Agenda item

(Director of Communities) To consider the attached report (CHB-002-2015/16).

(1)        That following the Cabinet Committee considering the viability of each of the 9 (nine) individual feasibility studies taken from the Cabinet approved list of Primary Sites, or have since been agreed to be added to the list as below, for consideration for inclusion in a future phase of the Council House-building Programme, the following decisions be made;

 

(a)        Pound Close, Nazeing

 

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

 

(b)       Palmers Grove, Nazeing

 

That the Cabinet Committee agreed that this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage. However, Members requested that the design should accommodate a vehicular turning circle on the site.

 

(c)           Millfield, High Ongar

 

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

 

(d)       St. Peters Avenue, Ongar

 

That the Cabinet Committee agreed the St. Peters Avenue, Ongar site be deferred to a future meeting of the Cabinet Committee for more information on the access to the site, Members felt that the site access was too narrow and asked for it to be looked with regard to widening the access road.

 

The Cabinet Committee agreed that in the mean time, the garages would continue to be marketed and let to local residents.

 

(e)        Queensway, Ongar

 

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

 

(f)        Graylands, Theydon Bois

 

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

 

(g)       Green Glade, Theydon Bois

 

That the Cabinet Committee agreed that this site should remain as a garage site until such time as the vacancy percentage of the garage site reaches 20% as agreed by Cabinet in 2012.

 

Members proposed and agreed to continue to market and rent garages to local residents.

 

(h)       Colvers, Matching Green

 

That the Cabinet Committee agreed that Option B, 2 x 3 bedroom 2-storey houses with 5 parking spaces, was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

 

(i)         Parkfields (Site A), Roydon

 

That the Cabinet Committee proposed that this site would be included in a future phase of the Council House-building Programme as the access to the site would need to be looked at due to being narrow and no turning point on the site.

 

(2)        That for any sites not considered viable for Council house-building, alternative uses be agreed based on the following options:

 

(a)        To sell the site for social housing to a Housing Association in return for a capital receipt to fund future  Council house-building and to gain nomination rights for Council housing applicants;

 

(b)        To sell the site for private development, either for residential or other use in return for a capital receipt to fund future  Council house-building;

 

(c)        To divide up the site and sell the land to local residents to extend their private gardens in return for a capital receipt to fund future  Council house-building;

 

(d)        To demolish the garages, re-surface and mark out the land and to leave the site as open car parking for local residents;

 

(e)        To sell the site to a Town or Parish Council for their own purposes (eg. public amenity space) in return for a capital receipt to fund future Council house-building; or

 

(f)        To continue to market and rent the garages to local residents.

 

(3)        That the Cabinet Committee further recommended that where there was difficulty with a narrow or restricted access and no turning point, consideration should be given to installing a sprinkler system into the units or making arrangements for other appropriate fire prevention measures acceptable to the Fire and Rescue Service and that the costs and general approach to fire prevention at such developments be considered at a future meeting of the Cabinet Committee.

 

Recommendations to the Cabinet:

 

(1)        That, as a result of the proposed development at the following locations, the Cabinet considers increasing the priority for the proposed off street parking schemes at:

 

(a)          Millfield, High Ongar;

(b)          Queensway, Chipping Ongar;

(c)          Graylands, Theydon Bois; and

(d)          Colvers, Matching Green.

 

(2)        That following the decision to progress to the detailed planning stage, the priority of the following schemes also be increased:

 

(a)          Green Glade, Theydon Bois; and

(b)          Parkfields (Site A), Roydon.  

The Assistant Director (Housing, Property & Development) presented a report to the Cabinet Committee on the feasibility of developing a number of sites. He advised that each of the sites were presented as individual feasibility studies, which identified the number of units and the mix that would be achievable for each site. At this stage, Members were asked to consider the merits of each site and agree which were to progress for inclusion in a future phase of the Council House-building Programme in line with the Policy on Prioritisation of Sites.

 

Decisions:

 

(1)        That following the Cabinet Committee considering the viability of each of the 9 (nine) individual feasibility studies taken from the Cabinet approved list of Primary Sites, or have since been agreed to be added to the list, for consideration and inclusion in a future phase of the Council House-building Programme, the following decisions be made:

 

(a)        Pound Close, Nazeing

 

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

 

(b)       Palmers Grove, Nazeing

 

That the Cabinet Committee agreed that this was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage. However, Members requested that the design should accommodate a vehicular turning circle on the site.

 

(c)           Millfield, High Ongar

 

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

 

(d)       St. Peters Avenue, Ongar

 

That the Cabinet Committee agreed the St. Peters Avenue, Ongar site be deferred to a future meeting of the Cabinet Committee for more information on the access to the site, Members felt that the site access was too narrow and asked for it to be looked with regard to widening the access road.

 

The Cabinet Committee agreed that in the mean-time, the garages would continue to be marketed and let to local residents.

 

(e)        Queensway, Ongar

 

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

 

(f)        Graylands, Theydon Bois

 

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

 

(g)       Green Glade, Theydon Bois

 

That the Cabinet Committee agreed that this site should remain as a garage site until such time as the vacancy percentage of the garage site reaches 20% as agreed by the Cabinet in 2012.

 

Members proposed and agreed to continue to market and rent garages to local residents.

 

(h)       Colvers, Matching Green

 

That the Cabinet Committee agreed that Option B, 2 x 3 bedroom 2-storey houses with 5 parking spaces, was a viable site to progress to a detailed planning stage.

 

(i)         Parkfields (Site A), Roydon

 

That the Cabinet Committee proposed that this site would be included in a future phase of the Council House-building Programme as the access to the site would need to be looked at due to being narrow and no turning point on the site.

 

(2)        That for any sites not considered viable for Council house-building, alternative uses be agreed based on the following options:

 

(a)        To sell the site for social housing to a Housing Association in return for a capital receipt to fund future  Council house-building and to gain nomination rights for Council housing applicants;

 

(b)        To sell the site for private development, either for residential or other use in return for a capital receipt to fund future  Council house-building;

 

(c)        To divide up the site and sell the land to local residents to extend their private gardens in return for a capital receipt to fund future  Council house-building;

 

(d)        To demolish the garages, re-surface and mark out the land and to leave the site as open car parking for local residents;

 

(e)        To sell the site to a Town or Parish Council for their own purposes (eg. public amenity space) in return for a capital receipt to fund future Council house-building; or

 

(f)        To continue to market and rent the garages to local residents.

 

(3)        That where there was difficulty with a narrow or restricted access and no turning point, consideration should be given to installing a sprinkler system into the units or making arrangements for other appropriate fire prevention measures acceptable to the Fire and Rescue Service and that the costs and general approach to fire prevention at such developments be considered at a future meeting of the Cabinet Committee.

 

Recommendations to the Cabinet:

 

(1)        That, as a result of the proposed development at the following locations, the Cabinet considers increasing the priority for the proposed off street parking schemes at:

 

(a)          Millfield, High Ongar;

(b)          Queensway, Chipping Ongar;

(c)          Graylands, Theydon Bois; and

(d)          Colvers, Matching Green.

 

(2)        That, following the decision to progress to the detailed planning stage, the priority of the following schemes also be increased:

 

(a)          Green Glade, Theydon Bois; and

(b)          Parkfields (Site A), Roydon.  

 

Reasons for Decision:

 

At its meeting in August 2014, the Cabinet Committee 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 9 sites included in this report are from the original list of 65 sites approved by the Cabinet in 2012. Each site is presented on its own merits at this stage. However, when all of the feasibility studies have been considered, the Cabinet Committee will 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.