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Issue - meetings
Harold Place proposals
Meeting: 18/12/2019 - Cabinet (Item 221)
221 Harold Place proposals PDF 171 KB
Decision:
Cabinet agree to redevelop the site for a restaurant operation (excluding fit out ) for a cost of up to £1.2m, subject to planning permission and an agreement to take the finished property on a long lease, from the preferred bidder (Option 1 in the report) on the terms outlined. The £1.2m figure to be included within the Capital programme.
Minutes:
The Assistant Director, Financial Services and Revenues, presented a report to consider two proposals for the future development of the Harold Place site.
The Assistant Director outlined 2 options, as set out in the report.
The Council can either develop the site directly for the operator, or sell it to a developer and allow them to take on the risk. The issue with the developer controlling the site is that the Council would have no direct control over what is built, other than via the planning process. Because of the importance and prominence of this site it is thought that it would be beneficial for the Council to retain control over what is built.
In response to a question regarding the pedestrian underpass from the seafront to the town centre the Director of Operational Services informed the Committee that the Council couldn’t impose costs on this project for improvements to the underpass in order to increase footfall. However, this would be the kind of action that could become part of the Town Deal and is something that the Council should consider at a later date.
Councillor Chowney proposed approval of the recommendation of the Assistant Director’s report, seconded by Councillor Rogers.
RESOLVED (by 6 for, to 2 against) that:
Cabinet agree to redevelop the site for a restaurant operation (excluding fit out ) for a cost of up to £1.2m, subject to planning permission and an agreement to take the finished property on a long lease, from the preferred bidder (Option 1 in the report) on the terms outlined. The £1.2m figure to be included within the Capital programme.
Reasons for the decision
The Council has marketed the site, has received acceptable heads of terms for a long lease from a relatively well known and quality restaurant if the Council builds out the site to provide a building with a minimum of 2,200 square feet of accommodation.
The Council has previously looked at options for straight disposal of the site for numerous uses ranging from a restaurant, offices to a small hotel.
The creation of a restaurant type offering would appear to be most financially viable proposal received and one which can provide further employment opportunities within the town as well as regenerating the area concerned.
The retention of the ownership of the site and development by the Council would help ensure that the building would be built to a high quality and design and that there is a greater input on the future use of the site.
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