Agenda item

(Report of the Director of Place and Sustainability – To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Social Inclusion):To consider the proposed package of funding for Tottenham, combining Council and Mayor of London resources to help leverage private sector funds.  The aim of this funding package is to deliver a first phase of sustainable social, economic and physical regeneration in Tottenham, with a particular focus on the priority area of North Tottenham.

Cabinet received a report that sought approval of the proposed funding and investment programme for Tottenham of £41.345m.

The Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Social Inclusion introduced the report and responded to queries raised.

It was noted that a further report would be brought to Cabinet outlining the new flagship Jobs Programme that was aimed at tackling unemployment and child poverty and that this would include details of the targets with respect to the number jobs that would be created.

Cabinet was advised that changes to the Section 106 Agreement referred to in the report would be considered at a special meeting of the Planning Committee on 13 February (the report being considered by the Planning Committee was published on the Council’s website and copies had been made publicly available since 3 February). 

It was clarified that the Council’s Supplementary Planning Policy (SPP) on the provision of Affordable Housing within new schemes allowed for the existing mix of housing in an area to be taken into account when determining applications. It was recognised that there was a high proportion of social housing already and in order to encourage a greater mix of housing it was proposed that the requirement within the existing Section 106 Agreement was amended.

In terms of the provision within the Section 106 Agreement for Education purposes it was being recommended to the Planning Committee that this contribution was revised down from x to x and the decision with regard to this was within the remit of that Committee rather than Cabinet.

The Chair thanked officers for their hard work during the six month period since the disturbances in pulling this piece of work together. She noted that against a backdrop of rising deprivation and unemployment, particularly in Northumberland Park and White Hart Lane, it was hoped that the package of private and public sector investment agreed would act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the North Tottenham area.

RESOLVED:

1. That Cabinet approve the funding and investment programme for Tottenham of £41.345m as outlined in paragraph 1.1 of the report. 

2. That it be approved, in principal, that a further allocation of £5m to make a total of £9m investment (including £4m capital programme investment already provisionally agreed by Cabinet on 20/12/11 but subject to Full Council agreement) in North Tottenham (linking with the Mayoral investment of £18m) to support:

Ø      A contribution to heritage building improvements in the vicinity of the NDP Scheme (£3m)

Ø      A contribution to public and community event space to be provided as part of the NDP Scheme (£5m)

Ø      Environmental improvements on Worcester Avenue (£0.5m)

Ø      The formulation of a phased North Tottenham regeneration master-plan with a primary focus on the area west of High Road centred on White Hart Lane (£0.5m)

3. That the further allocation of £5m should be formally added to the Capital Programme at an appropriate point in the future once the relevant part of the NDP scheme has progressed and when funding has been identified.

4. That it be noted that the funding for the ‘Growth on the High Road’ programme was for the projects in the Outer London Fund (OLF) bid submitted to the GLA on the 14 November 2011 (attached as Appendix 4 of the report) and notes that the match funding is made up of:

Ø      Officer resources (£100k)

Ø      S106 monies for environmental improvements to Tottenham Green (£100k)

Ø      Diocese of London contribution to improvements to the Old School Yard on Tottenham Green (£80k)

Ø      English Heritage contribution (£25k)

Ø      Design for London contribution (£40k)

5. That this further allocation and expenditure of £2.5m should be formally added to the Capital Programme at a future date following agreement with the GLA on the terms and conditions and profiling of the expenditure.

6. That the Council’s match funding commitment to the Opportunity Investment Fund of £1m be approved. Please note that this was approved by Cabinet on 20/12/11 as part of the provisional capital programme for 2012 – 2015 and is subject to agreement of Full Council;

7. That it be noted that the funding allocation from the GLA seeks approval for the Council’s match funding. Please note that the detail of the Employment and Skills Programme will be the subject of a separate report to Cabinet at a later date, although the £1.5m match funding can be met from the £2m total made available for Worklessness schemes elsewhere on this meeting’s agenda;

8. That it be noted that the GLA has set aside a sum of £3m for bringing 639 High Road (Council premises) back into use as an Employment and Enterprise Centre. The intention is that, subject to Cabinet’s decision (the subject of a separate report to this Cabinet meeting), the building would be sold to the GLA who will take responsibility for the refurbishment and future revenue funding.  The Council would be involved in shaping the proposal and the GLA funding is to purchase the building from the Council, undertake the refurbishment works and develop a range of initiatives, which will support enterprise and skills development for the local community.

9. That it be noted that the Mayoral funds identified for this project would be used to provide the Council with a capital receipt (secured at market value) and that the balance of capital and revenue monies would be used to refurbish the building and develop the initiatives offered at the centre. This balance of monies would not be passed to the Council.

10. That the Directors of Place and Sustainability and Corporate Resources, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, be authorised to sign all necessary grant funding agreements with the Mayor of London for Mayoral funds that would be passed to the Council for investment in Tottenham.

11. That the allocation and expenditure of Mayoral funds that are to be passed to the Council (as indicated in Appendix 1) of the report be approved:

Ø      Highway, parking and pedestrian route improvements in North Tottenham to be undertaken in phase with NDP Scheme construction (£3.5m)

Ø      District-wide combined heating and power scheme in North Tottenham with capacity to serve proposed and potential new development in the area (£2.5m)

These items will be added to the Capital Programme once full agreement with GLA on terms and conditions and profile of spend is agreed.

12. That Cabinet attached a high priority to the phased regeneration of North Tottenham to capitalise on and complement the delivery of the THFC NDP Scheme with, as a next phase, a focus on the ten hectare area between Tottenham High Road, Brereton Road, the railway line and the Borough boundary (including exploring with residents the potential for estate renewal of the Love Lane/Whitehall Street housing estates and neighbouring blocks).  

13. That consultation with local residents and businesses on the principle of promoting the next phase of regeneration in the Northumberland Park area be authorised. The recent ‘Have your Say’ consultation on the regeneration plans for Tottenham identified the Northumberland Park area as a priority for regeneration and investment. This consultation will engage residents and businesses in Northumberland Park (including the area west of the High Road, as shown on the plan in Appendix 3) in developing plans and proposals for the area. The consultation will use the draft key principles set out in Appendix 2 (together with the Council’s planning policies) as a basis for driving key regeneration outcomes.

14. That it be noted that a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding had been signed with Tottenham Hotspur that sets out the intentions of both parties (without fettering the future exercise of discretion of either Cabinet or the Planning Committee) to support the delivery of the NDP scheme in the North Tottenham area and to explore the potential for wider regeneration in the area.

15. That it be noted that the proposed NDP scheme amendments and revised Section 106 Agreement were to be considered by the Planning Committee on 13 February 2012.