Agenda item

Cabinet Member Q&A

Cllr Joe Goldberg, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Social Inclusion and Sustainability, will attend to respond to questions on Wood Green Regeneration, Sustainability, and Carbon Reduction.

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed Councillor Goldberg, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Social Inclusion and Sustainability, to the meeting.

 

In view of the Panel’s terms of reference, Councillor Goldberg provided an update on his responsibilities relating to Wood Green Regeneration; Sustainability; and Carbon Reduction. 

 

The following points were discussed:

 

-       The work that was taking place to establish a District Energy Network (DEN) for the North Tottenham area to support regeneration, and to commence a procurement process to procure contractor/s to design, construct, operate and maintain the DEN infrastructure, as well as perform billing and metering of customers. It was agreed it was important to keep ward councillors informed of developments in this area. 

 

-       Issues in relation to the proposed Haringey Development Vehicle, including consideration of Council-owned sites in Wood Green (Civic Centre, Library, Station Road) identified as part of phase one.

 

-       The Investment Framework for Wood Green (commissioned in October 2014) that aimed to return Wood Green to one of London’s top metropolitan town centres. It was noted that alongside the Investment Framework an Area Action Plan would be prepared in parallel. The Panel was informed this would update the planning policy framework and give statutory weight to the spatial development option progressed for the Wood Green area. It was noted this would follow the same process as the Tottenham Area Action Plan.

 

-       The Panel expressed a view that the it was essential to address the issue of the travellers site, in order to achieve the maximum value from the current Civic Centre site. Officers advised that the Council was obliged to re-house any residents in the event that the travellers site were closed, and that the cost of this needed to be taken into consideration against the value that would be added to the Civic Centre site by doing so. It was confirmed that a crossdepartmental group was currently working on the issues around the travellers site at present, including a needs assessment; the outcome of a current legal challenge to the proposed change in the Government definition of travellers was awaited and the impact of this would then be considered.

 

The Panel was advised that as part of commitments to bring new activities, cultural events and entertainment to Wood Green, the Council had launched a dedicated project to bring vacant land, a car park and buildings in Station Road back to life with funding secured from the GLA to deliver: Creative workspaces; Food and drink events, Art exhibition spaces; and Better evening activities.

 

The Panel was informed that the first part of this project to be developed was the Green Rooms Art Hotel at 13-27 Station Road which opened in June 2016. In addition, the Council had been working to develop underused offices at 40 Cumberland Road into additional work spaces and studios for local businesses which would open during 2017.

 

In response to questions, Cllr Goldberg agreed to provide members of the Panel with further information concerning the types of rent and the support that was available to the Green Rooms Art Hotel, and local businesses using accommodation at 40 Cumberland Road.  

 

During the discussion it was noted there were no BIDs in Haringey. However, the Panel was informed that there was an expectation that Haringey would support and promote the development of BIDs in partnership with local businesses. It was noted that Haringey had commissioned a feasibility study for Wood Green in 2016 – the outcomes had been positive with over 100 businesses responding to surveys and with 67% of businesses interviewed saying a BID would be a good idea. The Panel was informed that in February 2017 Haringey would appoint a specialist consultant to support the development of a BID in Wood Green.

 

The Panel was advised that as part of the appointment, the BID consultant would deliver a number of projects to demonstrate to businesses how a BID may be able to improve the trading environment. 

 

AGREED: That the update from the Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Social Inclusion and Sustainability be noted.