Minutes

Cllr Carmel Townsend asked:

The leader of the council will know personally, from her own professional experience, that a vibrant Higher Education sector is one of the foundations of any successful city.

Given this, could the leader provide an update on the Knowledge Quarter – a compact signed by her predecessor in November 2016 with the University of South Wales and Coleg Gwent?

Could she also provide a rationale for the Council’s decision to apply for outline planning permission for the plot of land to the south east of the existing USW campus on Usk Way and the impact this could have on the Knowledge Quarter?

The application includes seeking consent for office and hotel uses in addition to education.

The Leader of the Council responded:

The delivery of a Knowledge Quarter remains a priority and is a key project outlined in the adopted City Centre Master Plan. Officers continue to work with key partners on this complex project, which continues to evolve and a report will be brought to Cabinet at the appropriate time.  In respect of the outline application, I would remind you that the City Centre Master Plan states

“The council is playing a key role in helping connect positive interest with key opportunity sites and addressing barriers to development including creating greater certainty via the planning system.”  

The submission of an outline planning application is not only in line with our commitments in the Master Plan but is also a common prerequisite in the development of any parcel of land. Education is one of the specified uses, but in order to ensure that other opportunities (including a mixed use) are not hampered by a very prescriptive planning permission, it was considered prudent to include a range of uses, which would be suitable within the City Centre context. The outline application is not considered to prejudice our aspirations for a knowledge quarter.