Issue - meetings

To consider and endorse, or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services on the proposed decision in relation to the Southborough Hub

(1)       Mr Cooke (Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services) introduced the report which set out a proposal that Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Southborough Town Council enter into call options on their lands with Kent County Council to enable the development of a multi-use facility that would include a library, theatre, football pavilion, town council offices, a café and possibly a medical centre.  The report asked the Property Sub-Committee to consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member on the proposed decision.

(2)       In response to a question about the sometimes unpredictable political nature at the local level, Mr Cooke said that Southborough Town Council had formally agreed the proposal at its meeting the previous evening and the report to the sub-committee had been drafted before that.  He also said that the final step in agreeing to progress this project would be a formal member decision.

(3)       Concerns were raised about the financial implications of the project for KCC particularly in relation to VAT and it was confirmed that officers were working closely with the Finance team to monitor any potential breaches of KCC’s VAT partial liability exemption. 

(4)       It was also confirmed that the creation of a library trust had no implications for the future of the centre and that an apparent discrepancy between voting arrangements set out in paragraph 1.22 of the report and paragraph 8.1 of the Memorandum of Understanding had been identified and resolved.

(5)       Officers confirmed that Option 2 was the preferred option based on their best professional judgement.

(6)       Resolved that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services to enable the Southborough Hub which has been a long term aspiration for all three tiers of local government to be brought forward and delivered be endorsed as follows:

(a)          To enter into significant legal agreements including, but not limited to, land options and a Memorandum of Understanding with Southborough Town Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

(b)          To permit the disposal of the Ridgeway site in Southborough and the fifty percent claw back over the adjacent land owned by Southborough Town Council, with part or all of the combined receipts being allocated to support the development of the Southborough Hub.

(c)             To authorise the Director of Property and Infrastructure Support to finalise the purchase of the Tesco’s and Lloyds Bank land as part of the Hub redevelopment.

(d)             To authorise the Director of Property and Infrastructure Support to finalise terms for a freehold or leasehold interest of the library and football pavilion.

(e)             To authorise the Director of Property and Infrastructure Support to finalise terms for the disposal of the Hub and the Car Park back to Southborough Town Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council respectively.

(f)              To permit the project subject to KCC’s VAT partial liability exemption position not being breached or in breach.