Decision details

Decision:

To agree for the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services to finalise and enter into all necessary legal and other documentation with one or more parties to optimise Kent County Council’s land holdings position at Langton Land, Canterbury.

Reason for the decision:

Proposed optimisation of the Land and Langton Lane in line with Council’s s.123 best consideration obligations to protect its commercial interests.

Background:

c.14.28 acres of Council owned agricultural land surplus to Kent County Council (KCC) requirements, allocated for residential development under current Local Plan. Local NHS Trust, East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) have identified part of the KCC land along with adjacent land owned by Canterbury City Council (CCC), to expand its Kent & Canterbury Hospital.

A Key Decision (No. 21/00060) was taken in August 2021 which gave authority for the land to be included in the NHS Trust’s hospital procurement exercise, leading to a conditional contractual obligation to sell to the successful bidder at market value, reflecting current planning allocation within a defined timeframe (with a longstop date of July 2024 for the Trust to complete the procurement of its developer partner).

Decisions have yet to be made by the NHS as to any funding or location of any new facility. KCC are required to optimise the value of its land both as part of any hospital procurement and in the event that the hospital transaction does not proceed.

How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes:

Maximising the return to the Council which can be reinvested in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan.