Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration.

The report provides an update regarding progress on the acquisition by Compulsory Purchase Order of the property at 33 Swann Lane, Cheadle Hulme.  The report gives details of the negotiations with the owners; the legal process of acquiring the property; and the process the Council intends to use to dispose of the property.

The Area Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: George Perrin on 0161 474 4510 or email: george.perrin@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on progress in respect of the acquisition by Compulsory Purchase Order of the property at 33 Swann Lane, Cheadle Hulme.  The report detailed the negotiations that had taken place with the owners of the property, the legal process of acquiring the property as well as the process that the Council intended to use to dispose of the property.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The process of acquiring a property by means of a compulsory purchase order was lengthy and complex. 

·         It was anticipated that the Council would shortly assume title of the property, at which point the Council would seek to dispose of the property

·         Concern was expressed that the property may not be attractive to developers by virtue of the restrictions that had been placed on the potential nature of the redevelopment of the site.  In response it was stated that following a determination of the Planning Inspectorate to dismiss an appeal on a previous application for the demolition of the property and its replacement with three dwellings, it would be inappropriate to seek the reuse of the site for anything other than for a single dwelling on essentially the same footprint as the existing.

·         It was commented that this report had been brought to the Area Committee following concerns that had been expressed at the Environment & Economy Scrutiny Committee in relation to the length of time it had taken for the Council to acquire the property.  It was further commented that local councillors had expressed concerns in relation to the security and safety of the site which had subsequently been addressed.

·         It was suggested that consideration be given to re-examining the marketability of the site with a view to providing more flexibility in any future redevelopment to more readily facilitate its regeneration.  In response it was stated that officers would examine the possibility of introducing addition flexibility, however this may introduce additional delay and necessitate applications for further planning consents.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration be requested to submit a report to the next meeting of the Area Committee providing an update on the acquisition and subsequent disposal of 33 Swann Lane, Cheadle Hulme.