Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Strategic Director of Corporate Resources.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that the Executive grant delegated authority to the Head of Commercial Assets, in consultation with the Strategic Director of Corporate Resources and the Leader, to agree the final disposal terms and red line for granting access over amenity land for the facilitation of the delivery of new affordable homes, subject to securing an independent valuation confirming the final terms represent best consideration.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Leader made the following announcement:

“Thank you for attending this special executive meeting this evening; I appreciate that the notice has not been as for a regular scheduled meeting and so the fact that members have attended at such short notice demonstrates the importance of the issue before us this evening.

Members will recall that we met in July 2024 on this same issue and we were minded at that meeting not to sell access rights to facilitate the development of the adjoining privately-owned greenfield site, visible from Savoy Hill Valley Park.

Although that decision has been challenged by the land promoters of the site, the council’s case has been submitted making it clear that we are confident that the decision was taken lawfully. This matter will be considered by the high court on the 18th July 2025.

A reminder for members that a housing scheme for this site already has planning permission. Furthermore, as part of any agreement to sell our access land, should that be our decision this evening, there will be a requirement that 100% affordable housing, must be delivered on the site and that the Council will secure best consideration for the access land. 

To be really clear on this point, if we are now minded to grant access by selling our land in order to facilitate the development of affordable homes, the tenure of those homes, i.e. 100% affordable homes will be secured via the legal agreement associated with any sale of our access land.

As part of any sale, the council will create additional ransom strips around the edge of the development site so that we can ensure that no further encroachment is possible in the future, without the Council’s agreement.

We know that delivering affordable homes is a key priority of ALL members of this Council. While we have adopted a `brownfield first’ approach to housing to preserve our green spaces of which I am very proud, we now know that it may not be possible to deliver all the affordable homes we need this way. That is why we have to take a realistic approach, accepting the level of concern that many will feel about this, in understanding that greenfield sites, like this one, will have to continue to be a source of affordable homes in Exeter. Although, we will always be thoughtful about the loss of green space, as we know, the planning permission includes the creation of new Public Open Space.

To summarise then, as we will ensure that this site delivers 100% affordable housing in a combination of 50% social rent and 50% shared ownership, the fact that we will ensure that we create ransom strips to prevent further encroachment onto green space and the increasing challenge in the viability to delivering affordable housing of brownfield sites, I feel that it is important and the right thing to do for Executive to reconsider our previous decision not to sell our land for access to the already consented site  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45