Agenda item

The Business Manager – Housing Strategy & Development presented a report which detailed the progress on the Yorke Drive estate and Lincoln Road playing fields regeneration proposals, and sought approval for the project to move onto the next phase of delivery. The report provided updates in respect of planning, demolition and compensation for home loss, resident involvement and a ‘Design Guide’ for the new affordable housing contained within the proposals.

With reference to securing a development partner, soft market testing had indicated an appetite amongst developers to be involved in the delivery of this project, and in accordance with the project plan, external legal advice was sought on alternative delivery models. These included a joint venture; full OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) procedure; and OJEU compliant procurement frameworks. Following officer consideration, the preferred model for delivery was to utilise Homes England’s Delivery Partner Panel 3 (DPP3) to procure a development partner.

It was reported that during October it was planned to undertake a ‘Resident Needs Survey’ with every household impacted by the demolition proposals. In addition, a Decant Policy was being drafted to set out how the Council intended to manage the process of moving residents from their homes in order to facilitate the regeneration proposals. This policy would include how and when alternative accommodation would be made available to those residents requiring a move, the support to be offered to enable a move and the mechanisms available to assist current homeowners who wished to remain on the estate.

The delivery of the Yorke Drive Regeneration project relied on the demolition of 130 properties to facilitate new development, infrastructure and the physical opening of the estate to Lincoln Road providing a new frontage. The Council had already began to consider the re-housing of existing tenants and the acquisition of privately owned homes within the area marked for demolition. The Council could only purchase the privately owned properties either with agreement from the homeowner or through a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO). Officers would support home owners to facilitate a voluntary move to meet their needs. However, to ensure that the project could be delivered, and to mitigate identified risks, consideration needed to be given to the Council applying for a CPO that would run alongside the voluntary negotiation process. However, CPO was seen very much as a last resort. In accordance with CPO powers there was a need to identify the area of land that an order would apply to. This was identified in a revised Appendix B to the report.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

a)            the Council’s financial commitment to the scheme and capital budget for 2019/20, the details of which were set out in the exempt report, be approved;

b)            subject to the financial commitment being agreed as indicated in a) above, to approve that a procurement exercise be undertaken through Homes England’s Delivery Partner Panel (DPP3) to identify a suitable development partner for the delivery of the Yorke Drive estates and Lincoln Road playing fields regeneration proposals, with the outcome of this exercise being reported to the Committee together with the actual scheme costs for approval;

c)             delegated authority be given to the Director of Governance and Organisational Development, in consultation with the Director of Resources, to enter into an appropriate Homes England Grant Funding Programme to support delivery of the Yorke Drive project; and

d)            the Council agree in principle to use powers under Section 17 of the Housing Act 1985 and Section 13 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to make a compulsory purchase order or orders to acquire such interests and rights in or over the land shown [edged red on the revised plan at Appendix B to the report] as these:

(i)    are needed to complete the Yorke Drive Regeneration project; and

(ii)   cannot be acquired by agreement.

Reason for Decision

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