Agenda item

(Report of the Director of  Planning, Regeneration and Development. To be introduced  by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration)The  report seeks authority to appropriate  eight sites for planning purposes to enable development.  The eight sites are:

·         Anderton Court, Alexandra Park Road, N22

·         Parking area, Barnes, Clarence Road, N22

·         Connaught Lodge garages, Connaught Road, N4

·         Ednam House garages, Florence Road, N4

·         Parking area, Fenton Road, N17

·         Parking area, Whitbread Close, N17

·         Land between 10 – 12 Muswell Hill Place, N10

·         Land adjacent to 82 Muswell Hill Place, N10

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration introduced the report which sought authority to appropriate eight sites for planning purposes to enable development.  The eight sites were:

•      Anderton Court, Alexandra Park Road, N22

•      Parking area, Barnes, Clarence Road, N22

•      Connaught Lodge garages, Connaught Road, N4

•      Ednam House garages, Florence Road, N4

•      Parking area, Fenton Road, N17

•      Parking area, Whitbread Close, N17

•      Land between 10 – 12 Muswell Hill Place, N10

•      Land adjacent to 82 Muswell Hill Place, N10

RESOLVED

That it be confirmed that the pieces of land set out below and shown edged red on the plans at Appendix 1a to 1h of the report are no longer required for the purpose for which it is held (currently held for housing purposes) and approves the appropriation of these pieces of land, for planning purposes under section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972 and subject to the powers provided by section 237 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 for the reasons set out in 5.9 of the report.

• Anderton Court, Alexandra Park Road, N22

• Parking area, Barnes, Clarence Road, N22

• Connaught Lodge garages, Connaught Road, N4

• Ednam House garages, Florence Road, N4

• Parking area, Fenton Road, N17

• Parking area, Whitbread Close, N17

• Land between 10 – 12 Muswell Hill Place, N10

• Land adjacent to 82 Muswell Hill Place, N10

Alternative options considered

The Council has previously considered the continued use of these sites in their current usage as parking, garages and small areas of open space ancillary to Councilhomes, managed in the Housing Revenue Account. These assessments have concluded that the sites are underused or inappropriate in their current usage and can be better used to provide additional affordable housing, for which there is an acute level of need in the borough.

The Council has obtained planning permission for new homes at these sites and, in preparing the development proposals for which consent has been obtained, the Council has sought to mitigate the impact on the surrounding area.

The Council has considered developing homes on these sites without appropriating the land for planning purposes, however, the need to develop additional affordable homes as soon as possible is acute, both to meet housing need and reduce the use of temporary accommodation for homeless households.

To not appropriate the land for planning purposes would risk the proposed

developments being frustrated by third party rights, which in turn could frustrate and delay the building of the first council homes in Haringey in over 25 years. However, the Council recognises the potential rights of third parties and will pay compensation where a legal basis for such payments is established. Local residents have been consulted on the schemes as they proceeded through planning and any comments or objections taken into consideration by Planning Committee in reaching its decision.

Reasons for Decision

To support the implementation of the Council’s Housing Investment and Estate Renewal Strategy by enabling the development of new, Council built, affordable housing in the Borough.