Development Partner Selection - Former Hexham Middle School Site

Descriptions

Northumberland County Council (NCC) is looking to conduct a procurement exercise to appoint a Development Partner or Partner(s) for a development scheme at the former Middle School site in Hexham.

The development scheme will consist of mixed-use residential housing and an adult extra care facility across the 6.1 -hectare site.

Northumberland County Council is the freehold owner of the site, and the Development Partner(s) will be required to acquire the site in whole or part and deliver the proposed scheme in whole or part.

To support this, we would like to gain information from the market regarding a number of areas related to the future procurement exercise.

NCC is issuing this request for information only, in order to assess the reaction of potential partners and the broader market and make any potential procurement process more focused and efficient.

The benefits to your organisation in participating in this process include:

- the chance to assess whether the opportunity will be suitable and of interest to you

- ensuring that specifications are realistic and market-focused

- the chance to raise any risks, concerns or issues regarding the potential opportunity

The responses will be highly valued and will assist us in creating a procurement process which is well-framed, focused, feasible and likely to be of interest to the market.

There is no commercial advantage or disadvantage to your organisation as a result of being involved in this market testing exercise. This process focuses on the market as a whole, rather than on the merits of individual suppliers. It involves no element of supplier selection or bid evaluation.

Finally, please be assured that any commercially sensitive information provided to us as part of this process will be treated in confidence, used only for the purposes of this market testing exercise, and will not be disclosed to any other organisation, subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Description of the Proposed Procurement for Development Partner - Former Hexham Middle School Site

Northumberland County Council is the freehold owner of the former Hexham Middle School site. This 6.1-hectare site sits close to the centre of the historic market town and provides a first-class opportunity for a mixed use residential and extra care scheme in a beautiful setting. The site lies within the Hexham Conservation Area and contains the historic Grade II Listed Fellside Building.

There has been an extensive community consultation process, resulting in a preferred masterplan for development. This focused on the key needs for Hexham which are more housing, both for sale and to include affordable housing, along with an extra care facility. The extra care facility will be operated by a registered provider.

The Council is seeking to appoint a Development Partner or Partner(s) to finalise the design, secure implementable planning permission, construction and conversion to achieve the development scheme at the former Middle school site in Hexham. The scheme is to follow the principles set out by the Council in the various design guides that the Council has had prepared on its behalf. Development Partner(s) will be required to acquire the site and deliver the proposed scheme. The land is offered to the Development Partner(s) on terms to be agreed and the Development Partner(s) should make an offer for the land as part of the procurement process.

Tenderers will fund these schemes via their own reserves, external investors and Homes England Affordable Homes Programme grant funding. The existing Affordable Homes Programme is ending with a new programme expected to be announced in March 2025; this may mean changes to the existing grant funding agreements which are available via the gov.uk website. We also anticipate Tenderers will apply for S106 Developer Funding to deliver the scheme. Tenderers will also be able to bid for Adult, Ageing and Wellbeing funding to deliver the extra care facility.

Supporting documentation is available on the Northumberland County Council's planning portal website via the hyperlink below:

24/03778/OUT | Outline permission (all matters reserved) for demolition of existing buildings and walling, and subsequent erection of up to 200no. dwellings (including extra care provision) and associated works | Former Hexham Middle School Site Wanless Lane Hexham Northumberland NE46 1BU