To seek Cabinet’s agreement to deliver two key regeneration projects within Dovercourt Town Centre: the redevelopment of the Starlings site in Dovercourt Town Centre and the demolition of the Milton Road Car Park.

RESOLVED that –

a)         the proposals for the acquisition and redevelopment of the Starlings site and the demolition of the Milton Road Car Park be approved;

b)         £1.595m funding be allocated to the project from existing budgets; and

c)             the above will be progressed subject toapproval of the Business Case and relevant recommendations set out in the related private and confidential report that will be considered later in the morning.

The Cabinet gave consideration to a joint report of the Business and Economic Growth Portfolio Holder and the Corporate Finance and Governance Portfolio Holder (A.3) which sought its approval to –

(1)    deliver two key regeneration projects within Dovercourt Town Centre: the redevelopment of the Starlings site in Dovercourt Town Centre and the demolition of the Milton Road Car Park; and

(2)    allocate £1.595m from existing Council budgets to deliver those projects, including the appointment of a technical team, subject to the approval of the Business Case to be discussed later in the meeting.

Cabinet recalled that, at its meeting in July 2019, it had approved the Dovercourt Town Centre Masterplan, which articulated a vision for the regeneration and transformation of the town.  The Masterplan was a prospectus for change and promoted a targeted range of development and public realm improvements in order to support the regeneration, transformation and renaissance required.

Cabinet had also approved at that meeting the preparation of a detailed business case for the redevelopment of the Starlings site and the Milton Road Car Park. Outline project proposals for those sites provide the focus of the joint report. The Business Case for those projects was set out in a related private and confidential report which would be considered later in the meeting.

Members were aware that the Starlings site was located on Dovercourt High Street and had been derelict for some years. Despite being boarded the site was a blight on the town centre. The Milton Road Car Park was a two storey steel and concrete structure located adjacent to the Starlings site. The Car Park (which incorporated public toilets), was in the Council’s ownership, and was now in need of significant improvement works if the facility was to retain any long term operational use.

Cabinet was reminded that the Dovercourt Masterplan advocated that the Starlings site be redeveloped to provide a new animated public space, public toilets, and a surface car park with the capacity to accommodate 59 car parking spaces (six of which being designated for disabled use). The Masterplan also advocated the demolition of the Milton Road Car Park and for the vacant site to be redeveloped for housing (which could take the form of nine, three storey town houses above a shared under-croft car park). The redevelopment of the site would incorporate provision for an additional fifteen public car parking spaces on Bagshaw Road.

It was felt that works to demolish the Milton Road Car Park would be an investment that would create a development site in Council ownership with the potential to generate a future capital value. There existed a range of scenarios through which the site could be brought forward for development, the detail of which would be the subject of a future report to Cabinet.

Members were informed that the redevelopment of the Starlings site and the Milton Road Car Park, in line with the concept designs provided in the Dovercourt Town Centre Masterplan, would provide a net gain in public car parking provision of six additional spaces (from 68 spaces to 74 spaces). They were also critical components in the Masterplan in securing a successful transformation and vibrant future for Dovercourt Town Centre. They would also have a positive regeneration impact on Dovercourt Town Centre and the social, economic and environmental well-being of the area by:

a)        bringing back into productive use a vacant and derelict site, which currently blighted the town and had a negative impact on Dovercourt High Street;

b)        creating town centre assets for the Council which would have positive uses now and in the future;

c)         supporting wider ‘place shaping’ objectives through the delivery of new housing;

d)        creating a more accessible public car park, and improving footfall in the town;

e)        creating new public realm and amenity space, providing the opportunity for greater animation thereby creating a more vibrant town centre;

f)          providing the potential for a multi-use ‘event space’ in the town centre, through the creative use of the proposed new surface car park;

g)        reducing the opportunities for crime and disorder through improved urban design;

h)        creating confidence in the development market, and encouraging private sector investment;

i)          giving the town’s existing traders the confidence to invest in their businesses and in their property; and

j)          providing a high quality meeting place in the town centre and improving the opportunities for positive social engagement, helping to build civic pride and community cohesion.

Cabinet was advised that, subject to its approval and the Council’s ability to secure control over the Starlings site, the two projects (which were inextricably linked and mutually dependent), would be phased in order to accommodate the Starlings site development first, thereby ensuring the availability of public car parking space at the time works to demolish the Milton Road Car Park were initiated. Delivery of the project would be led  by the Council’s Regeneration Team with technical specialists being appointed as required (in order to progress the design of the proposed Starlings scheme and the demolition methodology for the Milton Road Car Park; secure all necessary approvals; and oversee the phasing, construction, and delivery of these projects).

Having considered the information provided in the report and appendices thereto:-

It was moved by Councillor Newton, seconded by Councillor G V Guglielmi and:-

RESOLVED that –

a)        the proposals for the acquisition and redevelopment of the Starlings site and the demolition of the Milton Road Car Park be approved;

b)        £1.595m funding be allocated to the project from existing budgets; and

c)         the above will be progressed subject toapproval of the Business Case and relevant recommendations set out in the related private and confidential report that will be considered later in the morning.