Agenda item

[Report of the Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal]

This report seeks approval to consult on the offers to existing residents which would form part of the scheme, namely benefits for secure tenants and non-secure tenants in temporary accommodation through a proposed Local Lettings Policy, and a proposed Leaseholder Offer.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal introduced the report which sought approval to consult on the offers to existing residents which would form part of the scheme, namely benefits for secure tenants and non-secure tenants in temporary accommodation through a proposed Local Lettings Policy (Appendix 1), and a proposed Leaseholder Offer (Appendix 2).

The Cabinet Member highlighted that since 2018, this Cabinet has been working to deliver more Council owned social rent homes and to make Haringey a fairer and more equal place. As part of this drive, the Council have worked to refocus the High Road West Scheme so that it provides a significant increase in Council homes and to ensure that those affected by the scheme are given support, choice and fair rehousing options.

The Cabinet Member felt that the offers described in this report are positive and fair. It was fully understood that tenants and leaseholders have concerns about their current and future homes and have built relationships in the area as friendships, local ties and the local community have grown. The Council was responding to these concerns and aspirations through these offers, recognising the varying needs and with an emphasis on affordability which will provide residents with the choice of new homes that they need.

The Cabinet Member underlined that the Council wanted to hear views from the community through an open and robust consultation process and were committed to putting residents at the heart of the High Road West Scheme. Also, through past engagement and consultation the Council had demonstrated their commitment to meet residents’ aspirations - such as the Council remaining the landlord of the replacement homes, developing a more generous offer for resident leaseholders, seeking leaseholders’ views on the consultation questions and having a different approach to the valuation process. Residents have contributed towards the various rehousing guides, the Resident Charter, Resident Design Guide, ERRPP and the ownership of the replacement homes consultation. This next step would go even further towards honouring commitment to put residents at the heart of change in their neighbourhoods.

The Cabinet Member added that the proposals set out in the report were still subject to the conclusion of discussions with the GLA regarding the funding of High Road West and the Council wold not proceed to the consultation and residents’ ballot until that funding was in place, but in the meantime were keen to understand residents’ views about the proposals.

In response to questions from Cllr Brabazon and Cllr Ogiehor, the following information was provided:

• With regards to the timeline for instigating the consultation which was dependent on the GLA’s decision on funding the High Road West Scheme, the date for this was not yet known given that the pre -election period was approaching it was important for the Council to set out its offer for residents in the scheme and be in a position to proceed to consultation once the decision was made.

• Assurance was provided that the Council had been engaging with residents in the Love Lane Estate on the offer and this included meetings between the Cabinet Member and the residents group and also the Temporary Accommodation resident groups. These Residents groups also had access to an ITLA [Independent Tenant Liaison advisor] as an ongoing process.
• Ultimately if residents voted against this proposed scheme then the Council would need to respect outcome. However, the Council were starting engagement activities at an early stage to ensure a fair offer which was acceptable to mitigate against such circumstances.
• It was confirmed that this offer only relates to tenants and the various types of decisions concerning businesses, including Shaftsbury road were separate discussions and could be subject of separate reporting arrangements.

RESOLVED

1. To agree to proceed to consultation on the draft High Road West Local Lettings Policy, as described in paragraphs 6.8 to 6.14.

2. To agree to proceed to consultation on the draft Leaseholder Offer as described in paragraphs 6.17-6.38.

3. To note the intended discussion and engagement described in paragraphs 6.15-6.16

4. To delegate authority to the Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal, to approve the final consultation materials and processes in relation to the consultations described in paragraphs 3.1(i) and 3.1(ii).

5. To note that following this consultation there would be a report to Cabinet regarding the following recommendations:

·         Adoption of the High Road West Local Lettings Policy and Leaseholder Offer

·         Adoption of the Landlord Offer document which incorporates these offers to residents and other benefits offered to residents

·         Agreement to proceed to ballot Love Lane Estate residents based on the scheme described in the Landlord Offer and supported by a business case for High Road West

Reasons for decision

Since the outset of developing the High Road West scheme, the Council has been committed to working closely with residents on the Love Lane Estate. In December 2014, at the same time as agreeing the Masterplan for High Road West, Cabinet agreed the Secure Council Tenant, Leaseholder and Private Tenant Guides. These set out the assurances for these resident groups including rehousing options, compensation, and ensuring that Love Lane residents are able to benefit from and influence the regeneration proposals.

It is a commitment of the Council, as set out in the Secure Council Tenant Guide (2014), that secure tenants on the Love Lane Estate will have the option of a new home within the redevelopment area. The proposed High Road West Local Lettings Policy proposes to extend this to residents in non-secure temporary accommodation. The Estate Renewal Rehousing and Repayments Policy (ERRPP), approved by Cabinet in 2016 (revised 2017) and which forms the basis of the Council’s commitments to those impacted by estate renewal schemes, does not apply to the substantial number of non-secure tenants who have been placed in a property on a temporary basis. This will therefore be a bespoke offer for non-secure tenants in temporary accommodation on the Love Lane Estate and within the masterplan area, and developed by engaging these residents. The aim of this is to protect the stability of the existing community on the Love Lane Estate or elsewhere within the masterplan area, with many of the residents now having lived within the same community for up to five years. If the preferred option is approved, these residents (alongside secure tenants) will be eligible for a secure home in the new scheme, if they have been resident in their home within the masterplan area for more than twelve months at the time the final offer is approved.

From the publication of the Leaseholder Guide in 2014, it has been a commitment of the Council to work with resident and non-resident leaseholders to develop an offer which would allow all resident leaseholders to remain in the High Road West area and ensure leaseholders, both resident and non-resident are not financially worse off.

The current draft Leaseholder Offer, reconfirms the commitments made in the Leaseholder Guide as well as following the outcome of the previous engagement and draft offer from 2018, with a number of enhancements over and above the ERRPP, which maintains the commitments to the residents, including the following:

• A further rehousing option for leaseholders referred to as a leasehold swap
• An enhanced equity loan offer which tackles concerns regarding affordability and allows resident leaseholders to access a new home within the regeneration area
• A 12 month grace period for family members/ beneficiaries which tackles concerns regarding succession to the benefit of the equity loan

The decision to progress with the High Road West scheme would be subject to a ballot of residents on the Love Lane Estate. This is a commitment of the Council, as set out in the Borough Plan, in line with the Mayor of London’s Resident Ballot Requirement for funding of schemes which comprise the demolition of social homes and the construction of 150 or more homes. All residents eligible to vote would receive a Landlord Offer, which encompasses the specific offers for each tenure group, as well as wider information so that residents can make an informed decision about the future of their estate.

It is proposed that officers also engage with residents on other elements of the scheme which would form part of the future Landlord Offer for the Love Lane Estate, notably on the offer to non-secure tenants in temporary accommodation. This is to build on and continue the collaboration which has taken place with the community since 2012, and would involve engagement on the broad vision, priorities and objectives for the scheme, including information on design, numbers of homes (including tenure mix) and social infrastructure.

Alternative options considered

Officers have considered not undertaking consultation with residents on the Love Lane Estate, but have rejected this option as further consultation was a requirement outlined by Cabinet in 2018 regarding the Leaseholder Offer, and is a requirement of introducing a Local Lettings Policy.

Options in relation to each of the offers will form part of the consultation process for consultees’ consideration.