A short presentation will be given by officers leading on the New Walk Centre demolition project.
Minutes:
Matt Wallace (New Walk Centre Project Team) and Sarah Woffenden (Demolition Project Manager) were welcomed to the meeting.
Matt and Sarah presented details of the ambitious plans the Council had concerning the redevelopment of the New Walk Centre site. He advised of the initial soft market testing and of discussions with potential developers and occupiers.
It was noted that a mixed use development of commercial, office, leisure/hotel, residential, and complementary retail use had been the significant area of interest arising from the initial discussions.
It was reported that the demolition process would entail significant enabling works, which would be undertaken following the vacation of the buildings at the end of June 2014. It was noted that these works would include:
· Structural surveys and utilities investigations
· Soft strip
· Recycling of materials, including furniture and fittings
· Relocation of substations
Having regard to the demolition itself, it was reported that three options were being considered;
o Full height encapsulated scaffolding
o Mobile crane assists the lifting operations during deconstruction
· High speed implosion
o Would involve significant publicity/communication with residents and businesses
Details of the anticipated timeline including the options for demolition/deconstruction and the likely handover to developers in 2015 were presented. It was noted that dependent on the approved use and scale of the redevelopment, works could continue late into 2017 with a completion date beyond.
The communications and engagement activities undertaken to date were described and it was confirmed that over 300 letters had been sent to local residents and businesses.
It was also confirmed that an enquiry system had been established to assist the process at NewWalkCentreQandA@leicester.gov.uk.
In conclusion, suggestions to assist the future communication of the progress of the project were requested.
Matt and Sarah were thanked for their presentation and report.
In response to questions it was confirmed that any communication to the above email address would be kept on a central database allowing for responses to be sent and regular updates to be issued. It was accepted that ten working days was an appropriate timescale to respond to email communications.
Concerns of the noise pollution form the demolition works were expressed and the experiences of the recent Marlborough House demolition were described to highlight recent problems. It was reported by residents in this regard that although assurances had been made to the contrary, demolition works causing significant noise pollution had continued outside of normal working hours. It was therefore suggested that more adequate contract monitoring would be required for the New Walk Centre site, including an emphasis on acceptable working hours should be made part of the contract documents.
In respect of the Marlborough House site generally, it was reported that options for the marketing of the vacant site as a package together with the New Walk Centre site were being considered.
Reference was made to the costs of each option and estimates as comparisons were given, although it was stressed that the decision would not be determined by the financial implications. The preferred option would be determined following extensive consultation and analysis following the vacation of the buildings and not driven by cost.
In response to a query concerning the likely increased amount of dust from implosion and the possibility of detrimental effect on historic surrounding properties, the requirement for condition surveys of nearby properties was emphasised and acknowledged. It was reported that significant amounts of dust would occur with any of the options and that there were many examples where implosion had been used in city centres with similar circumstances to the New Walk Centre site.
It was considered that the condition surveys of surrounding properties were a key aspect of the process and it was requested that the defined radius, when known, should be reported back to a future meeting.
In discussing the future uses it was noted that the planning process would involve a separate full consultation exercise and initial thoughts on the scale of the new build were suggested. It was clear from the soft market testing that the development would involve a mix of uses and would be of a reduced scale to the aspect of the site currently, with improved open space.
The update on the project was noted.