Agenda item

A report from the Executive Director – Place is attached. (Report No.204, agenda part two also refers) (Key decision – reference number 4998)

(Report No.203)

Councillor Nesil Caliskan (Leader of the Council) introduced the report of the Executive Director – Place (No.203) primarily dealing with “direct delivery” where the Council would directly commission contractors to build homes on Council owned land.

NOTED

1.            The key milestones of the Council’s direct development delivery policy as set out in paragraph 1.2 of the report. Approval was being sought for measures that would help the Council to deliver the Council owned homes and fully engage residents in the process as detailed in paragraph 1.3 of the report.

2.            The detailed and ambitious programme of works outlined in the report and reflected in the decisions below. The importance of delivering on time and within budget was highlighted.

3.            That the Council would explore all green options including a certified Passivhaus Institute “Low Energy Building”, for heating and cooling of homes, with a pilot proposed on the Bury Street West site. Members welcomed this initiative and hoped that it could be extended to other developments where possible.

Alternative Options Considered: NOTED, the alternative options that had been considered as set out in section 4 of the report including: direct delivery; development agreement; development partnership/joint venture; and, disposal.

DECISION: The Cabinet agreed to

1.         Note the progress made to date on the Council’s housing development programme (including the current position of the Greater London Authority Building Council Homes for Londoners programme) as outlined in section 3.2 of the report and note the proposal for accelerating the programme detailed in section 3.3 of the report.

2.         Note the 10-year housing development programme as shown in Appendix 1 of the report, and authorised the Executive Director - Place, in consultation with the Executive Director - Resources, to award contracts and enter into agreements for the acquisition or disposal of property for each site, up to £20m in each case to deliver the first 2 years of the programme.

3.         Approve the delivery of the programme primarily through direct delivery by the Council as outlined in sections 3.4 and 3.5 of the report, the viability of each project to be determined by the Director of Housing and Regeneration in consultation with the Director of Finance in accordance with the criteria set out in section 3.6.2 of the report.

4.         Subject to compliance with the Budget Policy Framework, delegated authority to the Leader of the Council to approve additional sites and site substitutions, where a site in the programme was no longer viable or deliverable, within the Council’s housing development programme’s financial limits.

5.         Delegate authority to the Executive Director - Resources to agree the appropriation of General Fund sites to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) based on an open market valuation for the proposed affordable housing mix as outlined in section 3.5.5 of the report.

6.            Note that a further report would be brought to Cabinet at a later date, for the investment decision for the Upton & Raynham/Beck House scheme outlined in sections 3.4.5 and 3.4.6 of the report and agreed in principle to the Upton and Raynham/Beck House scheme being included in the programme until that decision was made.

7.            Approve acquisition of property up to a cost of £2.5m necessary for future delivery of the Upton and Raynham/Beck House Scheme as outlined in 3.4.7 of the report and delegated authority to the Director of Law and Governance to enter into the relevant legal agreements.

8.         Delegate authority to the Director of Housing and Regeneration in consultation with the Director of Finance to approve a community engagement and local offer strategy for residents that would be disrupted by development proposals as outlined in section 3.8 of the report.

9.         Agree that the 10-year Housing Development Programme would be subject to annual review by the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement, with a report back to Cabinet.

Reason: NOTED, the detailed reasons for the recommendations as set out in section 5 of the report.

(Key decision – reference number 4998)