To agree the partnership model and site selection that will be issued for the procurement of a development partnership for the council.

Cabinet received a report to agree a commissioning model for the procurement of a developer to work with the council to deliver the development of sites in council ownership.  The cabinet member, contract and assets, said that the partnership model would allow the council to establish a long term strategic partnership with a market leading developer.

In reply to question from a member, the cabinet member went on to say that an alternative option would be to set up a joint venture partnership of one form or another, and that the appendix to the report outlined five different models that could be utilised. Many of the aspects and benefits of a joint venture company were included in the partnership programme.

In reply to a question from a member in attendance, the cabinet member added that the project sought to identify a partner who would provide a focus on projects that could be pump-primed using receipts from the county farm sales.

A member said that she had a great deal of setting up similar partnerships in other sectors, and said that care should be taken when setting up such partnerships.

A member suggested that the process should include an assessment of the amount of business that would be placed in the county, rather than nationally. He suggested that key performance indicators should be developed against all social values.

It was noted that few areas of the Old Market Development could not be met by firms within the county, but apprenticeships were taken on within these schemes.

Resolved:

That

(a)       the council commission a developer to progress the development of  suitable sites in its ownership including the capability to progress development funding and provision of services and to be open for use with other collaboration partners as required;

(b)       an EU compliant procurement (using the competitive dialogue process) be undertaken as outlined at Appendix 4, to appoint a  developer; and

(c)       the use of the sites at Station Approach and Merton Meadow (South) as evaluation case studies during the procurement be approved.