Issue - meetings

The Leader presented the recommendation from the Executive on in principle agreement to use compulsory purchase order powers to secure land for the delivery of transport infrastructure in the Gilston Area allocation in the East Hertfordshire District plan. The powers would only be required if agreement with landowners could not be negotiated. She proposed a motion to support the recommendation.

Councillor E Buckmaster seconded the proposal.

Councillor Goldspink said her Group supported this proposal.

On being put to the meeting, and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED. 

RESOLVED – that (a), in principle, (and subject to Harlow District Council resolving to follow the same course of action) the Council be prepared to use powers available to it under section 226(1)(a) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to compulsorily purchase land in the Gilston area, as generally shown on the plans at Appendix 1 to the report to the Executive on 6 October 2020, to enable the construction of transport infrastructure to support the  delivery of the Gilston Area allocation in the East Herts District Plan (The Gilston Area Allocation) and the achievement of the wider strategic planning benefits referred to in the report; and

(b) to note that Officers will undertake the work needed to prepare for a possible Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) together with the associated documentation and, if  necessary, will bring a further report back to the Executive and Council seeking authority to make a CPO.

The Leader submitted a report on use of compulsory purchase order powers in the Gilston area. She explained that the appendices to the report contained exempt information and as such were restricted from public discussion, due to the fact that they contained the details of landowners. If Members wished to consider those papers, the meeting would need to exclude the public and press by switching off the livestream and recording. 

Councillor Haysey said the report proposed a recommendation to Council to agree in principle that it would make use of the compulsory purchase order powers available to it, to secure land to deliver transport infrastructure in the Gilston area and the wider strategic planning benefits referred to in the report. The powers would be used only if the land could not be acquired by negotiation.

There being no comments, Councillor Haysey proposed, and Councillor Williamson seconded, a motion supporting the recommendations in the report. On being put to the meeting, and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED. 

RESOLVED - (A) to recommend to Council that, in principle, (and subject to Harlow District Council resolving to follow the same course of action) the Council be prepared to use powers available to it under section 226(1)(a) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to compulsorily purchase land in the Gilston area, as generally shown on the plans at Appendix 1 to the report, to enable the construction of transport infrastructure to support the delivery of the Gilston Area allocation in the East Herts District Plan (The Gilston Area Allocation) and the achievement of the wider strategic planning benefits referred to in the report;

(B) that the Executive delegates authority to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, in consultation with the Head of Planning, to enter into a Compulsory Purchase Order Indemnity Agreement (CPO IA) in relation to this matter, on behalf of the Council; and

(C) that the Executive and Council note that Officers will undertake the work needed to prepare for a possible Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) together with the associated documentation and, if necessary, will bring a further report back to the Executive and Council seeking authority to make a CPO.