Mole Valley District Council

A redevelopment at the former Aviva campus in Pixham for 69 homes was refused because the committee accepted officer advice that the scheme's 22% affordable housing offer was materially below the 40% policy requirement and viable position. The refusal also referenced missing legal agreement-backed obligations for biodiversity net gain and carbon offset contributions.

Cabinet approved moving a £3.9 million provisional allocation into the firm budget and awarding the preferred bidder the parks and playground refurbishment contract so design work can start. The programme includes major investment at Leatherhead, Ashtead, Dorking and Bookham, and members stressed the importance of consultation and engagement with wards and residents.

A major procurement exercise is underway to appoint the next waste and street cleansing contractor before the current AMI-LG contract ends in June 2027. Five tenders were received, three bidders progressed to stage two, final bids are due 1 May, and contract award is targeted for July 2026 subject to cabinet and possibly shadow authority approval.

A public spaces protection order is proposed for Mickleham, West Humble, the zigzag road and Rykers Cafe area in response to complaints about excessive noise and antisocial vehicle behaviour. The report follows a consultation and includes an expanded area after police and National Trust feedback.

Members explicitly justified the need to replace refuse collection vehicles and bins as core service spend. The capital strategy includes new refuse and street cleansing vehicles, indicating forthcoming procurement for waste fleet and associated equipment.

The committee received the external quality assessment of SIAP against global internal audit standards. SIAP was assessed as fully conforming on 46 of 52 standards, generally conforming on the remaining six, with no recommendations, placing it in the top quartile.

The committee considered seven planning applications, mostly householder developments, with recurring themes of conservation-area design, neighbour amenity, rooflights, and sustainable intensification. No major procurement contracts were let, but several decisions had procurement relevance: approval of a council-owned car park parcel locker, approval of housing extensions and alterations that may drive construction-related spending, and debate over heritage-grade window replacements with a possible need for specialist joinery. One item was deferred for further review of precedent and design detail, and several approvals were made subject to conditions, including ecology, materials, EV charging, and obscured glazing.

The committee received an annual procurement report highlighting improved contract register compliance, new contract management guidance, higher use of SMEs, and concerns around specific exemptions and contract risk areas. Members also noted the ongoing impact of the Leatherhead mixed recycling facility fire on waste savings, and discussed how local government reorganisation will affect procurement controls, contract migration, and future audit/governance arrangements. Treasury management and external audit updates were also noted, with no immediate borrowing concerns and audit work on track despite a rescheduled timetable.