Issue - meetings

Report of Executive Director: Place and Growth

Purpose of report

To obtain approval to establish a formal joint committee to develop and manage a community woodland park on land South of Vendee Drive, Bicester.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        To agree to establish a joint committee with Bicester Town Council, Chesterton Parish Council, Oxfordshire County Council and local representation to develop and manage a community woodland park on land South of Vendee Drive, Bicester.

1.2         Delegate to the Executive Director, Place and Growth, in consultation with the Assistant Director: Law and Governance and the Lead Member for Clean and Green to establish the constitution and terms of reference for the committee.

Resolved

(1)          That it be agreed to agree to establish a partnership or joint committee with Bicester Town Council, Chesterton Parish Council, Oxfordshire County Council and local representation to develop and manage a community woodland park on land South of Vendee Drive, Bicester.

(2)          That authority be delegated to the Executive Director, Place and Growth, in consultation with the Assistant Director: Law and Governance and the Lead Member for Clean and Green to establish the constitution and terms of reference for the partnership/committee.

The Executive Director: Place and Growth submitted a report to obtain approval to establish a formal joint committee to develop and manage a community woodland park on land South of Vendee Drive, Bicester.

Resolved

(1)           That it be agreed to agree to establish a partnership or joint committee with Bicester Town Council, Chesterton Parish Council, Oxfordshire County Council and local representation to develop and manage a community woodland park on land South of Vendee Drive, Bicester.

(2)           That authority be delegated to the Executive Director, Place and Growth, in consultation with the Assistant Director: Law and Governance and the Lead Member for Clean and Green to establish the constitution and terms of reference for the partnership/committee.

Reasons

By establishing a formal joint working committee this will represent the interests of the various groups; enable decision making to progress the project, pool knowledge and experience and formalise the position around sharing the funding costs.

Alternative options

Option 1: Community woodland implemented by Cherwell District Council.  By taking sole responsibility for the land, Cherwell District Council would be able to develop the site but the full cost of delivering and managing the land would fall on the Council.  This option is not favoured as the project has already benefitted from partnership working and the approach has the potential of bringing resources from other partners to provide a more sustainable long term future.

Option 2: Creation of a community organisation to run the site. There is potential for a community organisation to be established to run the site in the future, however transfer of the land is imminent and no such organisation currently exists. It is also likely to take time for the organisation to gain strength to take on the project and this would delay any progress. A joint committee approach can include representatives from a local group who could be co-opted on the committee in the first instance.

Option 3: Create a joint committee with Bicester Town Council, Chesterton Parish Council, Oxfordshire County Council and local representation. This would enable a partnership approach to developing and managing the community woodland and a sharing of costs. This approach can also take the benefit of each organisations knowledge and skills.

Option 4: The developer retains ownership of the land. This would result in the loss of the potential to provide a significant new area of open space for the local residents. Whilst the land is currently farmed there would be the potential for further planning applications to be made in the future and development pressure. Open spaces are valuable for the health of residents, increase property values and increase the attractiveness of the town for investors.