of land and property to the Director of Strategy and Assistant Chief Executive after consultation with the Director of Resources.

8.      To agree that, as a matter of principle, the Council will consider the use of Compulsory Purchase Order powers to acquire all interests required for the scheme should that become necessary. Formal consideration of such proposals would be subject to future consideration and approval by Executive.

9.      To authorise the Head of Legal Services to prepare and enter into the legal documentation necessary in connection with the completion and operation of the Grant Funding Agreement.

To consider a proposal for the Council to prudentially borrow funds to enable them to provide an on street parking scheme on Harrow Place and New South Promenade. 

The Executive resolved as follows namely:

1. To agree that Appendix 3a to the Executive report, is not for publication by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as it includes detailed costings that enable the scheme to be viable. The publication of such information could prejudice continuing and future negotiations.

2.  To agree in principle to use the Council’s Prudential Borrowing Powers to secure monies (up to £442,000) and to use those monies to fund a contribution of the upfront costs of constructing an on-street car parking scheme within the highway at Harrow Place and New South Promenade.

3.  To delegate the Chief Executive to approve the borrowing via an Officer Non-Key Decision once the required steps outlined in the report have taken place.

This report and Appendices are currently exempt from publication by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. It is considered on balance that the public interest would not be served by publishing information at this stage as this information would undermine the Council’s position in future negotiations and could risk the scheme not being to continue.