Agenda item

Report of the Chief Executive.

The Cabinet Member with the Resources Portfolio introduced the report of the Chief Executive (previously circulated) requesting that consideration be given to acquiring 2.27 acres of grazing land at Snipe Lane, as shown hatched on the plan (also previously circulated), for future residential development and the granting of delegated authority to the Chief Executive to negotiate and acquire any other adjacent plots of land considered suitable for future development.

It was reported that in March 2018, Cabinet had approved the acquisition of land adjacent to Neasham Road and either side of Snipe Lane from Darlington Farmers Auction Mart (DFAM) for the development and provision of 450 new homes, including 300 affordable homes and that, in September 2020 it had approved the establishment of a Joint Venture Company with Esh Homes Limited to deliver the infrastructure and to deliver and sell houses.

Members were advised that, in April 2020, approval had been given to the use of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to acquire part of Snipe Lane itself which was in unknown ownership and was required to guarantee access to the proposed development and that a number of further plots of land, accessed from Snipe Lane, had since been acquired, with the Council now owning most of the land accessed from Snipe Lane and bounded by the A66, Neasham Road, Railway Cottages and the East Coast Mainline.   

RESOLVED – (a)  That the acquisition of land, on the terms set out in Appendix 2 of the submitted report, be approved.

(b)  That the Assistant Director for Law and Governance be authorised to complete the transfers of land accordingly.

(c)  That the Chief Executive be given delegated authority to negotiate terms and acquire any remaining plots of grazing land accessed from Snipe Lane north of the A66 and considered suitable for future development, with the terms to be reported on the schedule of transactions.

REASONS – (a)  To secure land for future residential development.

(b)  To give the Council control of a large area of land for future residential development.