Cabinet:

(a)                Agreed, in principle, that the land referred to below is no longer required to be held for the purposes for which the Council presently holds it and that it should be appropriated to planning purposes with a view to its subsequent disposal in due course:

·       Land at Gooshays Drive, Harold Hill

·       Hall Lane Pitch & Putt Course, Upminster

(b)                Authorised, for the purposes of (a) above and in accordance with section 122(2A) Local Government Act 1972 and section 233(4) Town and Country Planning Act 1990 that notices are placed in a local newspaper circulating in the area for two consecutive weeks expressing

      (i)     an intention to appropriate the land to planning purposes; and

 (ii)      an intention to dispose of the land following its appropriation.

(c)                Considered any objections to the intended appropriation and/or disposal before a decision to appropriate or dispose is made.

(d)                Agreed, in principle, following its appropriation for planning purposes, to the disposal of the land referred to above subject to (b) and (c) above.

The Property Disposals Report was presented to Cabinet by Councillor Roger Ramsey, the Cabinet Lead Member for Property and Finance. 

The report identifies two sites that do not appear to meet the Council’s approved criteria for property ownership and therefore need to be considered for disposal or self-development to meet corporate need, through the General Fund, HRA or Council-owned Company.  These sites are Land at Gooshays Drive, Harold Hill and Land at hall Lane Pitch and Putt Course, Upminster. 

It was noted that, the Council should only propose to appropriate land for planning purposes if it has an intention to see the land used for development that promotes or improves the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of its area and believes that the appropriation is needed in order to facilitate or achieve any of these aims.  It is necessary to look at the use of the land in question and to the value of it on an ongoing basis in order to achieve housing targets. 

The Golf Course land does not comply with the open space needs of the Borough and if developed it will be high class housing with associated open space playing fields which local people can be very proud of.

The report sets out the statutory process and appropriate applications have been made and notices issued as required by law.

It was noted that Planning Permission has been sought and there was concern among some Members that the appropriation aspect should have come first to make it clear and transparent as what is happening and proposed in terms of development.  It was stated that a welcome approach would have been for consultation to have been completed much earlier.  However, it was also discussed that to have the Planning Proposals in view gives more opportunity to the public to see the proposals.  The best practice advice had been followed as supplied by officers in the acknowledgment of the housing crisis in the Borough.  Following discussion,

Cabinet:

(a)                Agreed, in principle, that the land referred to below is no longer required to be held for the purposes for which the Council presently holds it and that it should be appropriated to planning purposes with a view to its subsequent disposal in due course:

·       Land at Gooshays Drive, Harold Hill

·       Hall Lane Pitch & Putt Course, Upminster

(b)                Authorised, for the purposes of (a) above and in accordance with section 122(2A) Local Government Act 1972 and section 233(4) Town and Country Planning Act 1990 that notices are placed in a local newspaper circulating in the area for two consecutive weeks expressing

      (i)     an intention to appropriate the land to planning purposes; and

 (ii)      an intention to dispose of the land following its appropriation.

(c)                Considered any objections to the intended appropriation and/or disposal before a decision to appropriate or dispose is made.

(d)                Agreed, in principle, following its appropriation for planning purposes, to the disposal of the land referred to above subject to (b) and (c) above.