Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Head of Environment and Transport.

Subject to the amendments referred to in the penultimate paragraph of the briefing paper, approved the purchase of land at Latham Road, on the terms referred to in the report of the Head of the Environment and Transport now submitted; authorised the Head of Environment and Transport after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Office Accommodation and other Special Projects to make the necessary payments in advance of the completion of the development agreement subject to all intellectual property rights in the funded work being transferred to the Council; and agreed to release the appropriate funds for the purchase of the land and the associated fees from the 2005/06 Medium Term Plan provision in respect of the office accommodation project.

Pursuant to Minute No.05/77 and by way of a report by the Head of Environment and Transport and a supplementary briefing paper (copies of which are appended in the annex to the Minute Book) the Cabinet considered proposals for the acquisition of land comprising circa 3.05 acres or thereabouts at Latham Road, Huntingdon for an Operations Centre in conjunction with the development of a new Headquarters for the District Council.

Having considered the deliberations of the Office Accommodation Members’ Advisory Group on the matter, together with a request from the vendors for a non-returnable deposit and a contribution their fees and in noting the element of risk should the development of the new operations centre on the site not proceed, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  that, subject to the amendments referred to in the penultimate paragraph of the briefing paper, the purchase of land at Latham Road be approved, on the terms referred to in the report of the Head of the Environment and Transport now submitted;

(b)  that the Head of Environment and Transport be authorised, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Office Accommodation and other Special Projects, to make the necessary payments in advance of the completion of the development agreement, subject to all intellectual property rights in the funded work being transferred to the Council; and

(c) that appropriate funds as described in the Annex to the report now submitted be released from the 2005/06 Medium Term Plan provision in respect of the office accommodation project.