Purpose

To seek approval to allocate and spend the
Employment Land capital budget to bring forward detailed designs
and accompanying business case for the development of business
workspace units on the former Bromyard Depot site, and to support
the development of local co-working business hubs in Leominster and
the other remaining market towns. To approve expenditure of up to
£3.5 million (capital) for the development of business
workspace units on the former Council Depot site in Bromyard and up
to £500,000 (capital) on the development of local Business
Hubs at the Buttercross Building in Leominster and the other
remaining market towns.

Decision

a.    
To approve the drawdown and expenditure of up to £3.5 million
capital to procure and appoint a design team and thereafter a
contractor to develop business workspace units on the former
Council Depot site in Bromyard;
 

b.    
To approve expenditure of up to £500,000 capital to procure
and appoint the detailed design team and thereafter a contractor to
complete internal alterations to the Buttercross Building in
Leominster, and business hubs in Ross-on Wye, Ledbury, Bromyard and
Kington (subject to availability of suitable property, need and
budget); and
 

c.    
To delegate all operational decisions to the Director for Growth in
consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community Services and
Assets and the Cabinet Member for Economy and Growth, to implement
recommendations (a) and (b), including the award of contracts to
the preferred bidder following conclusion of the procurements
undertaken in accordance with the Contract Procedure Rules.

Alternative options considered

1.    
Do nothing: To not develop Bromyard Depot would not be utilising
this otherwise empty site effectively, and the opportunity to
obtain support the development and growth of businesses, and the
creation of local jobs would be lost. This is not recommended.
 

2.    
Develop the whole site for housing: Rather than develop Bromyard
Depot for commercial development, the site could be developed,
along with the adjacent paddock, entirely for housing. However,
given the growth of population in Bromyard, there is a need to
support local employment opportunities and space for local start-up
and growing businesses to develop, to support the growth of the
town, and avoid it being a ‘dormitory’ settlement. This
matter was also considered by the Strategic Asset Management Board
at their meeting in November 2024, who agreed to split the overall
site, with housing proposed on the paddock and business workspace
units development on the old Depot site.
 

3.    
Do nothing: To not develop the ground floor of the Buttercross
Building in Leominster, would leave this prominent town centre
space unutilised, perhaps resulting in reputational damage, and the
opportunity to support local businesses through the provision of a
Business Hub would be lost. This is not recommended