Agenda and minutes

Report attached.

The Committee were informed that at its meeting on 16 November 2011, Cabinet had considered a report concerning the proposed extension of Ingrebourne Hill northwards on 32 acres/12.95 hectares of Council owned land within Hornchurch Country Park.  The site was just south of Albyns Farmhouse and the extension was in order to provide a more interesting profiled and managed forested/wetland landscape.  The extension would generating an income receipt to the Council from a pre-agreed share of the revenues from the deposit of inert material on the land, in association with Ingrebourne Valley Limited (the company), and a saving in Parks Service maintenance.

Cabinet resolved:

1.      To agree in principle to the Council:

·        Entering into a conditional Option Agreement with Ingrebourne Valley Limited to allow them a secure period within which to seek planning consent and the necessary environmental permits for the proposed inert waste depositing to form the Ingrebourne Hill extension; and within which,

·        The Council to undertake public consultation under the requirements of S.123 (2A) of the Local Government Act 1972 concerning interests being granted in respect of public open space.

·        The agreement would include an income share between the company and the Council for the deposit of inert waste.

2. To agree in principle that the Option Agreement include a right for the company, once satisfactory planning permission and environmental permits had been obtained and statutory concluded, thereafter within a defined timescale to take a pre-agreed form of short lease for the depositing if the inert waste, together with an obligation to take a pre-agreed form of a 99 year lease from the Council for forestry planting and wetland management obligations when the depositing works are complete.

3. To agree in principle to the Option Agreement giving the company the right to pass on the forestry planting and wetland management obligations by way of a co-terminus Management Agreement with DEFRA/the Forestry Commission on the payment to it of an agreed dowry from the company, subject to the acceptance of the scheme by the Forestry Commission.

4. To agree that, once a planning permission has been applied for by the company, the Council initiate statutory consultation in accordance with S.123 (2A) Local Government Act 1972.  Any objections received to be reported on at the earliest opportunity for consideration by Cabinet.

5. To delegate to the Assistant Chief Executive – Legal & Democratic Services, in conjunction with the Property Strategy Manager, the responsibility for the completion of all necessary contractual documentation.

The decision was requisitioned for the following reasons:

A.     To give Members of the Council the opportunity to give detailed consideration of the reasons, rationale and conclusions as advanced in the above proposal.

B.     There were concerns as to the probity of the information presenting in support of logistics, enforcement of agreements and ideology.

A Member commented that the information provided in the Cabinet report regarding insurance would only be valid as far as the company (Ingrebourne Valley Limited) was in existence. This would be a concern if the company was to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.