Agenda item

            Acquisition of Land

            The Committee was reminded that the Council, as part of City Investment Strategy, had agreed to co-ordinate the acquisition of lands to enable the Connswater Community Greenway Programme to proceed.  The Council would secure rights over the land needed for the Greenway and would be responsible for the management and maintenance of that land and any assets on it.  The Greenway would have to be accessible for 40 years to comply with the Big Lottery Fund letter of offer, although the intention was to secure rights for longer if possible.  Subsequently, the Big Lottery Fund had agreed to the Council becoming the employer and authority had been granted by the Committee, at its meeting on 24th September, for the Chief Executive to sign the transfer agreement on the Council’s behalf.  The contract for the construction of the Greenway had been awarded to SIAC/Galliford Try and construction of the first phase from Cregagh Glen to Montgomery Road was currently programmed to commence on 1st December, 2010. 

            It was reported that there was 0.052 acres of land at Park Avenue, near the subway access to Victoria Park, which had been identified as being required to complete the Greenway route and associated landscaping and Council officers had agreed, subject to the Committee’s approval, to purchase the land from Helm Housing for £1,000.

            The Committee approved the purchase of the area of land as outlined.

            Licence Agreements

            The Director reported that the Project Manager was in the process of finalising the programme of work with the contractor and the intention was to hand over the land required for the Greenway in phases linked to that programme of work.  The land assembly for all the phases of work was progressing well and it was intended that all acquisitions of land would be in place by the date on which the land was required to be handed over to the contractor.  However, there could be unforeseen difficulties with title to the land which took time to resolve despite a willingness by all parties to proceed.  In order to be sure that the land was available for handover to the contractor in good time, it was recommended that the Council take a licence for each of the following areas of land:

(1)     an area of land located at Cregagh Glen;

(2)     part of the land belonging to the Belfast Metropolitan College adjacent to the Loop River from Alexander Road to Montgomery Road;

(3)     part of the Belfast Education and Library Board-owned land along the Knock River from Orangefield Park to the Laburnum Playing Fields; and

(4)     a portion of the Laburnum Playing Fields.

            The Director explained that the acquisition of the lands at Cregagh Glen and the Laburnum Playing Fields had been approved previously by the Council and the Legal Services Section had been instructed to complete the conveyance of land to the Council.  Negotiations were on-going in respect of the value of the lands required from the Belfast Education and Library Board and the Belfast Metropolitan College and Council officers expected to have this information in order for a report to be submitted for the Committee’s approval for the acquisition of both areas within the next month.

            The Committee granted approval for the taking out of licences for the four areas of land outlined in order to facilitate the handover of land to the contractor.

            Exchange of Land

            The Director of Property and Projects reported that 0.089 acres of land at Holywood Arches, which was owned by the Belfast Health and Social Services Trust, had been identified as being required for the Greenway.  In addition, an area of land consisting of 0.01029 acres at the same site was owned by the Council but had not been incorporated into the Trust’s car park since the site had been redeveloped in 2007.  Council officers had agreed with the Land and Property Services, subject to the approval of the Committee and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust Board, to exchange the areas of land at no additional cost to either party and subject to each party discharging their own legal and professional fees. 

            The Committee granted approval for the exchange of land with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust as outlined.