Purpose:
To advise the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Housing of the outcome of the most recent consultation with residents in Granby Renewal Area in respect of the Lovell proposals. To recommend that the principal of these proposals be accepted by the Executive Board so that the housing regeneration programme in the area can commence.
Background
The Executive Member will be aware that the Granby Renewal area has been the subject of substantial regeneration activity and community consultation for many years. Even after intensive General Improvement Area investment and Housing Association and Co-ops improvement programmes in the 1970s and 1980s and despite a solid core of long-established community strength and loyalty there remained major problems of poor quality housing and low demand.
The decision to explore the possibility of declaring a Renewal Area was initially taken in 1992, followed by a detailed Neighbourhood Renewal Assessment in 1994. After resident consultations the declaration was eventually made in November 1995.
As a result, the following actions were taken
Establishment of a dedicated delivery team in the Council
Declaration of a phased series of 9 clearance areas
Successful delivery of a large compulsory purchase order to acquire and clear 240 properties in 1997
Completion of a pilot Group Repair scheme in 1999, achieving a national award for regeneration excellence
Construction of 130 new homes for RSL tenants on redevelopment sites
Successful purchase by agreement of large numbers of privately owned and RSL properties to provide more strategic control of local land supply.
Establishment of a new Community Primary school
Construction of a new Childrens' Centre
While the required action within the Northern half of the area was relatively clear as a result of property condition, the way forward for the Southern portion was less certain. The original proposals indicated full-scale clearance but this was not supported by condition surveys and there were significant objections from residents.
In 2001 Granby Residents Association commissioned a study - A Vision for Granby - the 3 Streets report-into the options for Cairns, Ducie and Jermyn Street. The report concluded that while sustainable demand for widespread owner occupation was not demonstrated, a mixture of demolishing 27 properties and refurbishing 113 properties (for sale and rent) was the favoured solution for those particular streets. This option required vacant properties to be disposed of to purchasers for a nominal sum.
This report was considered by Executive Board in November 2001 in conjunction with the CURS research implications for the sustainability of Southern Granby in relation to imbalanced tenure mix, poor housing quality and low demand. Board agreed to commission a full-scale Feasibility Assessment of the area, exploring the cost of alternative refurbishment proposals, and focussing on
a) meeting the aspirations of existing residents who wish to remain in the area within available resources
b) a solution to take into account the overall planning needs of the area
c) developing a brief to market test the demand for home ownership in the area.
In February 2002, a Planning Day event was attended by 37 residents, 20 of whom lived in the Southern area.
During 2002 / 2003 Tweeds produced cost options and Inner City Solutions carried out a market testing exercise. The conclusions were that:
full scale refurbishment was not affordable
a comprehensive solution involving refurbishment and some clearance and redevelopment would be necessary in order to generate housing market recovery
under these conditions there would be private developer interest in investing in the area but probably requiring consolidating ownership
there was a significant desire amongst residents to stay in the area
some mechanism of equity sharing or other financial support product would be necessary in order to assist current owner occupiers to buy new or improved homes.
a brief should be prepared to invite developer submissions leading to selection of a partner.
In February 2004 a Development Brief was produced by officers from HMRI delivery team, acknowledging the need for some demolition but seeking the maximum proportion of refurbishment. Competitive proposals were invited from potential firms to work as sub-developer partners under the lead of the appointed principal development partners Gleesons.
In March 2004 an updated Neighbourhood Renewal Assessment was completed by commissioned consultants. Based on the assessed condition of properties in the area their report concluded that full-scale refurbishment was not an economically viable proposition - having regard to the need to achieve a 30 year standard and the level of permissible public funding assistance to owners - and that the redevelopment option “stands out as being the one that offers the most satisfactory course of action.”
Nevertheless, Council members and officers recognised the importance of preserving the existing community structure. This commitment is reflected in the Granby Toxteth Masterplan, commissioned by the Granby Toxteth Partnership Board and accepted on 9th July 2004 by Executive Board as the guiding concept document outlining the approved vision for the wider area. This report recorded the favoured option for the Granby Triangle as being “retention and refurbishment of as much of the existing stock as possible”. It also noted that “Granby Residents Association has accepted a degree of demolition” and that “the importance of coming to a decision on the preferred option is emphasised, so long as it delivers high quality housing predominantly for home owners.”
On 10th December 2004 Executive Board received a report on the expressions of interest received. Lovell were recommended for appointment, principally on the basis that they sought the least public subsidy while fulfilling the key design requirements of the brief.
