West Lancs to assess future of development company
A review of Tawd Valley Developments, set up as a wholly owned subsidiary of the council in 2018, will inform a decision on whether to keep, bring in-house, or scrap the organisation.
West Lancashire Council is seeking a consultant to appraise TVD and set out recommendations for its future operation.
The review will “assess the financial sustainability and long-term viability of TVD, and will explicitly evaluate the implications of a range of future options for the company”, tender documents state.
These options are “the potential for disestablishment or winding up of the company, the transfer of its functions into alternative delivery arrangements, or for the company to continue trading in its current format”.
Set up initially to deliver housing, TVD’s role has evolved. In recent years, under the leadership of managing director Mark Kitts, the company has drawn up a masterplan for Skelmersdale town centre and branched out into commercial development.
As recently as last November, West Lancs approved a new business case for TVD that set out plans to deliver 680 homes, 59 commercial units, and a solar farm.
Since 2015 until May this year, the council had been run by a minority Labour administration. However, following the local elections, the council is now run by a coalition between the Conservatives, who have 12 seats, and the Our West Lancashire independent group, which has 11. Labour remains the largest party by seats with 13 but is no longer leading the authority.
