Agenda item

(Prior to consideration of the matter, Councillor Worby left the meeting in view of her pecuniary interest as an employee of East Thames Group and took no part on the discussions.)

(The Chair agreed that a report advising on the outcome of the Living and Working Select Committee’s (LWSC) consideration of the call-in could be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency under the provisions of Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.)

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration reported on the call-in that had been submitted by Councillors Tarry and Young in respect of decisions made by the Cabinet under Minute 128 (30 June 2014) in relation to the Gascoigne Estate (East) Regeneration Proposals - Site Masterplan and Phase 1 proposals.

The Cabinet Member advised that the LWSC had upheld the call-in on both matters before it, which related to the proposed tenure mix of the housing redevelopment and the contribution of East Thames Group, the Housing Association partner for the project, towards the provision of decant properties. 

With regard to the proposed tenure mix, the LWSC had concluded that the new proposal was not in line with the Council’s priority of “Invest in Council housing to meet need”, on the basis that the 30 June 2014 report to Cabinet indicated that the overall tenure mix for all four phases of the entire Gascoigne Estate (East) redevelopment would now be 42% private, 33% shared ownership and 25% affordable rent, as opposed to indicative figures of 33% private, 33% social rented and 33% intermediate housing when the matter was considered by the Cabinet on 20 September 2011 (Minute 39).  The Cabinet Member commented that the proposed tenure mix for Phase 1 of the project, which was the only phase of the project that the Cabinet on 30 June 2014 was asked to approve, had an indicative tenure mix of 12% private, 45% shared ownership and 43% affordable rent, which provided more affordable housing than that which the call-in was seeking to achieve.  In respect of the Council’s vision and priorities, the Cabinet Member referred to the vision and priorities document at page 1 of the Cabinet agenda which, in addition to the priority of “Invest in Council housing to meet need” also listed “Widen the housing choice” and “Invest in new and innovative ways to deliver affordable housing”. 

The Cabinet Member questioned, therefore, the validity of the LWSC’s findings as he felt that the decisions taken by Cabinet on 30 June 2014 were entirely in line with those priorities and the main theme of “Create thriving communities by maintaining and investing in new and high quality homes”.  The Cabinet Member also referred to the five main objectives listed in the 30 June 2014 report which the Council had established for the delivery of new mixed tenures of housing and sustainable communities on sites in its ownership which, again, he felt were fully reflected in the Phase 1 proposals.

In relation to the decanting issue, the call-in had referred to an ‘agreed commitment’ that the Housing Association partner, East Thames Group, would contribute at least 20% towards the decanting of tenants in real terms.  The issue of decanting was not a material consideration in the report to Cabinet on 30 June 2014 but the Cabinet Member confirmed that he would expect the East Thames Group to contribute a minimum of 20% towards the decanting operations and that would be the Council’s position when negotiating the final, detailed terms of the agreement with East Thames Group.

The Leader advised that during the recent LGA Peer Review the inspectors had commented positively on the Council’s success in attracting and building affordable housing in the Borough.

Cabinet resolved:

(i)  To note the outcome of the Living and Working Select Committee’s consideration of the call-in of the Cabinet’s decision in respect of the “Gascoigne Estate (East) Regeneration Proposals - Site Masterplan and Phase 1” report (Minute 128, 30 June 2014); and

(ii)  To confirm the decisions made at the last Cabinet meeting under Minute 128.