The Deputy Chief Executive – Place submtited a report to Cabinet to put in place a process for this council to assist in bringing forward the Oxford Plan proposals for development at Jericho Wharf. 

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Seek to procure a development partner / operator, with a viable business plan, to try to acquire the Jericho Wharf site by agreement and deliver the requirements set out in Policy SP33 and to indemnify the Council for the associated costs; and

2.    Confirm that if the Jericho Wharf site cannot be acquired by agreement, then, as a last resort it would be willing subject to compliance with all relevant legal and policy requirements, if necessary consider the use of its Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers to acquire the site; and to

3.    Note that if an option to use CPO powers was to be pursued a further report would need to be submitted to Cabinet to seek approval for a detailed scheme for the redevelopment of this site demonstrating that the legal and policy tests for the use of its CPO powers had been satisfied. This would need to be accompanied by a recommendation to Council to seek authority to set up a budget for any additional costs for the implementation of its CPO powers, which would be redeemed from the development partner.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.       Delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive - Place to seek to procure a development partner / operator, with a viable business plan, to try to acquire the Jericho Wharf site by agreement and deliver the requirements set out in Oxford Local Plan Policy SP33 and to indemnify the Council for the associated costs

2.       Confirm that if the Jericho Wharf site cannot be acquired by agreement, then, as a last resort it would be willing subject to compliance with all relevant legal and policy requirements, if necessary consider the use of its Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers to acquire the site; and to

3.       Note that if an option to use CPO powers was to be pursued a further report would need to be submitted to Cabinet to seek approval for a detailed scheme for the redevelopment of this site demonstrating that the legal and policy tests for the use of its CPO powers had been satisfied. This would need to be accompanied by a recommendation to Council to seek authority to set up a budget for any additional costs for the implementation of its CPO powers, which would be redeemed from the development partner.

Councillor Brown altered the order of the agenda so that this item was taken as the first substantive report, following the recommendations from Scrutiny.

The Deputy Chief Executive – Place had submitted a report to Cabinet to put in place a process for this council to assist in bringing forward the Oxford Plan proposals for development at Jericho Wharf. 

Councillor Turner presented the report. He spoke about the wonderful community which Jericho is home to and thanked the people who have advocated for improvements to the community through their local groups and the City Council. He noted that the Councillors for this area had been tenacious in pushing for this development work. Councillor Turner noted the frustration he feels about how long it has taken for them to get to this position. Councillor Turner outlined the recommendations in the report and the reasons why the Council was pursuing this approach to developing the site. Councillor Turner thanked officers for their work to get this work moving forward.

Roo Humpherson, Regeneration Manager, spoke about the CPO process and how that was outlined in the report.

Councillor Hollingsworth said that he had received legal advice that he did not have a conflict of interest in this item. He noted the points made by public speakers and the improvements to the local area which are needed for the Jericho community. He outlined the need for a boatyard in Oxford to support the lives of the hundreds of people living on boats in and around the city. He spoke about the way that the Jericho community serves not only the people who live there, but also people across the city who come to Jericho for the art, culture, restaurants, and other high points which the community is home to.

Councillor Turner noted that following further legal advice, the first recommendation needed to be amended to the following:

Delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive - Place to seek to procure a development partner / operator, with a viable business plan, to try to acquire the Jericho Wharf site by agreement and deliver the requirements set out in Oxford Local Plan Policy SP33 and to indemnify the Council for the associated costs

With the change to the first recommendation, Cabinet resolved to:

1.       Delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive - Place to seek to procure a development partner / operator, with a viable business plan, to try to acquire the Jericho Wharf site by agreement and deliver the requirements set out in Oxford Local Plan Policy SP33 and to indemnify the Council for the associated costs

2.       Confirm that if the Jericho Wharf site cannot be acquired by agreement, then, as a last resort it would be willing subject to compliance with all relevant legal and policy requirements, if necessary consider the use of its Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers to acquire the site; and to

3.       Note that if an option to use CPO powers was to be pursued a further report would need to be submitted to Cabinet to seek approval for a detailed scheme for the redevelopment of this site demonstrating that the legal and policy tests for the use of its CPO powers had been satisfied. This would need to be accompanied by a recommendation to Council to seek authority to set up a budget for any additional costs for the implementation of its CPO powers, which would be redeemed from the development partner.