Agenda item
Disposal of Land – 10 Blackchurch Lane E1
Minutes:
The Chair outlined the call-in procedure to the Committee.
Councillor Alex Heslop for the Call-In Members referred to the reasons in their requisition and highlighted the main issues that they held with the provisionally agreed decisions concerning acquisition of the site 10 Backchurch Lane E1, mainly that the original decision to dispose (March 2004) was taken without a competitive tendering process and the Cabinet was therefore not able to give due consideration to all options for disposal of the site.
Committee Members put detailed questions to Mr Owen Whalley, Service Head Major Project Development, and Colin Bradley, Interim Service Head
Asset Strategy, Capital Delivery & Property Services, on a number of issues including the consultation process, new disposal protocols, lack of progress made in respect of the development proposal, and the Council’s obligation under the terms of the tenants’ lease.
Mr Whalley and Mr Bradley responded on behalf of the Cabinet in detail on the points raised stating that disposal by informal tender gave all interested parties an opportunity to bid for the site and no organisation was excluded. The decision of the Cabinet was to explore the ability of the Registered Social Landlords (RSL) to acquire and develop the site. It was not an authority to proceed to disposal which would require a further Cabinet decision.
The Committee were informed that there would be no further consultation unless separately pursued with and approved by the Development Committee. By proposing disposal by informal tender the officers were ensuring that all parties had the opportunity to bid, and therefore there was no obligation to consult in a normal Landlord and tenant relationship.
The Committee expressed concern that a Cabinet Member was not present at the meeting to respond to the call-in, and in referring the decisions back to the Cabinet, agreed that it be requested to agree that the decision concerning the disposal of 10 Backchurch Lane be delayed in order to give further consideration to their concerns and recommendations.
RESOLVED
That the Cabinet defer consideration of the following alternative course of action until after the Annual Council meeting in order that the whole issue of disposal can be considered:
1) That Officers be instructed to produce a report to Cabinet, with documentary evidence, showing progress made by the Gateway HA / Environment Trust in acquiring the other component parts of the whole development site (since the original Cabinet decision of March 2004), in order to better assess the viability of their development proposal.
2) That LBTH allow the sitting tenants, i.e the leaseholders, AND Association, a period of 6 to 9 months to finalise the development of their own alternative proposals for the regeneration of the land, based on the Council's own requirements in terms of the Local Development Framework. The sitting tenants’ proposals could then be considered alongside those submitted by RSLs or anyone else.
3) That LBTH opens the informal tendering process to include the sitting tenants to present alternative proposals to be considered, in particular the establishment of a “Community Land Trust / Co-operative Consortium” and/or other models based on the principles of co-operation and community-led regeneration.
4) That Officers be instructed to provide full disclosure of all relevant information and documents to the sitting tenants and to provide the sitting tenants with meaningful help and assistance in developing an alternative proposal for Cabinet consideration.
5) That Officers report back on progress to Cabinet within six months.
Supporting documents:
- Call in Blackchurch Lane, item 7.1 PDF 39 KB
- Disposal of Land 10 Backchurch Lane_CAB 020408, item 7.1 PDF 41 KB