RESOLVED that
i. the name of the Burys Development Project be changed to the Central Godalming Regeneration Project;
ii. Council be recommended to approve a supplementary estimate of £164,000 to progress the project to the next phase (3), including preliminary public engagement, to be funded from the Property Investment reserve; and
iii it be noted that phase 3 of the scheme will progress to a formal planning pre-application submission that, subject to the outcome of the engagement process, may include the following elements:
- A residential scheme and public car parking at Crown Court Car Park to bring much needed housing into the centre of Godalming
- A retrofit of The Burys for office working space to reflect new ways of working, and increased car parking provision at The Burys site to allow for loss of car parking at Crown Court Car Park
- A residential and/or car parking scheme at the Wharf Car Park on Woolsack Way
Reason:
The
project offers an opportunity for regeneration of three Council
owned sites within the Central Godalming area. The project proposes to bring underutilised
elements of the sites forward to generate much needed town centre
housing, improve the access of the Council offices at Bridge Street
and ensure the office space is utilised to the maximum in a period
of hybrid working. These elements will
in turn benefit the town centre and bring footfall to local
businesses, therefore bringing forward an opportunity for all three
sites to be part of a regeneration project and thus the new name
for the project.
To respond to the Phase 2 findings that demonstrates that viable schemes are possible on the nominated 3 sites whilst understanding that more detail is required to move them forward.
The Council offices at the Burys in Godalming are unfit for purpose: they have been expensive to heat and maintain, due to the building’s low energy efficiency, for many years and they are excess to the Council’s post-Covid requirements. Absent this project, Waverley will have to spend a significant amount of scarce revenue funding to operate, repair and maintain the current building over the coming years. It is an extremely inefficient building in layout and energy use accounting for 10% of Waverley buildings carbon output, and work is required to rectify this to meet our Climate Emergency objectives. The current layout does not allow for the decreased numbers of staff working in the building due to the implementation of hybrid working and the new Agile Working Policy.
Phase 3 will allow the Council to fully understand the potential for the delivery of much needed housing in Godalming and to engage with the local economy in Godalming.
By completing the pre-application stage, it will give the Council an understanding of whether the project deliverables can be met and to help to understand in detail any future planning risks, whilst bringing forward solutions to mitigate those risks.
[This matter is recommended to Council for decision and is not subject to the call-in procedure.]