Agenda item

That Cabinet approve delegation to the Director - Housing, Health & Wellbeing to:

a)      exercise the Council’s powers pursuant to Section 17 of the Housing Act 1985 and Section 13 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to make a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) in order to acquire such interests and rights in or over the land shown edged red on the plan at Appendix A (the “Land”) or any part of the Land required in order to facilitate the Yorke Drive Regeneration project (the “Scheme”);

b)     acquire all interests within the Land as may be necessary to facilitate the Scheme, either by agreement or compulsorily; including entering into negotiations and arrangements with any third parties for the acquisition of their land interests; and

c)      take all steps incidental, conducive or consequential to the making of, confirmation and implementation of the CPO or to the voluntary acquisition of the Land or any part it including (but not limited to):

1.      making further amendments to the draft Statement of Reasons;

2.      issuing and serving all required notices (including press, site, and individual notices);

3.      the preparation and presentation of the Council’s case at any future local public inquiry;

4.      approving the terms for the acquisition of legal interests in the Land

5.      approving agreements with landowners setting out the terms for the withdrawal of any objections to the CPO including (but not limited to) the exclusion of land from the Order

6.      the payment of compensation and dealing with any blight notices served in connection with the CPO

7.      making any necessary additions, deletions, or amendments to the Land and to seeking any necessary modifications to the CPO and any CPO maps; and

8.      in the event the order is confirmed, publishing and serve notices of confirmation of the Order and thereafter to execute and serve any general vesting declarations and/or notices to treat and notices of entry, and any other notices or correspondence to acquire the Land or any part of it.

The Regeneration Project Delivery Manager presented a report which provided an update on the progress of the Yorke Drive regeneration project and sought the necessary approvals to enable the project to progress into the next phase of delivery. The report focused on the project progress since February 2025 and the full approvals required for the full execution of the programme of moving and rehousing of tenants and residents, the ‘decant programme’ to enable project delivery. The report set out the position with affected residents and the Compulsory Purchase Order process.

AGREED      (unanimously) that Cabinet approve delegation to the Director - Housing, Health & Wellbeing to:

a)            exercise the Council’s powers pursuant to Section 17 of the Housing Act 1985 and Section 13 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to make a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) in order to acquire such interests and rights in or over the land shown edged red on the plan at Appendix A (the “Land”) or any part of the Land required in order to facilitate the Yorke Drive Regeneration project (the “Scheme”);

b)            acquire all interests within the Land as may be necessary to facilitate the Scheme, either by agreement or compulsorily; including entering into negotiations and arrangements with any third parties for the acquisition of their land interests; and

c)             take all steps incidental, conducive or consequential to the making of, confirmation and implementation of the CPO or to the voluntary acquisition of the Land or any part it including (but not limited to):

1.         making further amendments to the draft Statement of Reasons;

2.         issuing and serving all required notices (including press, site, and individual notices);

3.         the preparation and presentation of the Council’s case at any future local public inquiry;

4.         approving the terms for the acquisition of legal interests in the Land

5.         approving agreements with landowners setting out the terms for the withdrawal of any objections to the CPO including (but not limited to) the exclusion of land from the Order

6.         the payment of compensation and dealing with any blight notices served in connection with the CPO

7.         making any necessary additions, deletions, or amendments to the Land and to seeking any necessary modifications to the CPO and any CPO maps; and

8.         in the event the order is confirmed, publishing and serve notices of confirmation of the Order and thereafter to execute and serve any general vesting declarations and/or notices to treat and notices of entry, and any other notices or correspondence to acquire the Land or any part of it.

Reasons for Decision

To enable the programme of moving and rehousing of tenants and residents to be fully executed, in line with the Council’s ambition to fully transform the Yorke Drive estate and Lincoln Road playing fields.

Options considered

Alternative options have been considered to negate the need for a CPO, as detailed below, but have been discounted:

1)      To enhance the incentives to remaining homeowners to reach a voluntary sale would cause inconsistencies with the Council’s previous and live acquisitions of other privately owned properties.

2)      The retention of individual properties within the scheme would not be appropriate given their location and relationship to adjoining properties, the comprehensive nature of the redevelopment, and the objective to achieve the wider regeneration benefits of the proposals.

3)        The option to ‘do-nothing’ is no longer feasible, due to the contractual commitments to ensure the programme is delivered on time. Failure to move out existing residents, including the private homeowners, may result in financial penalties and project delays for the Council.

(Councillor Cozens left the meeting during the consideration of this item).