Issue - meetings

            That the land be transferred directly to Saltney Town Council and the existing Section 106 Agreement entered into in connection with planning permission reference 045999 be varied as required. 

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Officer (Planning and Environment) in respect of this application.  Councillor Richard Lloyd, having earlier declared an interest in the application, left the meeting prior to its discussion. 

                        The Housing & Planning Solicitor detailed the background to the report and explained that planning permission had been granted in 2009 for the erection of Morrisons Supermarket and had included a Section 106 (S106) agreement which required the transfer of land for a library and that the land be transferred back to Morrisons if the library was not built within seven years of the date of the permission.  A report to Committee in December 2014 obtained a resolution for the land to be retained by the Council beyond August 2016 providing the land was to be used for some benefit to the Community.  The land was currently still in the ownership of Morrisons.  Following further negotiations, it was now intended that the land should be transferred by Morrisons directly to Saltney Town Council and that authority be sought to vary the S106 agreement as required. 

            Councillor Chris Bithell proposed the recommendation that the land be transferred directly to Saltney Town Council and the existing Section 106 agreement entered into in connection with planning permission reference 045999 be varied as required.  He said that it had been hoped that a library could be erected but this was a useful alternative for the land. 

            In response to a query from Councillor David Roney, the Chief Officer (Planning & Environment) confirmed that the land was to the west of the supermarket access road, not the east as reported in paragraph 6.01.  Councillor Richard Jones queried whether there was access and egress to the site and the Chief Officer said that pedestrian access to the site could be achieved from Chester Road.      

            RESOLVED:

            That the land be transferred directly to Saltney Town Council and the existing Section 106 Agreement entered into in connection with planning permission reference 045999 be varied as required. 

After the vote had been taken, Councillor Lloyd returned to the meeting and the Chairman advised him of the decision.