Issue - meetings

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

The report and recommendations arise in response to report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (reference number: 20 006 289)

a) Not to acquire 104 Woodside Avenue

b) Not to consider the potential decanting of the tenanted homes belonging to the Council at 102 and 106 to 116 Woodside Avenue

c) To proceed with the development of the proposal for 100 Woodside Avenue as outlined in the planning application HGY/2021/2727 as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report

d) That a further report will be bought back to  Cabinet for final decision regarding this development in due course.

The Cabinet Member for introduced the report which took forward one of the recommendations from LGO report considered at item 759 and resolution 2 above which was for the Council to reconsider the proposals for the development of the site of the former care home at 100 Woodside Avenue and the terraces at 102 to 108 and 110 to 116 Woodside Avenue.

It was noted that prior to the issue of this report, the Council commenced a procurement exercise for a contractor to build out the scheme if planning was successful. This procurement has been put on hold while the reconsideration has been taking place. The Cabinet Member wanted residents to be assured that the Council had considered, in detail, every alternative option for this site as outlined in the report. The Cabinet Member welcomed the opportunity of going through the options for this site from first principles with detailed financial analysis.

The Cabinet Member advised that the weight of evidence in favour of the preferred option made it clear that this was the only option , the Council should be taking forward. The preferred option set out performed better financially than all the other options, delivered homes more quickly and minimised disruption to residents.

In response to questions from Cllr das Neves, Cllr Dogan, Cllr Diakides, Cllr Chandwani, Cllr Davies, Cllr Brabazon, Cllr Cawley- Harrison and Cllr Ejiofor, the following information was noted.

-       Issues with having the previously estimated higher number of homes on the site, identified in the detailed design works were: overshadowing, potential splitting of the site as a mains water way underneath, problems with providing access to amenities , plants, car parking , refuse bay area.

-       Also if the terraced homes were demolished, and taking into account the above, there was only potential to add in three storey buildings, meaning a net additional 6 homes.

-       There had been a calculation of values of the development set out over a 50-year period. It was explained that whilst comparing all different options, it had been assumed that £2.15m paid for the previous home purchased was assumed as neutral in all options and that there would the loss of income for the Council from the 7 existing terraces would be factored in for options 2 and 3. These options had been evaluated on the basis on net present values. Private sale values had been established using an independent valuer.

-       Responding to the questions about assurance on the process for housing schemes going forward, and not repeating issues of this particular scheme, the Cabinet Member explained that the Council took the LGO report seriously and supported by the Leader, as previously set out, there would be an external investigation into the historic decision making process of the Cranwood development .

-       In relation to ensuring that all Council housing schemes were considered in diligent manner, there had been an improvement in the last couple of years in the decision making and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 760