Agenda item

Seething Lane Garden - Delegated Authority Request

Report of the Director of Open Spaces.

 

Minutes:

The Committee noted that the City has been approached by Reignwood Investments UK, the owner of 10 Trinity Square, EC3 and freeholder of Seething Lane Garden, to seek a revised extension to their occupation of Seething Lane Garden to practical completion of the landscaping works in April 2017.

 

Members noted that an April 2015 at the request of the developer, your committee approved an extension of their use of the site to the end of 2016. This was in light of the cited delay to the project caused by the discovery of items of archaeological interest during the excavations that affect 10 Trinity Square, and the impact of the actual delay when compared with that anticipated as part of the initial archaeological

assessment. As a result the developer needed to find alternative space for the

displaced building activity and to use Seething Lane Garden to facilitate a

welfare and logistics strategy that helped reduce the impact on traffic

congestion to the area and surrounding businesses whilst carefully considering

the safety of local residents and public. As a gesture of goodwill, Reignwood

relocated the bust of Pepys, which used to reside in the garden, to the nearby

St Olave’s Churchyard so as to make it publically accessible during the

continued works period and offered a goodwill payment of £30,000 in

recognition of the additional inconvenience caused by the continued closure of

Seething Lane Garden.

 

Discussions ensued regarding the extension and Members agreed that Officers should be instructed to negotiated the shortest extension possible to ensure that the garden as ready for use during the spring next year. There are no financial implications at this stage as discussions with Reignwood are ongoing. In the circumstances Delegated Authority is sought for the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman to approve transaction terms and the period of the extension once they can be presented.

 

Resolved – that Members authorise the grant of delegated authority to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman to instruct Officers to negotiation the extension of use of Seething Lane Garden by Reignwood International UK or such other designated subsidiary or contractors as a temporary

works area and the subsequent reinstatement of Seething Lane Garden

and all upon such terms, to the satisfaction of the Superintendent and without cost to the City Corporation.

Supporting documents: