Decision details

Councillor Osman Dervish, Cabinet member for Environment, Regulatory Services and Community Safety introduced the report

The report before Cabinet sought its approval for Bridge Close, including the houses fronting Waterloo and Oldchurch Roads, to be taken forward as a comprehensive development site.

Cabinet was asked to endorse a vision for Bridge Close to be a new residential neighbourhood which was a vibrant riverside quarter providing a high quality place to live with well-designed buildings, environmental improvements to the River Rom, a new riverside walkway and including public space.

Cabinet was also being invited to endorse planning guidance for Bridge Close to support the comprehensive development of the site with a focus on new residential development, a new east-west route linking the site to the station, ecological improvements to the River Rom, and the re-provision of the Islamic Cultural Centre as well as either the provision of on-site or off-site relocation of the ambulance centre.  This guidance would form part of the evidence base for the emerging Local Plan.

The report furthermore sought approval for the Council to enable the delivery of a scheme by firstly acquiring sites by private treaty then - if necessary - consider and begin to undertake all appropriate steps to obtain land by compulsory acquisition. 

Funding received by the Housing Zone would enable the Council to initiate the proposed actions detailed in the report.  It was noted that the Council would require any development partner(s) to deliver a comprehensive scheme. 

Working with a development partner would reduce the amount of capital required from the Council in the short to longer term and allow the Council to utilise the skills, experience and resources of private sector partners and, ensure high quality design and the mix of tenures and social infrastructure.

Reasons for the decision:

By supporting the vision for the comprehensive development of Bridge Close and agreeing to the acquisition of sites through private treaty and thereafter - where necessary - considering and beginning to undertake the necessary steps to obtain land by compulsory acquisition, would ensure that the Council’s vision for the site was adhered to.  This would prevent ad-hoc development delivering poor quality housing development that did not support the economic development of the Town.  Further, ad-hoc development would not facilitate the development of key linkages across the site, which would be necessary for further western Romford estates to link into the town.  Housing Zone funding provided the opportunity for the Council to support the comprehensive development of Bridge Close and ensure that the vision and design principles were embedded in any development.

Other options considered:

Not implementing the comprehensive development of Bridge Close– REJECTED.  Without the Council’s intervention there would be fragmented development and the site could come forward in a piecemeal fashion.  Piece-meal development would fail to deliver the required mix, tenures or typology necessary to meet the objectives of the Council’s vision for the siteand ensure the delivery of the important east-west link.  Only a comprehensive development could provide high quality residential living in the Town Centre to support the economic growth of the Town and promote an economically active and sustainable community

Cabinet:

1.            Endorsed the vision (as set out in section 3 of the report) that Bridge Close should be a new residential led neighbourhood and endorsed the proposals for comprehensive development of Bridge Close and the design principles for the site outlined in this report.

2.            Endorsed the planning guidance (as set out in section 4 of the report) as a material planning consideration and noted that this would form part of the evidence base for the emerging Local Plan.

3.            Agreed to the Council entering into direct negotiations with land owners to purchase sites on Bridge Close by private treaty as the opportunities arose and noted that an external charted surveying firm would be appointed to professionally assist with negotiation, valuation and acquisition of the land interests.

4.            Delegated to The Leader, Portfolio Holder for the Romford Housing Zone and the Head of Property oneSource, the authority to approve the terms of acquisition of sites by private treaty and any financial arrangements for relocation of current land owners or tenants.

5.            Delegated authority to the Portfolio Holder for the Romford Housing Zone and Leader in conjunction with the Director of Legal and Governance oneSource and the Interim Director of Neighbourhoods to take any reasonable necessary steps to identify land which could not be acquired by negotiation and appoint the relevant consultants in order to assess the need for the use of CPO.  Cabinet also noted that a report would be brought to Cabinet when preparation of the order and heads of terms had been agreed with developer(s).

6.            Authorised officers to negotiate suitable arrangements with appropriate developers including Mercury Land Holdings, who would be acting in a commercial capacity, to deliver the Council’s vision and delegated approval of the terms of such arrangements to the Portfolio Holder for the Romford Housing Zone in consultation with the Director of Legal and Governance oneSource.