Executive Board authorised the appointment of Lovell and instructed officers to lead detailed community consultations aimed at refining the proposals and to report back the financial and design outcomes. Additionally, the Renewal Area designation was extended to 2010.
Summary of Lovell Proposals
In the 4 Streets area there are
|
Properties |
Units (houses and flats,) |
Total |
212 |
296 |
No. vacant, LCC owned |
126 |
188 |
Commercial |
7 |
N/A |
Total vacant |
156 |
238 |
Total residential occupied |
55 |
57 |
Lovell's initial proposals in April 2004 were
268 homes
50 / 50 split between newbuild and refurbishment / conversion
40 % flats/apartments, 60 % houses
Plus shops, offices and community buildings around a “new hub”
Following consultations their revised proposals are now
235 homes
70% refurbishment/ remodelling, 30% newbuild
Introduction of some larger house types
22% flats/apartments, 78% houses
Provision for 4 refurbished shops if required.
Outcome of consultation
Neighbourhood Management Services and Lovell have worked with the community throughout 2005 and Lovell have amended their proposals taking account of comments received. The Executive member for Neighbourhoods and Housing received a briefing on the revised proposals on 31st May 2006. Their revised proposals were presented to the Granby Residents Association on 4th July 2006, subsequently to Diversity8 on 11th July and further ward Member consultations took place on 12th July and with the Council leader on 10th August. A drop in day for residents was held on the 17th July, followed by a visit to every household to discuss individual circumstances and concerns.
A household survey of the remaining 55 occupied properties has been conducted to update information on property ownerships, occupancy, re-housing preferences and to provide an idea of the potential equity capable of being released in the area. 35 responses (69%) were obtained, revealing the following tenure breakdown.
Tenure
|
Council |
RSL |
O/Occ |
Private Rented |
Other |
No Response |
Total |
Number |
1 |
2 |
22 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
35 |
% |
3 |
5 |
63 |
23 |
3 |
3 |
100 |
The survey also demonstrated that while 24 occupied homes have 3 or more bedrooms, only 10 households are of 4 or more persons. This indicates a significant degree of under-occupation although there is an identifiable need for a small number of large houses.
Key household information from the survey revealed:
Occupancy:
65% of residents / owners have owned / lived in their home for over 10 years
23% of residents / owner are disabled
63% of remaining surveyed residents are owner occupiers
83% of houses are 3 bedroomed or larger
97% of houses have two or more reception rooms
49% of houses have three or less residents living in them
Financial Details:
70% of owners have no mortgage
61% of residents / owners responding were in receipt of benefits
49% of residents / owners with held financial benefit details
Rehousing Aspirations
49% of owners / residents would prefer re-housing within the Granby area
45% of owners / residents wish to be owner occupiers
45% of owners / residents wanted a garden
The survey shows that the majority of owners have lived in their homes for a long time and no longer have a mortgage. Most are in larger houses which are under occupied. If re-housed, the majority responding want to stay in the Granby area.
90% of residents indicated that they found the consultation useful, and 47% felt that Lovells proposals were developing along the right lines, 28% said not and 25% did'nt know.
5. Objections to the scheme
Separate representations in response to the proposals have been received as follows
Granby Residents Association made a presentation to 3 Parks Neighbourhood Committee on 4th October 2006. They re-iterated a number of points which had been made previously - objecting to demolition; asserting the importance of maintaining community character and cohesion; questioning the need for transfer of ownership; raising concerns over the affordability of new and improved homes; pressing for continued and greater community involvement in the development of the proposals.
Officers have provided responses indicating that GRA's concerns will all be addressed to the fullest extent possible.
A letter has been received from a Cairns Street owner occupier in which he makes several criticisms of the consultation process and questions the community benefit of the proposals.
Officers have responded refuting the criticisms and re-asserting the benefits as already agreed by Council.
6. Response to Principal Objections
Several elements of the GRA presentation are already agreed by all parties
Aim to retain as many properties as possible and to clear the minimum - agreed.
The proposals provide 165 refurbished or substantially rebuilt properties as well as 70 newbuild homes.
The identification of part of Cairns Street for clearance is driven by the developer's researched view of condition, cost, value and impact on the surrounding area and ownership. Of the 52 affected properties, 39 are vacant, 36 in LCC ownership, 6 are private landlord owned and only 5 owner occupied.
Aim to retain mix social, economic and cultural mix, with existing residents able to stay in the area - agreed.
Lovell have agreed that if required they would be prepared to amend their proposals in order to ensure that homes produced are suitable to meet residents needs. Additionally, there are sufficient options available as part of the HMR support toolkit to enable residents to stay within the area in a home which meets their needs and which is affordable without financial hardship, assisted by Artloan , Homebuy or other support arrangements, in conjunction with LCC and other partners.
The dwelling mix will provide for a long-term sustainable diversity of household sizes, types and incomes, ensuring that the neighbourhood will maintain appeal and quality of life for future generations as well as present residents.
Several points made by GRA are accepted by the developers and will be accommodated
Objection to the requirement for Lovell to acquire all properties and sell back to owner occupiers who wish to return after refurbishment works
Lovell had stipulated this condition as a necessity to ensure that the comprehensive regeneration of the neighbourhood could be achieved without the damaging blight of individual opt-outs, even where residents propose to return to their previous homes after works are completed. They now accept that arrangements could be made so that owners retain ownership throughout the process and that contractual arrangements can be put in place to recover their costs through loans or other means.
Need for a fresh partnership between the developer and residents
It is agreed that there needs to be a structured approach to consultation and involvement of the community in the development of the proposals and their eventual delivery. Lovell are eager to discuss and agree a form of participation and engagement to assist the success of the project, based on trust, respect and honesty once they have been officially appointed.
Arrangements will need to be practical and realistic, giving appropriate and proportionate attention to all valid viewpoints. However it will be important not to undermine existing processes, roles and responsibilities.
Letter resident of Cairns Street
In his letter the owner occupier raises a number of points.
a) “At the drop-in consultation event, comments were not systematically collected.”
Response - Comments were recorded on standard forms and retained for analysis and reporting.
b) “The open day did not give residents an opportunity to have any effect on the proposals”
Response - Lovell proposals have already been amended in response to consultations and they can still be further revised as part of the continuing process. Objections have been noted and recorded.
c) “The survey questionnaire did not allow residents to say how they feel about their home or the area as it is at present”.
Response - The survey included an “open question” for respondents to say anything else they wished. A few (5 respondents) made use of this opportunity to say they disagreed with demolition.
d) “The proposed demolition of Cairns Street is driven by profit considerations and is not supported by survey or cost evidence.”
Response - Demolition of parts of Granby, including Cairns Street, have been a feature of many surveys, studies and recommendations over the past years and even earlier, long before Lovell's involvement. The current proposal is based on a combination of factors including structural condition, cost and demand. Lovell's proposals and their cost / value calculations have been independently assessed and approved by GVA Grimley and 20/20.
e) “Lovell's new build plans do not make adequate provision for environmental sustainability”
Response - The new houses will comply with building regulation requirements to achieve Ecohomes “Very Good” standard.
f) “How do we know that people will not be disadvantaged just because of their ethnicity by the proposed changes?”
Response - The proposals are designed to bring about the maximum benefit for the area and people of Granby as a whole, with no discernible adverse impact on any social or ethnic group. The City Council has commissioned a Race Equality Impact Assessment for all of its HMR Inner Core regeneration activity and this is due to report shortly. Feedback from the consultants suggests that they have not found any adverse impact in respect of the HMR proposals for Granby, but anticipate a potential adverse impact if regeneration proposals for Granby do not commence in the next 12 months.
g) “The main criterion for a CPO must be that public benefit outweighs the rights of private owners - the Renewal Area declaration has brought no public benefit.”
Response - While it is clearly and regrettably the case that the present transitional situation is deeply disturbing for the remaining residents, the eventual benefit to the wider Granby community, both present and future, has been amply demonstrated in numerous reports and studies approved by Council.
7.Summary
From the foregoing information, it can be seen that the regeneration of Granby has been the subject of extensive consultation, research and deliberation.
There will always be a small but vocal group of residents who will oppose any demolition and newbuild proposals, no matter how limited.
Officers believe that the Lovell proposals offer a range of options for existing residents, and will ensure the long term sustainability of the area for future residents.
The accompanying report summarises the results of the most recent consultations and design revisions and seeks Executive Board authority to progress the proposals.
The total cost of this scheme is in the region of £8million, which will be phased over a number of years.
Lovell need to be formally appointed by the Council so that they can further refine their proposals, working with local residents on the detail designs.
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BRIEFING NOTE
BRIEFING NOTE TO: Executive Member
Neighbourhoods and Housing
SUBJECT: Granby Renewal Area- Lovell proposals
DATE: Oct 2006
REPORTING OFFICER: Cath Green
OFFICER CONTACT: Elaine Stewart 703 2046
Delyse Bailey 233