County Council Presses Ahead With Housing Development Plans
A private development company is being set-up by Derbyshire County Council to help provide much needed homes and generate income for council services.
Cabinet Members approved plans in June to establish a development company which would also:
- make effective use of the council’s land
- create employment opportunities within Derbyshire, including for apprentices and Derbyshire care leavers
- maintain ethical and environmental standards in the specification, development and building of properties such as features to keep heat and lighting bills low for residents.
Now three pieces of land have been earmarked as the first for development by the company to develop housing, subject to planning permission, in:
- Derby Road, Duffield – 28 homes
- Fisher Close, Repton – 10 homes
- Pilsley Road, Danesmoor – 26 homes including five “affordable properties”.
Cabinet Member for Council Services Councillor Andy Botham said: “Government cuts to the council’s budget mean we need to find new ways of generating income. That’s why we’re looking to make the most of land we own but no longer need.
“The three pilot sites are the first of 13 sites already identified for development by the company in the future. It’s an ambitious project but we’re hoping it will be a real money-spinner to help fund vital local services as well as providing much-needed homes for the county.”
A business plan has been drawn-up and work on the initial three sites is expected to start in January next year.
At a meeting on Tuesday (26 July 2016) Cabinet Members approved proposals to appoint a Shareholder’s Board as a committee of Cabinet comprising the Leader of the Council, the Cabinet Member for Council Services and the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure with the Leader of the Main Opposition Group as an observer.
They also approved proposals to appoint the following executive directors of the company along with a non-executive director from the commercial sector with relevant experience to act as a “critical friend”:
- Ian Stephenson, Chief Executive of Derbyshire County Council
- Jeremy Goacher, the county council’s Director of Corporate Property
- Peter Handford, the county council’s Director of Finance
- Councillor Andy Botham, the county council’s Cabinet Member for Council Services
- Sanjiv Kohli, Interim Director of the development company until a company chief executive is appointed.
Sanjiv Kohli has been appointed as a part-time Interim Director to kick-start work on the first three sites and work with the two boards to establish a longer term strategic plan which could include developing extra care housing or social housing in the future as well as housing for sale.
Mr Kohli joins the development company from Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council where he was Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate Direction) and the Chief Finance Officer. He is a qualified Chartered and CIPFA accountant with over 30 years’ experience in local government and the private sector. During this time he has set up private limited companies and has led and been part of a number of regeneration projects.
The next step will be to register the company with Companies House and prepare and submit detailed planning applications for the three sites. Work on the three sites is expected to start early next year.
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