Decision details

The Business Manager – Housing Strategy & Development presented a report which provided a progress update on the masterplan proposals developed for the Yorke Drive Estate and the Lincoln Road Playing Fields in Bridge Ward, Newark using funding secured from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government’s (MHCLG) Estate Regeneration Programme.

The Business Manager – Housing Strategy & Development reported that outline planning application submitted for the masterplan proposal had been granted by the Planning Committee at their meeting held on 2 April 2019. The outline planning application had been submitted on the basis of delivering up to 320 homes, both market and affordable units.

In December 2018, all residents on the Yorke Drive Estate received a letter inviting comments on the regeneration proposals and formal planning application. The letter also contained details of the 'residents offer' for council tenants and homeowners whose homes were affected by the demolition and redevelopment. In addition, as part of the statutory process, all Council tenants affected by the proposed demolition had now been served with an ‘Initial Demolition Notice’ as prescribed under the Housing Act 1985. Consultation was undertaken with the Yorke Drive Resident Panel prior to this being hand delivered to each affected tenant.

It was reported to the Committee in November 2018 that Homes England had made a provisional funding offer to the Council of £2m under the Accelerated Construction Programme and subsequently further development appraisals had been submitted to Homes England as part of their technical due diligence process. Discussions continued with Homes England to gain further clarity on the detail of the programme so that all the necessary due diligence work was undertaken, which would then determine whether the funding conditions were acceptable to the Council. The report advised of the ongoing funding gap and set out proposed measures as to how the Council were to mitigate that risk.

AGREED (unanimously) that:

(a)        the progress made with the masterplan proposals for the regeneration and development of the Yorke Drive Estate and the Lincoln Road Playing Fields in Bridge Ward, using funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government’s Estate Regeneration Programme, be noted; and

(b)        delegated authority be given to the Director - Governance & Organisational Development, in consultation with the Director - Resources, to enter into the Accelerated Construction Programme funding agreement with Homes England, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of all due diligence work.

Reason for Decision

To progress the ‘transformational project, focussing on the regeneration of the Yorke Drive estate and Lincoln Road playing fields.