Meeting with Tina Hinson-Strategic Housing Manger and Holly Brett Strategy & Solutions

Meeting with Tina Hinson-strategic Housing manger and Holly Brett – strategy & solutions project officer from Colchester Borough Council and the member of the Town Council.

Tina and Holly gave a presentation of the Borough’s overall plans for housing in the Borough and then detailed what the plans were for the Rosabelle Avenue site. Questions were raised during and after the presentation. A summary of the questions and views are as follows.

Consultation process

What is the consultation process. Is this a fait accompli?

CBC agreed to send a copy of the consultation process to WTC. CBC also confirmed that the site had been chosen as having the best development potential and was currently under going feasibility testing. The results of this, along with the consultation results would be considered before a final decision to develop was made.

In other parts of the country, community referendums have been instrumental in planning decisions. Would CBC accept the democratic legitimacy of such a referendum?

CBC yet to confirm.

Response from CBC: There is no statutory provision for such referendums- they were originally going to be included within the Localism Bill but when it was finally enacted the provision was dropped. So any referendum would only be informal and would be considered along with any planning application

Why were so few houses informed? Why did residents know before the Town Council?

Letters were sent to those residents in close proximity to the site, and those who would be most affected by any potential new development. The letters were delivered by hand. CBC did inform Borough Councillors in the relevant ward. i.e. Cyril Liddy and Steve Ford. The consultation events were also publicised by the Essex County Standard and the Evening Gazette.

Who is the manager responsible for this scheme? Can they come and talk to us about it?

The portfolio holder for the project is Tina Bourne. WTC yet to request a meeting.

Use of the site

Are the proposals for Rosabelle Avenue already determined or could alternative use be made of the site?

With regards to the garage site at Rosabelle Avenue, the feasibility of the site for affordable housing is being tested

We believe there is a need for affordable .... not social ....housing for Wivenhoe’s young people.

Noted by CBC.

Karen Syrett said at a Neighbourhood Plan Steering meeting that the figures show Wivenhoe has an ageing population and we have a need for yet more sheltered housing.

Noted by CBC.

Has the demand on the infrastructure (school and health centre) been explored. Have either the doctors surgery or the school been informed? No but CBC will carry out enquires with ECC schools allocation department. This was not carried out until the feasibility of the site was determined.

Have Realise Health and/or medical centre approached CBC regarding the site?

CBC promised to do all it could to secure a new medical centre.

Noted by CBC.

Has, and if so when, was the parking study done?

The parking survey was done over a 3 day period from the 19th to the 23rd of June at 7am, midday, and 7pm. The findings have yet to be published. CBC to issue to WTC when they are.

Is there a "Phase 2" relating to other garages in the area?

Not at this time. The whole of the site is planned to be used. Why have empty garages not been rented out when people have requested them?

CBC were not aware of a need for any of the unused garages. Their records show that there are empty garages on the site. WTC contested this.

In reality what can CBC offer as an alternative site for those currently renting the garages?

At the meeting CBC gave the following information:

Of the 40 garages on this site 29 are tenanted with two people renting two garages each. Six of the garage tenants do not live in Wivenhoe.

Garage Block Total Garages Number Tenan- Number Void ted Rosabelle Avenue site 1B (63 – 4 9 1 66) Rosabelle Avenue Site 2 (52 – 3 0 3 54) Rosabelle Avenue Site 3 (42 – 9 8 1 51)

Trickett Court Vanessa Drive 12 10 2 Wivenhoe

If built as social housing

Wivenhoe want to have a say in the type of dwellings built on this site.

There will be a public consultation at Britannia court although provisional plans have already been drawn up in order to facilitate discussion at the consultation event and show consultees what the potential is for the site.

Who will be responsible for the development - Colne Housing or Estuary Housing Association? Neither Colne or Estuary will be responsible for the development. The homes will be built and owned by CBC, a building contractor would be appointed at a later stage in the programme

How much is the developer paying for the site?

The site is not being sold as CBC are developing the site.

The site has not been valued. The Town Council requested that CBC get a valuation. It is measured at 1492 square metres, (which is equivalent to 0.368 acres).

Do CBC need to pay Community Infrastructure Levy on a development like this?

No – CIL is not in place in Colchester yet. .

Are CBC or Estuary allocation plans being used. i.e. points basis. Can we have details of this?

Yes the CBC allocation policy will be used CBC to send WTC details of this banding system.

Allocation

What is the relevant legal framework for allocation of Colchester residents? If this was a decision taken by CBC who made the decision?

CBC will allocate the houses using the Gateway to Homechoice bidding system using their allocation policy as eligibility criteria. This is policy.

We believe strongly the tenancy should be offered first to Wivenhoe candidates.

Properties are allocated according to need, with those in the highest band who have been waiting the longest offered the properties first. Is your policy that families allocated to these houses may have been evicted from elsewhere?

Properties are allocated in accordance with the allocations policy. There is national legislation and guidance that the Council has to adhere to. CBC cannot say categorically who the properties will and will not be allocated to as this will be determined by housing need, the allocations policy and the choices made by applicants on the Housing Register to bid on the properties. Could families classified as 'troubled families' be allocated housed here? Properties are allocated in accordance with the allocations policy. There is national legislation and guidance that the Council has to adhere to. CBC cannot say categorically who the properties will and will not be allocated to as this will be determined by housing need, the allocations policy and the choices made by applicants on the Housing Register to bid on the properties.

Could this site be used as temporarily housing?

How will the governments 400 million national cut in the new homes fund affect this development?

The money that will fund the project will come from a different grant. Why has it been given to a housing association? Will this mean you have no control of who is housed there?

It will not be given to a housing association.

Also discussed was the right to buy system that is a government directive, and will apply to the houses. WTC expressed their frustration at not being consulted prior to the decision being taken to build on this site. WTC suggested that proper consultation between themselves and residence should have taken place. Also WTC expressed concerns that local amenities were not benefitting from S106 money generated from development in the town, as it goes to a centralised fund at either CBC or ECC. However, yet more housing was being considered when the health service and schools are already stretched to capacity.

WTC also suggested alternative futures for the site that would be more relevant to the town. One being that CBC lease the land to the doctors to build a surgery. Alternative suggestion was that a Wivenhoe based housing association should develop the land in line with local needs. This local housing association could then lease the land from CBC. In both cases CBC will secure an indefinite period of income, while still retaining the option to develop the land in the future.

CBC agreed to note these suggestions.