Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Social Housing presented an update to Cabinet on the key issues and next steps in the regeneration of the Gascoigne Estate.

The Cabinet Member advised that significant progress had been made including:

·  Securing full planning consent to deliver 2375 new homes;

·  408 units completed in Phase 1 – Weavers Quarter and Kingsbridge;

·  Commencing construction works to deliver 253 units;

·  Construction works on a further 890 units due to commence in April 2021;

·  930 secure tenants rehoused;

·  174 Leaseholder interests bought back to enable development to progress;

·  Design work had commenced to prepare a full planning application to deliver approximately 320 new homes in the southern part of Gascoigne East, which was due to be submitted in Summer 2021; and

·  Establishing a coherent placemaking strategy for the Gascoigne Estate.

The Cabinet noted that approximately 56% of the new homes that were either under construction or had full planning permission were affordable and that 20% of affordable housing delivered across London last year was delivered by the Council.

The Cabinet Member advised that a wide consultation on the development had taken place and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.  There had been significant input from schools in the consultation and the responses received would inform improvements to the physical environment of the area.

Cabinet Members praised the report, noting that the development was improving the health and wellbeing of residents.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Delegate authority to the Managing Director, advised by Investment Panel and in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Core Services, to consider and agree investment proposals for individual parcels of the Gascoigne Estate regeneration as they are brought forward;

(ii)  Delegate authority to the Managing Director, in consultation with the Strategic Director, Law and Governance, to enter into a lease agreement with B+D Energy for the lease of land on Gudwara Way, to enable the delivery of the energy centre to provide energy to the new homes on the Gascoigne Estate and other town centre developments; and

(iii)  Re-affirm the approval given by Cabinet under Minute 31(xi) (24 July 2012) for the use by the Council of its Compulsory Purchase Order making powers pursuant to Section 17 of the Housing Act 1985 (as amended) for the acquisition of leasehold interests in relevant properties, for the purposes of securing land to facilitate the redevelopment of those areas.