The Executive Director, Regeneration and Housing submitted a report seeking budgetary approval for the sale of Oxpens land and a loan to Oxford West End Development Ltd.

The Leader of the Council presented the report.

The City Executive Board resolved to recommend full Council to approve:

1.    A loan of £4.16 million to Oxford West End Development Ltd to provide funds to the company to purchase land owned by Oxford City Council on terms set out in this report.

2.    A capital budget of £4.16 million in the Council’s General Fund Capital Programme in 2017/18 funded from the Capital Receipt received from the sale of the land.

Council considered a report to the City Executive Board on 14 April 2016 which seeks budgetary approval for the sale of Oxpens land and a loan to Oxford West End Development Ltd and noted that the recommendations agreed by the Executive Board were as set out in the agenda.

Council resolved to:

1.         approve a loan of £4.16 million to Oxford West End Development Ltd to provide funds to the company to purchase land owned by Oxford City Council on terms set out in this report;

2.         approve a capital budget of £4.16 million in the Council’s General Fund Capital Programme in 2017/18 funded from the Capital Receipt received from the sale of the land.

The Executive Director, Regeneration and Housing submitted a report which detailed an update on the Oxpens development scheme and sought approval for an amendment to the delivery strategy.

The Executive Director, Regeneration & Housing reminded the Committee of the background to the item:

·         the Council had been exploring strategic options for the redevelopment of Oxpens for several years;

·         the Council was committed to the comprehensive regeneration of the whole Oxpens area which would maximise value and contribute to the wider city economy;

·         negotiations with the Department of Transport and LCR (London and Continental Railways) over the previous JV arrangements (agreed by CEB in October) had now stalled;

·         central Government had now confirmed the disposal of railway lands at Oxpens to the Council on the basis of an unconditional sale for a fixed price and within a tight timescale;

·         in response the Council and Nuffield College proposed to set up a joint venture partnership company based on their respective positions as the predominant landowners in the area, their shared values, and their collective ambition to regenerate the Oxpens area.

The Chair of Scrutiny Committee said that the Oxpens Delivery Strategy report had been the subject of a thorough pre-scrutiny review at the meeting on 12 January 2016.  The discussion had concentrated on the financial and legal aspects underlying the decision to set up a JV company with Nuffield College and transfer the Council land holdings.  The Committee recognised that there would be opportunities to scrutinise the details of the JV partnership structure and business plans in the future when further decisions were brought back to the Board. The three recommendations from the Scrutiny Committee were intended to clarify the decisions to be taken by the City Executive Board.  He confirmed the Scrutiny Committee’s support for the proposals and recommendations contained in the report.

Councillor Fooks said that the Liberal Democratic Group supported the proposals and recommendations detailed in the report.

In conclusion the City Executive Board noted and accepted the three recommendations submitted by the Scrutiny Committee:

·         Recommendation 1 – that a VEAT notice should be issued by the Council in regards to the proposed collaboration with Nuffield College.

·         Recommendation 2 – that the Council should make every effort within its negotiating power to deliver its 50% affordable housing policy at Oxpens.

·         Recommendation 3 – that the City Executive Board resolves to authorise the disposal of the City Council’s land holdings at Oxpens to the new joint venture company on the terms set out in the report, and delegate authority to the Executive Director, Regeneration and Housing to agree the detailed arrangements of this disposal.

The City Executive Board resolved to:

1.            Note the contents of the report;

2.            Authorise a collaboration with Nuffield College to create an appropriate joint venture vehicle through which the Oxpens strategy can be delivered, on the basis that Nuffield College would act as an investor in the vehicle and in recognition of Nuffield’s position as a key landowner in the development area, as set out in this report;

3.            Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Regeneration and Housing, in consultation with the Chief Executive, s151 Officer and Monitoring Officer, to agree the terms of the Council’s entry into such a joint venture vehicle;

4.            Authorise (if required) the placement of an appropriate VEAT notice in regard to the proposed collaboration with Nuffield College;

5.            Agree to the commencement of an appropriate competitive procurement exercise to select a developer joint venture partner to become a Member of the proposed joint venture vehicle

6.            Delegate authority to the Executive Director, Regeneration and Housing to agree terms for the acquisition of land at Oxpens, as described in this report, in consultation with the Chief Executive, s151 and Monitoring Officers;

7.            Delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, to appoint directors to the joint venture company.

8.            Authorise the disposal of the City Council’s land holdings at Oxpens to the new joint venture company on the terms set out in the report, and delegate authority to the Executive Director, Regeneration and Housing to agree the detailed arrangements of this disposal.

The Board received and noted the contents of the not for publication appendices and to the report on Oxpens Delivery Strategy (agenda item 7; minute 151) and the presentation from the Executive Director, Regeneration and Housing.

The Executive Director, Regeneration and Housing submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which detailed the proposed revised arrangements and budgetary implications for the Oxpens Delivery Strategy following the withdrawal of the private sector partner.

The Partnership and Regeneration Manager presented the report.  She explained that the main difference in the revised proposals was that the Council would now create a wholly owned investment vehicle to acquire the land at Oxpens and then seek a joint venture partner through a competitive exercise.

The Board noted that recent Government announcements regarding proposed changes to planning legislation added a degree of urgency to the project.

The City Executive Board resolved to:

1.    Note the contents of this report;

2.    Delegate to the Executive Director Regeneration and Housing authority to agree terms for the acquisition of land at Oxpens (in consultation with the Chief Executive, s151 Officer and Monitoring Officer) subject to Council agreeing the recommendation set out at number 4 below;

3.    Approve the creation of a wholly owned investment vehicle and the commencement of a competitive exercise to secure a joint venture partner to become a Member of such a vehicle; and

4.    Recommend Council to resolve to approve the establishment of a capital budget of £8.4m to progress the project through the next stages.