The Executive Director (Development) has submitted a report seeking to release the requirement in the OxWED LLP Members Agreement to make provision in the investment plan for parking at the ice rink, to allow the City Council to lease or purchase OxWED land for car parking.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.          Delegate authority to the Head of Corporate Property to approve, following verification of the costs, that the City Council release the requirement in the LLP Members Agreement with OxWED to make provision in their investment plan for parking at the ice rink, based on the fact that the likely worst case scenario in meeting the ice rink’s minimum car parking provision (removal of the ramp and using the space to provide car parking) is likely to be more affordable than providing those spaces on OxWED land;

2.          Delegate authority, if recommendation 1 is agreed, to the Head of Corporate Property to amend the OxWED LLP Member Agreement and/or enter into an easement to secure the access rights for car parking on site at the Ice Rink;

3.          Agree that options to provide ice rink car parking are progressed on the basis of seeking to achieve around 25 spaces in total; and

4.          Agree that the further work required on car parking options 1 to 3 (as set out in this report) is progressed through the Development Board process, using feasibility funding, to identify the best solution.  A further report will come back to Cabinet on the final option chosen, together with a recommendation to Council to allocate any additional funds as appropriate.

The Executive Director (Development) had submitted a report seeking to release the requirement in the OxWED LLP Members Agreement to make provision in the investment plan for parking at the ice rink in order to allow the Council to lease or purchase OxWED land for car parking.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery explained that the original agreement, made on the establishment of the OxWED scheme, had included a requirement from the Council, as shareholder, for the scheme to provide 50 car parking spaces relating to the operation of the ice rink.  OxWED was now seeking release from this requirement due to its inconsistency with the master plan, which was seeking a car free scheme, and because it reduced the area available for new development on the site.

Given the potential costs involved in providing the car park if it fell to the City Council, officers had reviewed a number of options for parking provision either at the ice ink site or on the OxWED site, up to a total of 25 spaces, which were set out in appendix 2 of the report.  The Cabinet Member highlighted that the ice rink building had a limited lifespan, and the degree of investment proposed was appropriate for that lifespan.  It did not preclude any option for the future of the ice rink either on its current site, or on an adjacent site, as part of the OxWED development.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.      Delegate authority to the Head of Corporate Property to approve, following verification of the costs, that the City Council release the requirement in the LLP Members Agreement with OxWED to make provision in their investment plan for parking at the ice rink, based on the fact that the likely worst case scenario in meeting the ice rink’s minimum car parking provision (removal of the ramp and using the space to provide car parking) is likely to be more affordable than providing those spaces on OxWED land;

2.      Delegate authority to the Head of Corporate Property to amend the OxWED LLP Member Agreement and / or enter into an easement to secure the access rights for car parking on site at the ice rink;

3.      Agree that options to provide the ice rink car parking are progressed on the basis of seeking to achieve around 25 spaces in total;

4.      Agree that the further work required on car parking options 1 to 3 (as set out in the report) is progressed through the Development Board process, using feasibility funding, to identify the best solution.  A further report will be brought to Cabinet on the final option chosen together with a recommendation to Council to allocate any additional funds as appropriate.