Agenda item

(The Director of Communities) To consider the attached report (CHB-007-2014/15).

(1)     That the Cabinet Committee considered the viability of each of the 14 (fourteen) individual feasibility studies taken from the Cabinet approved list of Primary Sites, as listed below, for consideration for inclusion in a future phase of the Council Housebuilding Programme:

(a)        Kirby Close, Loughton - Garages 1-4

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(b)        Whitehills Road, Loughton - Garages 354-380

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to go forward to the next stage. However, the final design will require more attention to access for waste collection and emergency vehicles and parking issues. This site was near a busy school which catered for children with special needs.

(c)        Hornbeam Close, Buckhurst Hill (Site A) - Garages 1-24

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(d)        Hornbeam Close, Buckhurst Hill (Site B) - Garages 25-38

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(e)        Hornbeam House, Buckhurst Hill - Garages 1-22

That Members agreed the Hornbeam House garage site be deferred until the next meeting of the Cabinet Committee on the 18 November 2014 for more information regarding access for emergency vehicles and a revised layout of the site.

(f)         Bourne House, Buckhurst Hill - Garages 12-36

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(g)        Pentlow Way, Buckhurst Hill - Garages 1-19

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(h)        Loughton Way, Buckhurst Hill - Garages 1-24

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(i)         Lower Alderton Hall, Loughton - Garages 440-445

That Members agreed the Lower Alderton Hall garage site be deferred until the next meeting of the Cabinet Committee on the 18 November 2014 for more information concerning the mature trees that were situated on the site.

(j)         Bushfields, Loughton - Garages 51-70

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(k)        Marlescroft Way, Loughton - Garages 581-591

That the Marlescroft Way garage site was not viable to go forward for future development due to concerns with this site being on a floodplain. The site should therefore be used to offset displaced garage tenants identified as part of the Oakwood Hill Task Force or demolished and kept as open car parking.

(l)         Chequers Road, Loughton (Site A) - Garages 146-171

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(m)      Chequers Road, Loughton  (Site B) - Garages 231-258

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to go forward to a detailed planning stage. Members noted that part of this site could not go forward due to an electricity sub station with associated cables on the site and two sewers cross through the site, a foul water sewer and a substantial surface sewer. It was therefore agreed that the garages on this part of the site would be demolished, re-surfaced and the land be marked out and left as open car parking for local residents.

(n)        Ladyfields, Loughton - Garages 332-353

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

The Assistant Director of Housing (Property) presented a report to the Cabinet Committee with regard to deciding on the feasibility studies of 14 (fourteen) garage sites around Loughton and Buckhurst Hill and to establish if they would go forward to the next stage or not.

The Assistant Director advised Members that each of the 14 sites were presented as individual feasibility studies, which identified the number of units and the mix that was achievable for each site, along with the total scheme cost and the subsidy required to deliver the affordable housing on each site. At this stage, Members were asked to consider the merits of each site and agree which would progress for inclusion in a future phase of the Council Housebuilding Programme in line with the Policy on Prioritisation of Sites.

Decision:

(1)     That the Cabinet Committee considered the viability of each of the 14 (fourteen) individual feasibility studies taken from the Cabinet approved list of Primary Sites, as listed below, for consideration for inclusion in a future phase of the Council Housebuilding Programme:

(a)        Kirby Close, Loughton - Garages 1-4

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(b)        Whitehills Road, Loughton - Garages 354-380

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to go forward to the next stage. However, the final design would require more attention to access for waste collection and emergency vehicles and parking issues. This site was near a busy school which catered for children with special needs.

(c)        Hornbeam Close, Buckhurst Hill (Site A) - Garages 1-24

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(d)        Hornbeam Close, Buckhurst Hill (Site B) - Garages 25-38

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(e)        Hornbeam House, Buckhurst Hill - Garages 1-22

That Members agreed the Hornbeam House garage site be deferred until the next meeting of the Cabinet Committee on the 18 November 2014 for more information regarding access for emergency vehicles and a revised layout of the site.

(f)         Bourne House, Buckhurst Hill - Garages 12-36

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(g)        Pentlow Way, Buckhurst Hill - Garages 1-19

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(h)        Loughton Way, Buckhurst Hill - Garages 1-24

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(i)         Lower Alderton Hall, Loughton - Garages 440-445

That Members agreed the Lower Alderton Hall garage site be deferred until the next meeting of the Cabinet Committee on the 18 November 2014 for more information concerning the mature trees that were situated on the site.

(j)         Bushfields, Loughton - Garages 51-70

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(k)        Marlescroft Way, Loughton - Garages 581-591

That the Marlescroft Way garage site was not viable to go forward for future development due to concerns with this site being on a floodplain. The site should therefore be used to offset displaced garage tenants identified as part of the Oakwood Hill Task Force or demolished and kept as open car parking.

(l)         Chequers Road, Loughton (Site A) - Garages 146-171

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

(m)      Chequers Road, Loughton  (Site B) - Garages 231-258

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to go forward to a detailed planning stage. Members noted that part of this site could not go forward due to an electricity sub station with associated cables on the site and two sewers cross through the site, a foul water sewer and a substantial surface sewer. It was therefore agreed that the garages on this part of the site would be demolished, re-surfaced and the land be marked out and left as open car parking for local residents.

(n)        Ladyfields, Loughton - Garages 332-353

That the Cabinet Committee agreed this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

Reasons for Decision:

At the last meeting of the Cabinet Committee on 21 August 2014, Members asked that each of the sites on the Primary List of approved sites be progressed to feasibility stage to create a bank of sites for future phases of the House-building Programme. The 14 (fourteen) sites included in this report were the first of 22 sites that were completed in Loughton and Buckhurst Hill along with the Burton Road site back in November 2013, albeit not reported at that time. Each site was presented on its own merits at this stage. However, when all 22 sites have been considered by the time of the next meeting in November 2014, the Cabinet Committee would then be asked to batch the sites in line with the Policy on Prioritisation of Sites.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

(1)       Not to progress with any of the schemes presented in this report.

(2)          To develop the sites with a different number of homes, or with an alternative mix of property types or parking allocation.