Agenda item

(Director of Neighbourhoods) To consider the attached report AMED-005-2017/18.

The Director of Neighbourhoods presented a report to the Cabinet Committee and updated Members on further developments to the report since it had been published.

 

(1)        Epping Forest Shopping Park

 

The shopping park opened on time and within budget. Eight of the eleven units were now operational with one of the anchor stores, Next PLC, opening their doors on the 19 December 2017. Early reports indicated that trading levels were very good. Interest for the three remaining units was progressing, all from well known high street retailers and it was hoped that more units would be let by the end of March 2018. Although there had been a soft opening of the Shopping Park it was expected that the official opening would be in March/April 2018.

 

There was an initial period where parking was unrestricted due to contractors being on site fitting out the units. The ANPR Cameras and enforcement activity in the car park commenced with the opening of Aldi at the end of November 2017. Shoppers were allowed to park for a maximum of 3 hours and the electric car charge points were proving to be very popular.

 

The Section 278 Highways works were 99% completed and had gone through the formal safety audit process. This was a three stage process - the first being a safety audit process on the design which was passed. The second stage was the construction of the highways works and the third stage was the road safety audit, which would take place at practical completion. It had been noted that pedestrians were taking risks crossing the very busy road at the Chigwell Lane/Borders Lane junction. The need for more kerbside safety barriers at the end of Borders lane had been identified in order to prevent pedestrians crossing the roads unsafely. These works should be completed by the end of January 2018.

 

Councillor S Kane asked exactly how popular were the electric car charging points and were they being used by people without electric cars. Mr Macnab advised that there were 10 electrical charging spaces and they were being occupied by the owners of non electric cars. The enforcement company were now having to implement a new set of controls over these spaces.

 

Councillor J Philip asked if  there been any changes since the Council had brought in the ANPR and was there enough parking for people wishing to use the stores. Mr Macnab advised that commuters and staff from other businesses in Langston Road had been using the free parking facilities. Since the ANPR became live it had been observed that vehicles were entering the car park with false number plates taped over their own. The length of free parking at the shopping park was 3 hours, which was what the tenants asked for in their leases. Shoppers have complained that 3 hours was not long enough and would be reviewed in the future.

 

(2)        Oakwood Hill Depot

 

As part of the Council’s Corporate Accommodation Review, the feasibility of relocating the Housing Repairs Service from the Depot in Epping High Street had been undertaken. As part of the consideration of this move a parking study had been commissioned to assess any requirements for additional parking.   

 

There had been a call-in of the Cabinet decision by Members regarding the off site car parking at the rear of Oakwood Hill Estate. The Portfolio Holder met with the Members who had supported the call-in and they agreed to withdraw it on the understanding that a parking survey was taken in the locality. A survey was completed before Christmas but due to the current changes with the implementation of the Debden Parking review and the Shopping Park, Management Board had decided to re-run the survey and this should be completed this month. A planning application would be submitted to a future meeting of Area Plans South Sub-Committee.

 

(3)        Pyrles Lane Nursery

 

The Cabinet have agreed to market the nursery site on the basis of seeking two alternative prices to include the provision of Council Housing as part of the Council’s wider Council House-building programme. Marketing agents have been appointed and the site was due to be actively brought to the market in January 2018. Prospective purchasers of the site had been asked to submit within their tender, accommodation for the council to buy back the affordable element. Specialist advisers had been appointed and have established prices to buy back for a mix of properties.

 

(4)        St John’s Road Redevelopment

 

Epping Forest District Council have been satisfied with the tri-partie agreement since October 2017 but the other two parties, Epping Town Council and Frontier Estates still have outstanding issues. The Chief Executive and the Director of Neighbourhoods were in regular contact with the other two parties and it was hoped that this matter will be concluded soon so that this project can move forward.

 

(5)        North Weald Airfield

 

It was intended to bring a separate report to come to this meeting but this had to be deferred until the next meeting due to their being no officer capacity because of commitments to the local plan.

 

The purpose of the report was within the submission version of the local plan where there was a requirement to undertake a masterplan for North Weald Airfield. The masterplan would need to be endorsed by the planning authority, Epping Forest District Council. The report was an initial scoping report to see how the Council could pull the masterplan together to be incorporated into the future of the airfield by:

 

·        seeking intensification;

·        allocation of the 10 hectares of employment land; and

·        the potential relocation of the Epping and Ongar Sports centres onto the airfield.

 

The report would raise these issues and was for Members to get their views before the Council moved forward with the masterplan.

 

The National Police Air Service had been granted consent for their facility and had nearly reached heads of agreement on their lease. The Council has also tidied up other aviation leases.

 

There had been other enquiries regarding the aviation side, around flying instruction and these were being looked into.

 

(6)        Landmark Building (Former Winston Churchill PH)

 

Progress had been slower than anticipated due to the delayed vacant possession of the space by the residential developer and the need to provide services to the units. Heads of terms were under negotiation with potential tenants of the Council’s space and the units would provide a:

 

·        public house;

·        restaurant;

·        coffee shop; and

·        a convenience food store.

 

It was hoped that a conclusion regarding the occupation of the four units would be reached before the next meeting.

 

One of the key learning points of this exercise was that the Council should have been far more prescriptive at an earlier stage of the development as some of the premises do not have shop fronts. However on handover the Council were able to offer incentives to tenants to carry out the necessary works.

 

 (7)       Hillhouse Development

 

The work on the new Leisure Centre had commenced and was progressing well. The steel frame was up and the exterior cladding, to make the building watertight was near completion. The Leisure Centre was on track to open in November 2018.

 

The planning application for the independent living scheme was due to be considered by the Area Planning West Sub-Committee on 14 March 2018.  Essex County Council were currently tendering for an Independent Living Scheme provider.

 

The new GP Practice was still planned but NHS England had advised that they are not able to fund the new practice. The GP’s were still very keen to go ahead and were looking to fund it themselves.

 

(8)        Lindsay House

 

Lindsay House had now been sold to a private purchaser and achieved a capital receipt of £835,000 which was £85,000 in excess of the valuation of the property. The property was sold with the restrictive covenant in place.

 

Resolved:

 

That the current progress on the Council’s Asset Management and Development projects were noted.

 

Reasons for Decision:

 

To comply with the Cabinet Committee’s previous request to monitor the development of the Council’s Property Assets on a regular basis.

 

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

 

None, as this was a monitoring report for information, not action.