Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director, Growth, Planning and Housing, attached.

5.1       Barbara Brownlee, Director of Housing and Regeneration, presented the report and advised that the City Council had been working with residents of Ebury Bridge since 2010 to redevelop the site. Residents had voted on proposals in 2013 and a planning application had been duly prepared and approved. However, by 2015 it had become clear that the scheme was not commercially viable for developers and a subsequent review of the scheme determined that it was not deliverable.

5.2       Barbara Brownlee advised that it was proposed to explore in detail an entirely new scheme and the City Council was commissioning a team to undertake a comprehensive Estate Renewal Options Study, ranging from a refurbishment of the existing buildings to an entire estate redevelopment, in full consultation with residents. The Study would be underpinned by three main themes, these being desirability, viability and feasibility. Members noted the delivery timeline as set out in the table in section 7.8 of the report. Barbara Brownlee added that residents who still wanted to be re-housed following the 2013 vote would have this commitment honoured.

5.3       Councillor Robathan commented that although the delay in the redevelopment was regrettable, the proposals demonstrated the City Council’s commitment to redeveloping the Ebury Bridge Estate and there would be comprehensive and constructive engagement with residents to obtain their views. It was hoped that a viable option would be identified by the end of the financial year.

5.4       Councillor Acton welcomed the proposals, including the intention to improve the health and wellbeing of residents.

5.5       RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.            Authorised spend to explore and work-up renewal options with the community which are both commercially viable and meet the aspirations of the residents.

2.         Agreed the assessment criteria for testing options as set out in Section 5 of the report.

3.         Agreed that officers work with residents to reach a preferred option.

4.         Agreed that the Council continue to honour the rehousing commitments made to both tenants and leaseholders within the existing scheme.

5.         Agreed to bring a Cabinet report forward outlining a preferred option following the comprehensive period of engagement.

5.6       Reasons for Decision

1.            The Estate is one of five priority housing estates identified in the City Council’s Housing Renewal Strategy 2010, noted as requiring improvement and significant investment over the next five years.

2.         The aim of regenerating the Ebury Bridge Estate is to bring about long term physical, economic and social sustainability of the area, and to create a high quality, mixed use urban neighbourhood that is attractive to residents and visitors alike, integrates successfully with the surrounding area and delivers a significant number of new homes in line with the Leader’s City for All 2017/18 priorities.

3.         An entirely new scheme is required to meet the aspirations of residents by providing innovative affordable tenure solutions, attracting the market through commercial viability, balance demand on the Housing Revenue Account, and deliver a development of exceptional quality driven by scale, value, quality and underpinned by design principles that ensure the optimum outcome for housing numbers, financial returns and regeneration benefits.