Agenda item

The Assistant Director, Barbican and Property Services, to be heard.

The Director was heard in respect of use of Golden Lane Estate land for the new school and housing.  Members noted that a similar question had been raised on behalf of Leaseholders a year ago.  The advice then was that, whilst it was not possible for the City to take land away and give it to another organisation, it was open to housing services, through the Community and Children’s Services Committee,  to resolve that the land was no longer required for housing purposes and was therefore surplus.  This action was taken in June 2018 and the land was appropriated for planning purposes, subject to the swap with former education land at Richard Cloudesly being taken into the HRA for the purpose of new social housing.  The Director understood that all necessary consultation had been carried out and no further consultation was needed under S.105 of the Housing Act 1985.

Consequently, there was no need to specifically vary each lease (amend the terms of all the leases on Golden Lane Estate) nor was there any statutory power to do so. The Director had checked with Comptrollers and City Solicitors and the previous advice had not changed.  Members noted that it was intended for the CoLPAI housing development to be managed alongside Golden Lane, in order to achieve economies of scale and a reduction in estate wide charges for Golden Lane lessees.