URL: https://democracy.crawley.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=916

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose: Cabinet is requested to consider options associated with the development of the Telford Place site.

Content: Exempt Paragraph 3 – Information relating to financial and business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information)     RESOLVED   That the Cabinet:   a)           approves the proposal to amend the existing Telford Place contract as necessary to reflect the revised scheme and the revised land agreement to enable the scheme to be progressed in partnership with the identified affordable housing provider, as detailed in section 5.6 of report SHAP/103.   And if this negotiations fails to succeed,   b)           approves that the Leader of the Council, in consultation with the Head of Strategic Housing, the Head of Corporate Finance and the Head of Law & Governance, pursues the alternative approach (as detailed in sections 5.7 – 5.10 of report SHAP/103) to enable the Council to take on the responsibility of developer to deliver the revised Telford Place scheme.   c)           approves any necessary procurement requirements to deliver either option as detailed above in accordance with the appropriate procurement process.   d)           delegates any negotiations, approval and completion of all relevant documentation, including and not limited to, legal paperwork and conducting of any procurement exercise, to the Head of Strategic Housing, the Head of Corporate Finance, and the Head of Law & Governance, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Housing. (Generic Delegation 2 and 3 will be used to enact this recommendation).     Reasons for the Recommendations   While the most recent procurement attempt to secure a development partner was successful, with contracts being exchanged for a 100% affordable housing scheme, where critical milestones have been achieved, including Outline Planning Approval being awarded, however the aim of maximising the scale of development on this site has proven unviable, which has resulted in the scheme stalling while more viable options were explored.   This revised development strategy aims to address the viability challenge through a scheme that is reduced in height, achieving lower build costs and an improved land disposal strategy. This report then sets out two alternative routes of delivering this scheme, with the second option being explored in the event that the preferred partnership route fails to progress.   In recent years there has been a change in building regulations for buildings that exceed 18m in height, which are deemed to be Higher Risk Buildings (HRB) that requires additional safety and escape measures which has a significant impact on viability, as well as impacting the programme to secure the necessary approvals through the government’s gateway process. By reducing the height of the scheme this inevitably reduces the number of residential units, which also reduces the number of parking spaces that are required, where in the case of Telford Place this removes the need for under-croft parking and a podium amenity deck, which also benefits overall scheme viability.  

Date of Decision: September 9, 2026