Decision details

Kings Hill is one of KCC’s flagship mixed developments. It provides high quality and in some cases exemplar form of development, which importantly contributes towards bettering design standards.

KCC and its Kings Hill development partners, Liberty have committed to a long term calibrated and progressive development land disposal programme.

The Kings Hill development is a proven and essential regular income through annual distributions, generated by the effective disposal of residential development land.

It is proposed that KCC should agree the future disposal of the subject land parcel for best consideration, through a competitive bid basis. This will be facilitated by KCC’s development partners, Liberty Property Trust UK.

Links to Bold Steps for Kent and corporate objectives

The decision directly links to the Council’s Medium Term Plan (Bold Steps for Kent) in that it aligns with:

Priority 8 - Responding to key regeneration challenges working with our partners by unlocking a key site within a growth point and which contributes to providing new homes and commercial opportunities at Kings Hill.

Priority 9 - Support new housing growth that is affordable, sustainable and with the appropriate infrastructure; and

Priority 10 – Deliver growth without gridlock.

The proposed decision relates to the long term agreed Master Plan and Strategy for Kings Hill and as part of the Council’s Policy Framework.

Impact/costs and risks of proposed decision

The proposed land sale will form an important part of the remaining unfinished areas of allocated housing development within Village 2. The land disposal will take place based on the Partnership’s preferred design and conditional upon detailed planning permission and will ensure a comprehensive and effective design solution with adjacent development of area 64, to help complete and improve the overall Kings Hill Village 2 development. The sale process will be devised to minimise many of the risks of abortive transactions (because of improved demand) and increases certainty for the Partnership/KCC and thereby optimises land values and income.

 All risks will be fully considered through a diligent evaluation process when consideration is made of the preferred developer/bidder and brought for a decision.

The only direct costs for KCC are those charged by Legal Services in executing the transactions.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services has agreed to the disposal of Development Area 62, Kings Hill.