Agenda item

To receive a presentation for discussion on the regeneration work being carried out on the Alma, Ladderswood and New Avenue estates. 

The scrutiny panel received a presentation from Joanne Drew (Director of Housing and Housing Regeneration) on estate regeneration. 

1.            Presentation

The following points were highlighted in the presentation: 

·         Estate regeneration was a long-term process.  10 years was a realistic delivery timeframe. 

·         Enfield had been successful in enabling the redevelopment of the age expired council estates of Ladderswood, Alma and New Avenue and in creating extra properties on those estates. 

·         It was only since 2018 the debt cap on local authorities has been lifted, so in the past the Council had been reliant on bringing in partners to progress development schemes. 

·         At the Alma Estate in Ponders End the Council had entered into a development agreement with Countryside Properties to deliver nearly 1,000 high quality new homes.  Phase 1 was now complete.  Work was progressing on the next phase. 

·         A separate agreement had been made with Countryside Properties for the New Avenue Estate in Southgate to deliver 408 homes.  There was also an opportunity to develop more homes and an application is due to be bought forward.  The Council is keen to increase the provision of family homes but it has to strike a balance to ensure financial returns.

·         The onset of the pandemic has made the situation more volatile. 

·         The Council had entered into a partnership with One Housing Group and Sherrygreen Homes to deliver 517 homes on the Ladderswood Estate.  The project finances and business plan were being closely monitored. 

·         Work had started on redevelopment plans for the Joyce and Snells Estate in Edmonton.

·         However, all these projects could not meet the scale of need.

·         To address the quality of housing management, Cabinet, in December 2020, approved a proposal to establish a framework of affordable housing providers which the Council could call on to develop, acquire and facilitate the delivery of new homes on Council owned land.  Up to ten organisations would achieve preferred partner status.  They would have to commit to meet high standards and to have the capacity to fund develop and deliver the next generation of schemes. 

2.            Questions/Comments

2.1       Panel members welcomed the information provided and thanked Joanne Drew for her presentation.

2.2       Properties for families were being provided, but one bedroom properties were also needed.  These could be used not only as homes for young people but also to support downsizers, freeing up family homes elsewhere. 

2.3       The request for before and after statistics on the number of properties on the estates. 

2.4       Support for the policy of working in partnership with other organisations and the view that the Council should not try and carry out all work on their own.  A desire that the process be speeded up.  

2.4       The Leader’s view that in delivering housing that there had to be a partnership approach.  The Council was just one piece of the jigsaw which also included the private sector and housing associations but a local authority had to drive things forward.  Enfield’s land values were less than boroughs in Central London which meant that the local authority had to play a greater role.  The Council would lose control on issues like the height of buildings and heritage features if it stepped back.  Housing development would generate economic benefits in the creation of jobs and the improvement of places where local people live and work. 

2.5       Working in partnerships Enfield had benefitted as a client in being able to use the skills and expertise acquired from their direct delivery work and experience. 

2.6       Enfield was working closely with developers of the New Avenue estate to increase the number of three bedroom family sized homes. 

3.            Summing up by the Chair

The Chair thanked officers for their report.