Issue - meetings

Appendices 2 to 8 are included in Supplementary 1 in A3 colour.

Appendix 9 is contained within the exempt section of the agenda at Item 15.

Further to Minute 8 (4 August 2014), the Cabinet Member for Housing presented a report on the selection of the Barking Town Centre area as one of nine Housing Zones under the Greater London Authority’s London Housing Zones programme.

The Council’s successful bid related to 10 specific projects in and around the Town Centre which would be supported by a total of £42.3m Housing Zone funding to deliver 2,295 new homes.  Of the total funding, the Council would receive £13.122m of which £8.6m would be in the form of a non-repayable grant and the remaining £4.5m as an interest-free grant payable on completion of the respective developments.  It was noted that not all of the 10 projects were subject to additional funding and the Council’s role in each would vary from merely assessing planning applications through to leading on delivery.

The Cabinet Member referred to the 10 projects within the Housing Zone – Gascoigne West, Cambridge Road, London Road / James Street, Crown House, North Street, Kingsbridge, Abbey Sports centre, Abbey Road, London Road / North Street and Gascoigne East (Phase 1) – and advised on a further four schemes – 32-58 Ripple Road, Gurdwara Way / Whiting Avenue, Clockhouse Avenue / Broadway and land behind the Barking Enterprise Centre – which were important to the regeneration of the Town Centre but not currently identified as Housing Zone schemes.

The Cabinet Member commented that the projects were integral to the Council’s growth and regeneration ambitions and, alongside other commercial developments planned for the area, would help to attract residents that wanted to make a home in the Borough.  The Leader also referred to the programme of cultural events across the Borough which was helping to change people’s perceptions.

In response to questions raised by the Cabinet Members for Crime and Enforcement and for Environment, the Cabinet Member for Housing clarified that:

·  The Police’s Designing Out Crime team would be involved in all new development projects of 10 or more homes;

·  The planning application / approval system would ensure that disruption was minimised across the various construction sites;

·  The results of the study by Countryside Properties into how the Council and partners could support the delivery of a better and broader mix of retail, food and drink offer in the Town Centre would be shared with all Members; and

·  Consultation with residents had commenced in respect of the Gascoigne West site and every effort would be made to meet their expectations.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree to enter into the Overarching Borough Agreement with the Greater London Authority, forming the basis for the Housing Zone arrangements with the Council as set out in paragraph 1.9 of the report;

(ii)  Delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Housing and Regeneration, the Chief Finance Officer and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to enter into an Intervention Agreement with the Greater London Authority for the Gascoigne West site, as shown in Appendix 4  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26