To seek approval to purchase land interests by the Authority within the site boundary of the former Tyne Brand Factory and all ancillary matters.
Minutes:
Cabinet considered a report seeking approval to purchase all the land interests necessary by the Authority within the site boundary (as indicated on the plan at Appendix 1) for the acquisition of the former Tyne Brand site, Tynemouth; and to declare the “Hunters Engineering” site (as indicated on the plan at Appendix 2) surplus to the Authority’s requirements and to dispose of the site to facilitate the relocation of an existing business currently located within the Tyne Brand site boundary.
At its meeting on 25 January 2021 Cabinet approved the North Shields Masterplan. The plan identified several housing sites including the redevelopment of the former Tyne Brand factory site as key to the regeneration ambitions for North Shields. The Tyne Brand site was currently in multiple ownership (including North Tyneside Council owned land). Despite several attempts by private developers to assemble the land, the market had failed to bring forward a viable development for the site. It was therefore considered appropriate for the Authority to take steps to acquire the sites to bring them into public ownership and secure onward development. This approach was agreed by Cabinet on the 24 January 2022. In addition, Cabinet supported the utilisation of a Compulsory Purchase Order to acquire the land should purchase by voluntary agreement not be possible.
This report deals with the voluntary acquisition of land interests on the Tyne Brand site as well as the necessary site development procedures.
Cabinet considered the following decision options: either to agree the recommendations as set out in paragraph 1.2 of the report and to agree the acquisition of all land interests, procurement of demolition and site investigation decline the opportunity to acquire all land interests, procurement of demolition and site investigation contractors and the disposal of the form Hunters Engineering site.
Resolved that (1)the “Hunters Engineering” site as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report as being surplus to the Authority’s requirements and its disposal, be approved;
(2) the Director of Housing and Property Services, in consultation with the Director of Commissioning and Asset Management, the Director of Resources, the Head of Law and the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, be authorised:
i. to take all necessary steps to purchase all the land interests necessary for the acquisition of the former Tyne Brand site, North Shields, as indicated on the plan at Appendix 1.
ii. to take all necessary steps to procure and enter into a contract to secure the demolition of all existing buildings on the former Tyne Brand site, North Shields, as indicated on the plan at Appendix 1.
iii. to take all necessary steps to procure and enter into a contract to undertake site and ground investigation across the former Tyne Brand site, North Shields, as indicated on the plan at Appendix 1.
(Reason for decision: It is considered the best and only way to acquire the necessary land interests by agreement to develop the site and comply with the requirements of any subsequent Compulsory Purchase Order process.)