Conclusions and Next Steps Conclusions Having examined the Parish Council’s preferred option, it is considered that in the current context, it would be unachievable, for the following reasons: There is much uncertainty regarding the site, and what land would be available for some form of community-led initiative; Even if the negotiations with HB Villages fail, it is highly probable that the Borough Council would pursue some other form of residential development, and if they could be persuaded to sell the site to the Parish Council or another body, they would still probably seek a residential land value for the site; The outline planning application sees the omission of part of the site which could be available, but this would not be big enough to support the size and scale of facility envisaged by the Parish Council; There is no guarantee that any of the adjoining land would be available; and The main source of funding for such a project (Sport England) would require that the project be a priority for the Borough Council. At this moment in time, it would appear that this would not be the case. However, that is not to say that a project of some description is not feasible. The following describes possible development scenarios, and how the Parish Council could respond. HB Villages acquire the site from the Borough Council: The Parish Council should work with HB Villages to develop a project that achieves as much as the original vision as possible. This would include: Developing a brief and legal agreement that secures the delivery of the scheme; Helping to enable the development of an appropriate body capable of the long-term management and development of the scheme; and Looking to secure grant funding to contribute to the delivery of the scheme. The Parish Council could also work alongside HB Villages with a view to bringing in a portion of the adjoining farmland. The Borough Council looks to progress the site for residential development in accordance with an outline planning application The Parish Council should work with the Borough Council to secure the portion of the site omitted from the proposal. It would also be possible to reconfigure the layout of the residential proposal to ensure that the development’s open space contribution is located alongside the omitted part of the site; this would have the effect of making more land available.
Conclusions and Next Steps Conclusions Having examined the Parish Council’s preferred option, it is considered that in the current context, it would be unachievable, for the following reasons: There is much uncertainty regarding the site, and what land would be available for some form of community-led initiative; Even if the negotiations with HB Villages fail, it is highly probable that the Borough Council would pursue some other form of residential development, and if they could be persuaded to sell the site to the Parish Council or another body, they would still probably seek a residential land value for the site; The outline planning application sees the omission of part of the site which could be available, but this would not be big enough to support the size and scale of facility envisaged by the Parish Council; There is no guarantee that any of the adjoining land would be available; and The main source of funding for such a project (Sport England) would require that the project be a priority for the Borough Council. At this moment in time, it would appear that this would not be the case. However, that is not to say that a project of some description is not feasible. The following describes possible development scenarios, and how the Parish Council could respond. HB Villages acquire the site from the Borough Council: The Parish Council should work with HB Villages to develop a project that achieves as much as the original vision as possible. This would include: Developing a brief and legal agreement that secures the delivery of the scheme; Helping to enable the development of an appropriate body capable of the long-term management and development of the scheme; and Looking to secure grant funding to contribute to the delivery of the scheme. The Parish Council could also work alongside HB Villages with a view to bringing in a portion of the adjoining farmland. The Borough Council looks to progress the site for residential development in accordance with an outline planning application The Parish Council should work with the Borough Council to secure the portion of the site omitted from the proposal. It would also be possible to reconfigure the layout of the residential proposal to ensure that the development’s open space contribution is located alongside the omitted part of the site; this would have the effect of making more land available.