Report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development) attached

The Executive considered a report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development), which sought approval of a proposed compulsory purchase of land within the Red Bank neighbourhood, which consisted of former industrial land and highway as part of the wider Victoria North scheme.

The Executive Member for Housing and Development advise that the proposed Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) would be made under the provisions of sections 226(1)(a) and (1A) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 to facilitate development, redevelopment and improvement of land between Dantzic Street and the railway line for the provision of 1,551 new residential dwellings, public realm and ancillary uses.

As referred to in the previous item (Exe/23/??), without the acquisition of the unregistered land, and the land for which absolute title could not be registered with the Land Registry, there remained inherent risks to the delivery of the Scheme.  Given that there was no available route to acquire the land through negotiation, or upgrade titles within the required programme, it was proposed that the use of CPO powers represented the most suitable option available to secure the delivery of the Scheme and which was determined to be in the public interest due to the benefits and target outcomes as reflected in the Statement of Reasons.

Decisions

The Executive:-

(1)      Authorise the making of the City of Manchester (Dantzic Street) Compulsory Purchase Order 2023 (“the Order”) under Section 226(1)(a) and (1A) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 to acquire the Order Lands for the purpose set out in the Statement of Reasons.

(2)      Note the content of the Statement of Reasons attached at Appendix 2 of the report.

(3)      Note that all costs associated with the CPO and the acquisition of the Order Lands will be met by Far East Consortium International Limited who will reimburse the City Council of all costs incurred in accordance with a CPO Indemnity Agreement to be entered into between the City Council and Far East Consortium International Limited.

(4)      Authorise the Assistant Director Development and Investment Estate to approve the Indemnity Agreement between the City Council and Far East Consortium International Limited

(5)      Authorise the City Solicitor to seal the Order and to take all necessary steps, including the publication and service of all statutory notices and presentation of the Council’s case at Public Inquiry, to secure confirmation of the Order by the Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities and the vesting of the land in the City Council.

(6)      Authorise the Strategic Director (Growth and Development) to confirm the Order, if the Secretary of State is satisfied that it is appropriate to do so.

(7)      Authorise the Assistant Director Development and Investment Estate to approve agreements with landowners, if identified, setting out the terms of withdrawals of objections to the Order including where appropriate the exclusion of land from the Order.

(8)      Authorise the Strategic Director (Growth and Development) and the City Solicitor to make deletions from, and/or minor amendments, and modifications to the proposed Order and Order Plan or to agree to refrain from vesting any land included within the Order should this be in their opinion appropriate.

(9)      Authorise the Assistant Director Development and Investment Estate to negotiate terms for the acquisition by agreement of any outstanding interests in the land within the Order prior to its confirmation. 

(10)   Authorise the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) to take all necessary steps to secure the closure of all relevant highways streets and alleyways which are required for the development to proceed, if requested by the Director of Strategic Housing and Development.

(11)   Agree that the resources of the City Council are sufficient to carry out the duties resulting from the making of the Order, as outlined in this report.

(12)   Authorise the City Solicitor to do all things necessary or incidental to implement the above.