Decision - Falmer Community Stadium - Spreading of Excavated Chalk on Land South of Village Way

(1)       That Cabinet approves granting the Club a 7 year licence to deposit chalk on the Land and carry out a programme to restore the Land to agricultural use on substantially the terms set out in the confidential report elsewhere on this agenda and that authority to enter into the licence is granted to the Director of Environment and the Director of Finance and Resources in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Central Services.

(2)       That Cabinet notes the urgency decisions taken by the Director of Finance and Resources in consultation with the Leader and Deputy Leader in respect of the surrender agreement with the tenant farmer and the grant of a temporary licence to allow works on site to continue.

1.     The recommendations will result in the council being able to deliver the Land on a timely basis to the Club.  In taking these steps and reaching successful agreement with both the council’s tenant and the Club, the council has avoided the need for a significant number of lorry movements on public roads during the early construction phase of the Community Stadium.

1.     To facilitate the Club’s request to deposit chalk on the Land legal advice was taken to establish whether any formal process could be followed to recover possession of the land from the tenant.  Having established that no formal process was available to the council that would meet the required timeframe, the only option available was to seek a surrender by negotiation.  Given these restrictions and the desire on the council’s part to facilitate the Club’s proposal as part of its overall role in facilitating the delivery of the Stadium, agents were instructed to negotiate and agree the best terms possible for the surrender of the tenancy.