(if any) - receive.

Apologies were received from Councillor Ray Best.

Members are invited to disclose any interest in any of the items on the agenda at this point in the meeting.

Members may still disclose any interest in an item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

There were no disclosures of interest.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 6 October 2022 and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 October 2022 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Presentation attached.

The Committee were presented with a Developer Presentation for the LAND NORTH OF FEN LANE, NORTH OCKENDON, UPMINSTER.

As set out in the committee rules, the Developer was given 20 minutes to speak and it was explained that the proposal represented a significant development in the Borough, both in terms of the scale of development and likely issues to be addressed. Further more detailed presentations were to follow.

It was to be noted that the exact planning vehicle to bring the proposal forward has not at this stage been decided. Any final planning decision, regardless of the vehicle used, would rest with Members of the Strategic Planning Committee. Any comments made upon the proposals are provisional and subject to full consideration of all material considerations including the comments received as a result of consultation, publicity and notification.

The Committee noted the report and the following considerations were summarised as follows:

·       Better understanding and information around the financial and financial advantage and proposal in this area

·       What happens if there wasn’t a need for that facility in the future and how resilient is the development (legacy plan).

·       More clarity of phasing and timescales when the data centre would up and running.

·       Relationship with the Freeport and explaining that.

·       Transport to the site, around the site and cycling for those who would be working at the site and linking with local cycling group

·       Giving information around the construction phase and modular units and where they would be manufactured.

·       Clarity on the use of renewable energy but not available onsite but to connect up to the grid.

·       Further information or embodied carbon and the environmental impact on battery storage etc.

·       Jobs available on site and then taking into account the circular economy and the offsite benefits to the economy are

·       Linking into existing local community groups those with local ecology interests

·       Expanding the site if reached capacity in the future

·       Set out what consultation with community will take place and feedback and encouraging businesses into Havering.

·       Wider issue around the advantage of having data capacity in this country rather than relying on elsewhere.

·       Further information on security and on what was required and how it affects the appearance of the site.

·       Lead and link the plans project and into the heritage around that area.

Any further comments or considerations could be emailed to Simon Thelwell within 1 week of the meeting.