345 Achilles Street Redevelopment Proposals PDF 144 KB
Additional documents:
Decision:
Having considered an officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet
Member for Housing, Councillor Paul Bell, and a member of the public, the
Mayor and Cabinet agreed that:
(1) the work that officers have undertaken to explore the potential to build new
Council homes in the area around Achilles Street, New Cross, with the redline
plan be noted;
(2) the initial consultation that has been carried out with all residents, affected
businesses and other key stakeholders throughout this process in relation to
these options since infill proposals first shared in June 2014 through to the
most recent public meeting held in June 2018 as set out and the comments
made by residents, business and other key stakeholders, be noted;
(3) there is currently a consultation underway to establish the principles of a
Residents’ Charter that will set out the guaranteed minimum offer that will
apply to all Lewisham residents whose homes will be demolished and rebuilt
as part of Council led redevelopment, including the residents on the Achilles
Street Estate;
(4) how these principles will interact with the five commitments made to the
Achilles Street Community as set be noted;
(5) officers should work with residents and other key stakeholders on Achilles
Street to begin to establish a Landlord Offer that will enable a Resident Ballot
on the Achilles Street redevelopment proposals to take place;
(6) the Landlord Offer be presented back to Mayor and Cabinet to be
finalised, and to set the date for a Resident Ballot;
(7) officers can begin negotiated buybacks, on an entirely voluntary basis, on
the 36 leaseholder properties in Azalea House, Austin House, Fenton House
and 363 New Cross Road, and authority be delegated to the Executive
Director for Resources and Regeneration to approve the final terms;
(8) home loss and disturbance payments are made to leaseholders and
freeholders where appropriate in (if eligible) accordance with the Land
Compensation Act 1973 (as amended);
(9) officers begin negotiated buybacks, on an entirely voluntary basis, on the
affected commercial properties at Clifton Rise and along New Cross Road
within the redline plan and authority be delegated to the Executive Director for
Resources and Regeneration to approve the final terms;
(10) the budget requirements for these voluntary buybacks as set out in Part
Two be approved.
(11) the resourcing requirements for delivering the next stage of the Achilles
Street project set out in Part Two be noted; and
(12) the budget required for the next phase of this redevelopment work as set
out in Part Two be approved.
Minutes:
The report was presented by Councillor Paul Bell who acknowledged there
has been unfortunate delays in progressing proposals. He indicated there
would be no regeneration unless a majority of residents supported the
scheme in a ballot. He pledged that no resident would need to move and
that security of tenure would be guaranteed. He said the scheme involved no
sale of land to private developers. He refuted any suggestion the proposals
amounted to social cleansing, when what would occur was an increase in
Council homes as part of a mixed development.
The Mayor and Cabinet were next addressed by local resident Jacquie Utley.
She claimed Council officers had not ensured proper consultation, as
promised, had taken place with residents. She said any claim that the present
plans had been developed via public engagement with residents and
businesses was very misleading. She said proper consideration had not been
given to options for infill and refurbishment. She criticised the Council for
holding a part of the Achilles Street proposals in a closed session.
Councillor Joe Dromey, a local member, spoke in favour of the
recommendations. He pointed out the proposals would also mean a doubling
of commercial space. He recounted the consultations which had taken place
which concluded infill would provide just 22 new properties; redevelopment
hundreds while a status quo refurbishment would provide none.
In concluding the debate, the Mayor reminded those present the final decision
would be taken by the residents and was subject to the financial
considerations set out in the closed section of the report.
Having considered both an open and a confidential officer report, and a
presentation by the Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Paul Bell, and a
member of the public, the Mayor and Cabinet, for the reasons set out in the
reports and from the options available by a vote of 7-0:
RESOLVED that:
(1) the work that officers have undertaken to explore the potential to build new
Council homes in the area around Achilles Street, New Cross, with the redline
plan be noted;
(2) the initial consultation that has been carried out with all residents, affected
businesses and other key stakeholders throughout this process in relation to
these options since infill proposals first shared in June 2014 through to the
most recent public meeting held in June 2018 as set out and the comments
made by residents, business and other key stakeholders, be noted;
(3) there is currently a consultation underway to establish the principles of a
Residents’ Charter that will set out the guaranteed minimum offer that will
apply to all Lewisham residents whose homes will be demolished and rebuilt
as part of Council led redevelopment, including the residents on the Achilles
Street Estate;
(4) how these principles will interact with the five commitments made to the
Achilles Street Community as set be noted;
(5) officers should work with residents and other key stakeholders on Achilles
Street to begin to establish a Landlord Offer that will enable a Resident Ballot
on the Achilles ... view the full minutes text for item 345