Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director for Housing, Regeneration and Planning.  To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for House Building, Place-Making and Development]

This report will seek approval to include additional sites of Council-owned land in the housing delivery programme so that their feasibility for the delivery of new homes can be determined. The report also seeks approval, in the event that any of those sites is found to be appropriate for new homes, to develop and submit design proposals for consideration by the Planning Authority.

The Cabinet Member for House Building, Place-Making and Development introduced the report which sought approval to include twelve more sites of Council-owned land in the housing delivery programme in order that their feasibility and capacity for the delivery of new homes can be determined.   The report also noted the removal from the programme of three sites found to be unsuitable for housing delivery.

The Cabinet Member and Assistant Director for Housing responded to questions from Cabinet Members:

-           The aim for all developments would be to achieve zero or close to zero carbon, and improvements to the public realm. All developments would provide play facilities, green space, bat and bird boxes.  A number of developments would replace concrete sites, so fresh green space would be created, with new trees planted and new biodiversity havens.

-           All sites would go through the secure by design process.

-           Cycle storage would be provided in all developments, and all developments would be car-free with the exception of cars for disabled use.

-           A big part of the programme was to provide wheelchair accessible or adaptable accommodation.

The Cabinet Member and Assistant Director for Housing responded to questions from Councillor Ogiehor:

-           3000 new homes would be built and let to tenants by 2031.

-           A response would be provided in writing in regard to the total amount of borrowing, total interest payable and the point of when the impact of paying back the borrowing would impact the Council’s finances.

RESOLVED that Cabinet

1.      Adds the twelve Council-owned sites listed in paragraph 6.6 and shown as red line boundary plans in Appendix 1 to the Council’s housing development programme in order that their feasibility and capacity for the delivery of new Council homes can be determined.

2.      Agrees that where any of these sites is determined to be suitable for housing development, architectural designs for housing on the site should be developed through community engagement and then submitted to the Planning Authority for consideration.

3.      Notes that the potential costs of carrying out the preparatory work up to a Planning Application for each individual site are expected to be within the delegated authority of the Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning, although the cumulative costs of all these sites would be in excess of this.

4.      Notes the removal of three sites listed in paragraph 6.16 from the housing delivery programme.

Reasons for decisions

The Council is committed to a new era of Council housebuilding in Haringey. These decisions are an essential step in achieving that aim.

In order to robustly assess each site listed in 6.6 for its suitability and capacity for housing development, further work now needs to be undertaken. In many cases, this will require the engagement of external surveyors and other contractors.

Alternative options considered

Not to assess these sites for their development potential. The Council has no statutory duty to develop these sites. However, the Council’s top priority is the delivery of a new era of Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 632