Agenda item

(Information sheet, report to Cabinet Member, and other papers attached)

Mr K A Ferrin MBE, Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste; Mr Mee, Director of Kent Highways Services; Mr J Farmer, Regeneration and Projects Manager, Environment and Regeneration; and Mr M Austerberry, Director of Property, will attend the meeting from 10.15 am to 11.15 am to answer Members’ questions on this item.

In addition, a representative of the Northfleet Action Group will be invited to attend this meeting.

(1)       The Committee welcomed Mr K A Ferrin, Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste; Mr G Mee, Director of Kent Highways Services; Mr J Farmer, Regeneration and Projects Manager, Environment and Regeneration; Mr M Austerberry, Director of Property; and Mr Colin Meredith (Northfleet Action Group), to the meeting.

(2)       At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr Meredith began his presentation by describing briefly the development history of the area, during which he expressed regret at the gradual loss over the years of natural open space for local people to enjoy.  He asked that the Council should do all in its power to ensure that such a local amenity area was provided for residents.

(3)       In response to Mr Meredith’s opening remarks and a number of questions and comments from Members, Mr Ferrin stated that the only decision he was proposing to take was whether the land in question was surplus to highways requirements.  He added that he was not being asked to decide on the future use of the land, which was ultimately a planning matter for determination by Gravesham Borough Council.  Mr Ferrin also stated that, if the land in question was to be used as a local amenity area in the future, it would still have to be declared surplus to highways requirements to enable that to happen.

(4)       In response to a question from Mr Parker, Mr Ferrin stated that, once the decision to declare the land surplus to highways requirements was confirmed, the matter would be passed to the Property Group to deal with.  It was noted that the report to the Cabinet Member seeking approval of this decision made reference to the fact that the proposed developer of the site either side of the existing highways land had expressed an interest in purchasing the land.  Mr Mee confirmed that, once surplus, the land in question would be disposed of via Property Group.

(5)       In response to a question from the Chairman about possible alternative uses of the land in question, the Director of Property stated that the existing highways land bisects two other areas of land privately owned by the same person, who is also the proposed developer of the land and who wishes to purchase and incorporate into the development, the existing highways land.  Accordingly, the land in question is only surplus to highways requirements in relation to the proposed development. In commercial terms, it is likely that the developer would be willing to pay a reasonable price for the land, and the Council had held discussions in this context.  However, the future utilisation of the land in question could not be settled without a formal declaration that it was surplus to highways requirements and carrying out consultation.

(6)       Mr Parker expressed his gratitude that the opportunity for the land being utilised for other purposes than being incorporated into the proposed development was not totally lost.

(7)       Mr Meredith presented a petition to the Chairman from local residents about the future utilisation of the land in question, which the Chairman thanked him for.

(8)       RESOLVED that:-

(a)       Mr Ferrin, Mr Mee, Mr Farmer, Mr Austerberry and Mr Meredith be thanked for attending the meeting to answer Members’ questions;

 (b)      the Committee supports the decision of the Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste, that the land at Wingfield Bank, Northfleet, should be declared surplus to highways requirements;

(c)        the Chairman of the Committee will write to the Cabinet Member for Finance enclosing a copy of the petition presented to him by Mr Colin Meredith of the Northfleet Action Group, and ask him to advise the petitioners what the process will be now in terms of the disposal of this land, including the proposed consultation process.