Decision details

Community Centre and Health Care Hub at Blue Mountain

Decision Maker: Executive

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

To seek approval for the delivery strategy for the co-located community centre and health care hub for the site at Blue Mountain.

Decision:

 

      i.        the preferred option to provide a co-located community centre and health care hub at Blue Mountain is progressed  in partnership with Binfield Parish Council, the East Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Binfield

Surgery subject to adequate funding from NHS England for the health care

element.

 

     ii.        discussions will be entered with Binfield Parish Council on the appropriate

joint funding of the enhanced community centre.

 

    iii.        funding of £200k from existing S106 income to support the next stages of the project would be released.

Reasons for the decision:

      i.        The Blue Mountain programme is a priority for the Council. The programme consists of Binfield Learning Village all-through school for 1851 pupils (operated as King’s Academy Binfield) and a community centre required alongside 400 new homes at the Blue Mountain site. In the first phase, the

Council has delivered the new school which has commenced in September 2018. The next phase requires the Council to deliver the community hub in line with the ongoing building of the new housing by Bloor and Linden Homes partnership.

 

     ii.        The development of the Blue Mountain site in accordance with the Site Allocation Local Plan has been previously approved by the Executive. Planning Permission for the Binfield Learning Village and outline planning permission for the standalone community centre has been granted in June 2016. Subsequently, the Council received the land from the former site owner on the basis that an all-through school and community centre will be delivered by the Council. The residential parcel of land was part of the same outline planning permission, which was subsequently sold by the land owner to Bloor Homes who are now building new homes in partnership with Linden Homes.

 

    iii.        Bloor Homes currently estimate that approximately 100 dwellings will be built by winter 2019 or earlier. The S106 agreement does not have a specific trigger for completion of the community centre but there will be an expectation from the developers that the community centre at Blue Mountain is available for the residents between the occupation of the 50th to 100th dwelling. Based on the quickest delivery route (assuming no delays in scheme approval, procurement, design, planning & delivery) the earliest the Council could deliver the community centre and health care hub (with NHS/CCG funding) is winter 2020. A standalone community centre delivery at the earliest would be spring 2020. Overall, the programme also has several external dependencies, which could negatively impact the programme delivery.

Alternative options considered:

      i.        The Executive agreed in September 2014 that the Council’s preferred policy for the development of the new community hubs is to transfer the ownership and management to the Parish and Town Councils. The plan for the proposed

community centre at Blue Mountain is based upon this policy and Binfield Parish Council (BPC) has expressed an interest to operate the community centre at Blue Mountain. Under the standalone community centre option, the Council would seek to provide BPC with a long term lease/freehold at a peppercorn rent.

 

     ii.        As part of the Development Framework Agreement dated 15 May 2015 entered into with the former owner of the Blue Mountain site, the Council received the land and the former Golf Club house building along with the responsibility to deliver a community centre with a required minimum area of 783m2. In the event that the preferred option of a co-located community/health care hub is not achievable, the Council will still need to provide a standalone community centre. Two sub-options for a standalone community centre have been considered:

 

    iii.        Refurbishment of the former clubhouse building – the existing building is

approximately 2100m2. A detailed design analysis was completed in consultation with Binfield Parish Council for the refurbishment and partitioning of the building. The cost of an extensive refurbishment to meet the required size is estimated to be £2.57m with a part of the existing building to be mothballed.

 

   iv.        New build standalone community centre – a new build ‘L’ shaped design was

developed in consultation with Binfield Parish Council. At a cost of £2.91m this was the preferred option of the Parish Council in comparison to the refurbishment option.

 

    v.        If the co-located community and health care hub is not deliverable then the Council will need to deliver either of the above two options taking into consideration the available S106 income and any potential contribution from the Parish Council. It is envisaged the cost of the new build would be funded by the Council from existing and future S106 income with a contribution from the Parish Council based on their CIL receipts to cover any shortfall.

Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:

Councillor Barnard expressed an Affected Interest as a Warfield Parish Councillor.

 

Reason Key: Expenditure > £400,000;

Wards Affected: Binfield with Warfield;

Financial Impact: Land for the hub is available as part of the agreement with the land owner/developer of the residential site. The proposal requires capital funding (c. £9m) for the proposed new facilities including contribution from the NHS. The report also sets out the principles of the ongoing maintenance/service charge.

Declarations: Councillor Barnard expressed an Affected Interest as a Warfield Parish Councillor.

Subject to Urgent Proceedings: No

Making Representations: In writing to the Chief Executive

Other reasons / organisations consulted

Meetings and email consultation with key partners and Corporate Management Team

Consultees

Binfield Parish Council, Binfield Surgery, East Berkshire CCG and Corporate Management Team.

Contact: Abby Thomas, Assistant Director: Chief Executive's Office Email: abby.thomas@bracknell-forest.gov.uk Tel: 01344 353307.

Report author: Abby Thomas

Publication date: 25/09/2018

Date of decision: 25/09/2018

Decided at meeting: 25/09/2018 - Executive

Effective from: 03/10/2018

Accompanying Documents:

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk