Agenda item

Report of the Director for Planning, Regeneration and Development. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration.]. The report will seek agreement to a land swap  with the London Centre for Cerebral Palsy of a site at 54/56 Muswell Hill for a Council site at Coppetts Road (former Greenfields school).

The Leader of the Council introduced the report which set out the sale of the former Greenfields School site to the Peter Rigby Trust, founder of The London Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy, in return for the long lease site at 54/56 Muswell Hill .The Trust were currently leasing the use of the Greenfields school site on a short term lease but wanted to stay on site permanently as the site was, ideal from an educational point of view, for the children attending. The site was also designated for Educational use.  The acquisition of the long term lease of 54/56 Muswell Hill in turn provided an opportunity for the Council to acquire a site in the heart of Muswell Hill which will provide 6 affordable housing units and ground floor accommodation which will be available for use by the Council and the community.

 In response to Cllr Engert’s questions it was noted:

• That it was too early to set out decisions on how the Council will consult with the community on the use of the ground floor at 54-56 Muswell Hill as so far, understandably, the Council activity had been focused on acquiring the long term lease of 54-56 Muswell Hill and releasing the Greenfield site was at the edge of the borough boundary.

• The decision on fitting out the ground floor of 54-56 Muswell Hill depended on the outcome of the evaluation of the associated budgets and assessing whether there are also external funding opportunities available to support the fit out. The budget decision on  this will likely come forward to Cabinet in due course

It was further agreed that Cllr Engert  be provided with a fuller version of the ground floor map, included at appendix B, setting out the precise  square footage available to the Council for the community space.

RESOLVED

1. To declare the Greenfield Site shown edged red on the plan attached (Appendix A) surplus to requirements.
2. To authorise an option to dispose of the Greenfield Site  to The Peter Rigby Trust for a sum as set out in Part B of this report and  based on the Heads of Terms attached (Appendix C).
3. To agree to the acquisition of PRT Property shown edged red on the attached plan in Appendix B from the Peter Rigby Trust based on a 999 year lease for a sum as set out in Part B of this report and based on the Heads of Terms attached at Appendix C.
4. To agree to the conversion of the upper floors of the PRT Property immediately on completion of the acquisition subject to planning into 6 one bed flats available for shared ownership affordable housing and that the ground floor will be available for Council use.
5. To note the expected cost of the fit out of the proposed 6 one bed flats set out in 6.25 to be funded from existing budgets.
6. To note that the fit out costs of the ground floor are as set out in 6.25, and agree that this funding be identified as part of the ongoing capital strategy work.

Alternative options considered

Not to sell Coppetts Road and not to purchase the long lease

The option of not selling the Council site in Coppetts Road to the Peter Rigby Trust will result in the opportunity for the long lease available with the PRT Property not being available to the Council. Therefore the affordable Housing and ground floor D1 use would not be available.

Reasons for decision

The decision will provide a continued Educational use at Coppetts Road and the Council will acquire a site in central Muswell Hill which will provide 6 affordable Housing units and a Council and community building on the ground floor supporting the Council’s Housing and community strategy.