Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

There were none.

There were none.

The Chair will consider the admission of any late items of Urgent Business.

(Late items of Urgent Business will be considered under the agenda item

where they appear).

There was none

There were none

The Sites Manager for Regeneration & Economic Development introduced the report and the rationale of the report was outlined.

It was noted that the proposals within the report report allowed for the expansion of affordable workspace in the borough.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet Member for Placemaking and Local Economy:

1. Provided delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Culture, Strategy and Communities to undertake further due diligence, negotiate and agree the terms, and approve the final funding agreements for the recommended workspace project for the Opportunity Haringey Workspace Fund.
   
   
2. Allocated up to £1.5m of external grant funding, as set out in Section 3, to the following project with a funding gap, the details of which were set out in the exempt part B report:
   
   
3. Noted that the timescale for the fund has now been altered and will be delivered by September 2026 when the aforementioned workspace will open.

Reason for decision

The rationale and context for Opportunity Haringey Workspace Fund was set out in the Cabinet Signing Report 12 March 2024.

The March 2024 decision had anticipated providing funding to the property owner of a site in Wood Green in which the commercial space had been fitted out and let to an organisation who had facilitated the use of the space by multiple businesses.

However, following a process of due diligence and funding term discussions the following amendment was proposed to the Wood Green affordable creative workspace project only: the proposed funding allocation had gone to a proposed workspace provider (the proposed tenant as opposed to the property owner) for operating space at the same site. Noting that the proposed workspace operator wasn’t part of the original arrangements set out in the March 2024 decision report.

The proposed allocation for the project was up to £1.5m, as opposed to up to £1.863m in the March 2024 decision. The forecast inclusive economy and placemaking outputs met the external funder requirements and were similar to those set out in the 12 March 2024 decision.

The external funder had agreed to an updated timeframe of the works completing in July 2026 and the space opening in September 2026.

In conclusion, the proposed amendment to the Opportunity Haringey Workspace Fund included:

(a) that the funding recipient was the proposed tenant who will operate the space, not the property owner or one of their group companies;  (b) lower budget for the project of £1.5m down from £1.863m (c) minor adjustment to the outputs but that still met the external funder requirements; and, (d) different timescales as approved by the external funder and set out above.

Alternative Options Considered

Officers originally considered the following options:

Providing funding to the property owner as originally had anticipated, but thwas was not preferred due to the property owner not being able to agree to a claw back provision should the space be used for a different purpose in the coming decade. This was a standard requirement and the proposed operator was able to accept the claw back provision.

Officers considered returning  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

The Head of Major Works, Housing introduced the report and the rationale for the report was explained.

It was explained that the works were being undertaken as part of the overall work to improve the Broadwater Farm estate.

It was stressed that UK Power Network was the only viable option to undertake the works required on the site.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet Member for Council Housebuilding, Placemaking and Development:

1. Pursuant to Contract Standing Order (CSO) 2.01.c (Cabinet Member approved awards of Contract valued at £500,000 or more), approved the extension of the contract sum and programme for UKPN to a total value of £615,489.95 which included the sum of £248,132.00 for 4nr variations outlined in Appendix A, Section 6. Background information of the report.
   
   
2. Noted that pursuant to Contract Standing Order 2.05.1 (O) a Director might have authorised any subsequent Contract Extension(s) and/or Variation(s).
   
   
3. Approved to extend the contract sum and programme enabled UKPN to relocate high and low voltage cables and decommission the substation on Tangmere and divert other essential cables across the estate. These works allowed the Tangmere site to be demolished to make way for the construction of 139 new homes and 7 enterprise units. The new homes programme was due to commence March 2026; therefore, it was essential that the Supplier completed the relocation of the cables to avoid significant delays to the new homes programme.
   
   

Reasons for decision

This report sought approval to authorise 4nr cost variations in the total sum of £248,132.00. Approval of the variations increased the contract sum to £615,489.95 and allowed the Supplier to continue the relocation of high and low voltage cables from within the boundary of Tangmere and reposition them in the main highway of Willan and Gloucester Road.

Works also included decommissioning the substation on the Tangmere site to enable the demolition works to complete. All works were carried out on the Broadwater Farm Estate.

UKPN was the only contractor / supplier who was authorised to carry out the works, therefore, approval was required to vary the value and programme of the original contract. The original contract was awarded to the Supplier in the sum of £367,378.95 via Delegated Authority on 14 June 2024. Subject to approval – this variation saw the contract increase by £248,132.00 to a total sum of £615,489.95.

Alternative options considered.

The following options were considered: -

Do nothing - This option was not possible, as the substation to Tangmere required decommissioning to enable the demolition works to continue. There was also a need to relocate the high and low voltage cables from within the boundary of the site and reposition them in the main highway of Willan and Gloucester Road. Failure to carry out these essential works would have prevented the demolition of Tangmere and delayed the start of the New Homes Programme. UKPN was the only contractor authorised to carry out these works, therefore it was not possible to seek alternative quotations – meaning the only option was to vary the contract  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

Item 8 is likely to be subject to a motion to exclude the press and public be from the meeting as it contains exempt information as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended by Section 12A of the Local Government Act 1985); paras 3, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

RESOLVED:

That the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting as items contain exempt information as defined under paragraph 3, Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972

The exempt report was discussed.

RESOLVED:

That the exempt report was noted and agreed.