Decision details

The Cabinet had before it a * report of the Group Manager for Corporate Property and Commercial Assets/Deputy Chief Executive (S151) deferred from a previous meeting requesting the Cabinet to review the results of the Tiverton Town Regeneration tender.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration outlined the contents of the report explaining the history of the project, the initial consultation process for the Tiverton Town Centre Masterplan and the decisions that had been taken to start the project within the town centre prior to the completion of the masterplanning exercise.  He explained the planning permission that had been granted and the recent discussions with Tiverton Town Council who had felt that their representations had not been considered and that there was a need to delay the proposed works for consideration of the final masterplan.  He wanted to initiate a Town Centre Regeneration Fund to form the basis for matched funding offers to regenerate the town.

Consideration was given to:

·         The views of some of the Tiverton Town Councillors who had differing views of the proposals for the town centre

·         The views of the traders in the market

·         The various schemes that had come forward over recent years

·         Whether match funding could be found

·         The consultation that had or had not taken place with Tiverton Town Council and the Town Council’s disapproval of the current scheme

·         Whether a gold star scheme could be afforded

·         The money that would be lost if the scheme stalled

RESOLVED that:

1.            the specific scheme that came forward in advance of the forthcoming Tiverton Town Centre Masterplan be postponed, and allows the second stage of the process to be properly completed before seeking to prioritise strategic investment opportunities.

2.            The Cabinet Members for Planning & Economic Regeneration and Housing and Property Services:

a)   Consider how a Tiverton Town Centre Regeneration Fund might be established to facilitate match-funding opportunities and encourage external investment into the town, with proposals to be brought back to the Cabinet. 

b)   Work with Tiverton Town Council, market traders, the Town Centre Partnership and other businesses in the town to identify a programme of works that will make a significant improvement to the Town Centre in the short term.

(Proposed by the Chairman)

Notes: 

i)             Cllr R L Stanley declared a personal interest as the previous Cabinet Member for Housing and Property Services and a Director of 3 Rivers Development Limited;

ii)            Cllr Mrs N Woollatt requested that her abstention from voting be recorded;

iii)           *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.