Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for House Building, Place-Making, and Development considered the report which noted that the Whitehall Street premises occupied by the GRACE were in the first phase of the High Road West Scheme, recently confirmed as proceeding following a ‘yes’ vote in the ballot of Love Lane Estate residents. The High Road West Scheme would require the demolition of Grace Centre premises at Whitehall Street as this was the location for the first new council houses. The GRACE Organisation’s relocation was therefore important for the delivery of the scheme and in light of the importance of the service to the community in north Tottenham, the Council had prioritised finding suitable new premises to enable this service for Haringey residents to continue. The Council had committed to finding the GRACE Organisation a space of similar size in which to provide their day provision services. The Council was working with the Grace Organisation to shape the design and agree the works required to refurbish the Irish Centre to enable their relocation. The relocation was required to provide vacant possession of the first part of the High Road West site, ahead of the deadline for Start on Site of Plot A of the High Road West scheme as required under the terms of the GLA funding.

It was noted that the report sought approval for a budget of up to [This information is contained in the exempt report] to deliver these works, and toapprove a delegated authority to the Director for Housing, Regeneration andPlanning to appoint a Contractor on completion of the tender. The report described the nature of those works and the basis for this decision.

The Cabinet Member RESOLVED

1.    To approve the sum of up to [This information is contained in the exempt report] for the appointment of a Contractor for delivery of the Grace Relocation Works as outlined in paragraphs 6.7 to 6.8 of the report.

2.    To give delegated authority to the Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning to agree the final sum for the works within the upper limit referred to in ‘i’ above, and to appoint, and enter into contract with a Contractor based on the outcome of the tender process.

3.    To agree for the costs for the works to be paid from the Land Assembly Budget and subsequently claimed from Lendlease on transfer of the lease for Phase 1 of the scheme, as part of the reimbursement costs for property in the High Road West scheme as related to the CPO Indemnity Agreement as described at paragraph 6.9 of the report.

Reasons for decision

The Grace Organisation delivers a valuable day service to the local older community including clients referred by Adults and Health, which will need to be maintained following their relocation from their current site, which is in the first phase of the High Road West scheme. The proposed refurbishment of the Irish Centre to accommodate the Grace Organisation provides the opportunity for a good quality new facility to be provided for the Grace Organisation that is compliant with recognised day provision and dementia standards as part of the wider range of community organisations based at the Irish Centre.

The High Road West scheme is required to meet challenging timescales related to the funding and delivery deadlines. The Council needs to procure a contractor to deliver the works to the required level of quality and specification, in line with the timescales. The period available to the Council in which to procure and deliver the works to meet GLA funding deadlines, requires that a contractor is procured by mid March and in contract by April. Approval of the recommendation(s) through this Cabinet Member Signing will allow the Council to meet this timescale.

Alternative options considered

Not to approve the sum to undertake the works to the Irish Centre

Not to approve the sum recommended in this report would result in the Council being unable to procure and deliver the refurbishment works at the Irish Centre that would allow the relocation of the Grace Organisation. This in turn, would result in Grace not being able to move away from the site area to a facility with which to deliver their service and the Council being unable to meet its obligations in delivering a vacant site for the first phase of High Road West. This would result in substantial risks (e.g. financial, political, reputational, legal) due to the failure of the High Road West scheme to progress in line with commitments made by the Council.