Decision details

Councillor Alistair Morwood, Executive Member for Planning and Development presented the confidential report of the Chief Executive which updated Members on the funding currently available and the site development proposals for both Gillett Playing Fields and Jubilee Playing Fields.

The Executive Cabinet supported the proposals and noted the following errors in the report which were verbally rectified:

1.    The £73k allocated from the Letherlands Farm development was located in Chorley North East ward, not Buckshaw and Whittle.

2.    The £1,599 allocated from Guildford Avenue was in Chorley North and Astley ward, not Chorley North East.

Decision:

1.    To approve the development of a site masterplan for Gillett Playing Fields following the principles set out in the report and summarised in paragraph 23-26.

2.    To approve a budget of up to £73k at Gillett Playing Fields so this can be expended before the expiry of the Section 106 on 4th July 2023. A further report will be brought to Full Council setting out a budget for the full Gillett Playing Fields project including both received and pending s106 sums.

3.    To approve the development of a site masterplan for Jubilee Recreation Ground following the principles set out in the report and summarised in paragraphs 27-33. Jubilee Recreation Ground already has Full Council budget approval of up to £749k through previous budget reports.

4.    To seek Executive Cabinet approval for the tender evaluation criteria for enhancement works at Jubilee Recreation Ground in Appendix 3.

5.    To request that the authority to award the high value procurement contract to the value of up to £467k for the enhancement of Jubilee Recreation Ground is delegated to Exec Member Decision.

Reasons for recommendations

1.    A proportion of the Section 106 already collected for Gillett playing Fields and valued at £73k has a spend deadline of 4th July 2023. The initial works proposed do not prevent the full development of the site at a later date and are essential to any significant redevelopment proposal of the site.

2.    The Section 106 collected for Jubilee Recreation Ground needs to be spent from December 2023 onwards. There is a small sum that is allocated towards carrying out a topographical survey that has to be spent by June 2023.

Other options considered and rejected

1.    Delaying any spend at Gillett Playing Fields until a scheme fully developed and the pending allocations have been received / collected was considered, however this would result in funding of £73k being returned to developers in 2023.

2.    Should a scheme not be taken forward at Jubilee Recreation Ground as set out in the requirements of the S106 all the money collected and not spent by the expiry dates would need to be given back to the developer. A scheme needs to be delivered.