Agenda item

To receive a report from the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment on the estate renewal programme.  (Report No: 20) (Key decision reference number 4497)

This report should be read in conjunction with the report no 23 on the part 2 agenda. 

Cabinet is due to consider this report on 13 July 2017.  If the recommendations in the report are approved, Council will be asked to agree an addition to the Council’s Capital Programme. 

The Cabinet decision will be reported to Council on the green update sheet tabled at the meeting. 

Councillor Oykener moved and Councillor Lemonides seconded the report of the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment setting out the progress made on the major schemes within the Council’s Estate Renewal Programme. (Report No:  20)

NOTED

1.               The report was considered in conjunction with the part 2 report.

2.               That Cabinet had approved the report and recommendations for referral on to Council on 13 July 2017.

3.               The points highlighted by the majority party:

·       The new schemes were designed to transform the homes of some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the community, in the most deprived areas. 

·       At Highmead, the new scheme including 118 homes (40% affordable), shops and retail units was completed in 2015.  A health centre was due to open in summer 2017.  Work on the Alma Estate had been recognised as a model of good practice by the GLA, the Dujardin Mews scheme won many awards.

·       Phase one of the Ladderswood scheme had begun and would include clean energy from the Lee Valley Heat Network.  Phase 2 of the estate renewal involved the creation of 408 new homes on the New Avenue Estate.  Consultation on the Snells and Joyce estates was due to begin shortly.  The second phase schemes would benefit from the award of GLA Housing Zone Status. 

·       That the Council should be applauded for their success and proud of their achievements especially as it had and always would put people first, consulting with them to help ensure that they are able to have an input in shaping the new proposals. 

·       The need to recognise that these projects would increase the supply and quality of housing, replacing old, poorly designed and tired estates, in need of modernisation.  Consultations with the residents had been in support of the proposals.

4.               The concerns of the Opposition, despite the recognition of the core objective to improve the housing:

·       That projects should be delivered on time and on budget,

·       Concerns in relation to reports that are published late with no time for proper consideration and scrutiny.  The Council Chamber was not seen to be the place for this. 

·       That the information provided was inadequate, not in an easy to understand format, included a lack of costings and income forecasts and that, as a whole, not enough information had been provided to enable Council to know if the projects were being managed properly. 

·       About the repeated delays since 2010 when the Labour administration had taken over development of the schemes, two of which were initially proposed by the Opposition. 

·       Although supportive of the outcome of the proposals, they could not support the report. 

5.               As part of his right to reply, Councillor Oykener said that the delays had arisen out of a desire to ensure that the information included was the best available.  Members of the Opposition had received continuous briefings from officers, sat on the Council Housing Board and would therefore have had access to the more detailed information.  The Alma and New Avenue estates in particular were in urgent need of redevelopment.  The new schemes would work well and would generate a surplus for the Council. 

Following the debate, the recommendations in the report were put to the vote and agreed with the following result: 

For:  29

Against:  18

Abstentions: 0

AGREED

1.               To note the progress made in delivering the estate renewal programme and to note the commencement of the next stage of the programme.

2.               To update the estate renewal scheme budgets as set out in Part 2 of the report as recommended by Cabinet on 13 July 2017.

New Avenue

3.               To note that Cabinet had agreed to delegate authority to the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment to agree and finalise the terms of the shared equity offer to resident leaseholders.

4.               To authorise, as recommended by Cabinet, subject to officers fulfilling the requirements of Section 122 (2A) of the Local Government Act 1972 and obtaining the Secretary of State’s consent pursuant to Section 19 of the Housing Act 1985, in accordance with section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972, a decision be taken that the land required for the completion of the New Avenue Estate Regeneration Programme (shown outlined in red on the plan set out at Appendix A to this report) should be appropriated from its present purpose for housing to planning purposes to enable the Council to take the benefit of Section 203 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016.