At next week’s Isle of Wight council Executive meeting, members will be asked to give approval to “commence the procedure to allow the use of compulsory purchase powers at East Cowes”.
The approval will be used, “if required”, to carry out Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO) on properties in Dover Road as part of the East Cowes Regeneration Scheme.
If Red Funnel’s development plans (awaiting a planning decision) go ahead they would see the properties on Dover Road being demolished to accomodate the expansion of their marshalling yard.
All reasonable steps must be exhausted
According to the paperwork, the council have made it very clear to the ferry company that they’d expect “to see all reasonable steps to purchase the remaining properties by agreement have been exhausted before making a compulsory purchase order”.
If CPOs are required, it would go back to the Executive again before a final decision is made.
Negotiations ongoing
The paper states,
“Red Funnel is a key part of the project and needs to acquire a range of properties to create a new marshalling yard as part of the regeneration scheme. It has been in dialogue with known third party landowners since early 2015, which all owned property at Dover Road.
“Agreement has been reached on three of seven properties required, and discussions with the remaining four are continuing in the hope that a negotiated settlement can be achieved.
“Other land may also be subject to a compulsory purchase procedure but this is unknown until Red Funnel’s title investigations are complete.”
Exclusion of the press and public?
As the item relates to “financial or business affairs of any particular person”, members will vote as to whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting when the item is considered.
Deputy leader, Cllr Steve Stubbings, will be chairing the meeting when the item is considered.
He assured OnTheWight that he’d encourage members to vote for the press and public NOT being excluded from the meeting, so long as they ensured any financial details weren’t mentioned during the discussion.
Solent Gateways regeneration project
The regeneration of East Cowes is part of a wider programme, the Solent Gateways regeneration project.
£7.5m has been secured through the Solent LEP for the regeneration of the town centre and waterfront, the redevelopment of Trinity Wharf, reconfiguration of the highway network, creation of pedestrian spaces and expansion of Red Funnel’s terminal (from 220 to 450 car equivalent user capacity) as well as the replacement of Cowes floating bridge.
Under pressure?
Council officers state in the papers for the meeting that if the East Cowes element of the project isn’t delivered, it will impact Red Funnel’s plans to relocate their Southampton terminal.
This means the redevelopment of the Royal Pier Waterfront in Southampton and the replacement of the new floating bridge would fail.
Officers say,
“Accordingly, it is critical for Red Funnel to expand both terminals to enable the Solent Gateways project to succeed.”
Full details of the item can be read in the paper below. Click on the full screen icon to see larger version.
Image: © Google Streetview
