London Borough of Brent Public Services Deciding
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LONDON BOROUGH OF BRENT PUBLIC SERVICES DECIDING COMMITTEE 8th NOVEMBER 2000 REPORT NO : /00 FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES FOR INFORMATION / ACTION NAME OF WARD GLADSTONE REPORT TITLE : DOLLIS HILL HOUSE – REPORT ON CONSULTATION AND OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE 1.0 SUMMARY 1.1 This report reviews the recent public consultation carried out on two options for Dollis Hill House and considers the options for the future of the house 2.0 RECOMMENDATION Members are asked to consider two options for the future of Dollis Hill House: Option 1 2.1 Members instruct Officers to continue negotiating with Whitbread Property with a view to agreeing a 125 year lease of the property known as Dollis Hill House, together with a reasonable area for car parking, for the purpose of rebuilding the house for use as a bar/restaurant, subject to a further report to Members with final terms of the lease. 2.2 Members instruct Officers to consider any further offers and report to Members any offers that give the Council better terms than those offered by Whitbread Property. Option 2 2.3 In the alternative, Members instruct officers to apply for planning and listed building consent for the demolition of the house and to build a café on the site and to use the remaining insurance funds for this purpose 3.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 3.1 There is currently about £280,000 available from the insurance monies relating to the fire damage to Dollis Hill House. If we were to choose the demolition option, we would need about £60,000 to demolish and clear the site. Hence £220,000 is currently available to build an alternative café. 3.2 If the Council were to choose the Whitbread option the Council would have a financial gain. We would have the insurance monies available and Whitbread have offered a further premium. It is suggested that £40,000 is set aside as a contingency to cover legal costs etc. 3.3 The building is currently supported by scaffolding, which the Council has on indefinite lease and for which there is has an ongoing maintenance charge of £50 per week. In addition there are inspection costs of about £2,200 p.a. Therefore a total of £4,800 p.a. is required to maintain the scaffolding and there may be additional charges for any required repairs . 4.0 STAFFING IMPLICATIONS 4.1 None specific to this report. 5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Both the Whitbread proposal and the community Trust option will introduce an element of car parking into the park and reduce part of the open space. In addition, the Whitbread scheme, in particular, may change the character of the park, as a large number of people are likely to be using the bar/restaurant facilities particularly in the evenings. However it could be argued that we would be reverting to a type of use that has previously been allowed in the park albeit several decades ago when there were tea-rooms in the house, and it would allow a listed building to be restored. 6.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS 6.1 All the options will require planning permission and listed building consent, the latter of which is a matter for English Heritage. In the case of the Whitbread option they would be the applicants, but if the Council chose to demolish the House clearly the Council would have to make the applications. 6.2 If the council were to apply for Listed building consent for the demolition of Dollis Hill house, in the fist instance the application would have be referred to English Heritage. The Secretary of State requires English Heritage and all Local Planning Authorities to apply three tests set out Planning Policy Guidance Note 15 (PPG 15) paragraph 3.18. to the assessment of Listed building demolition. The second of the tests requires any applicant for Listed Building Consent to have carried out a thorough search for alternative uses and or owners that would secure the future of the building. This is set out in Paragraph 3.38 of PPG15 as follows: “The Secretary of State will be particularly concerned to ensure that Local Planning Authorities take full account of the policies set out in PPG15, and will not be disposed to grant consent for the demolition of listed buildings in authorities’ ownership unless there is clear and convincing evidence that alternative possibilities for new ownership and new uses have been thoroughly explored”. 6.3 English Heritage at present take the view that Brent does not satisfy this test because we currently have an offer from Whitbread that would restore the building to Grade ll listed standard. 6.4 The council is obliged by s123 of the Local Government Act 1972 to dispose of its property at best consideration, unless the consent of the Secretary of State for Environment is first obtained. A competitive process to select purchasers and selecting the highest bidder usually satisfies the requirement. 6.5 The same Act also requires the council to advertise in a local newspaper when it proposes to dispose of open space and to consider any objections. As the offer from Whitbread Property also involves car parking, it is likely that we would be covered by this section of the Act. 6.6 If the property is disposed of on a long lease, the council can better control the use and character of the property and seek to impose conditions on any resale. Although this could have an impact on the price offered and affect the consideration of whether or not the council were obtaining the best consideration. 6.7 If left in its current state and an injury occurs to an employee or a member of the public the council could be liable to pay compensation 7.0 DETAIL 7.1 At the meeting of Public Services Deciding Committee on 3rd August, Members considered a report on the marketing exercise undertaken to find a private sector partner to restore and redevelop Dollis Hill House. The marketing exercise was extensive and carried out with the aid of a property consultant and representatives of local community groups. The report dealt with a number of proposals that we had received and concluded that the only financially viable proposal was the one from Whitbread Property to restore the house and turn it into a Brewers Fayre restaurant/ pub. The alternative of demolishing the House and building a small café with toilet facilities was also considered. The Committee decided to submit these two options for public consultation. The present report deals with that public consultation and options now open for the future of the house. Public consultation 7.2 Following the decision of the Public Services Deciding Committee, your officers have carried out an extensive public consultation which has included the following: • Leafleting of 12,000 households in the area around Gladstone Park.( a copy of the leaflet has been circulated to all Members). This leaflet invited residents to a public meeting, to choose between the two options and to write in with their views. • Publishing an article in the Brent Magazine, which is circulated to all households in the borough. The article invited readers to choose between the two options and to write in with their views. • Briefing of local newspapers, which carried substantial articles on this issue. • Letters to and meetings with representatives of a number of community groups including Brent Arts Council, Dollis Hill Residents Association, Friends of Dollis Hill House and Gladstone Park Consultative Forum. • Arranging a visit for representatives of community groups to the “Mansion House” in Reading. This is a “Brewers Fayre” restaurant/pub, which is also in a Grade ll listed building set in a park. • Discussion item at the Neasden and Cricklewood Area Consultative Forum. • Public meeting on 18th September attended by over 150 members of the public. 7.3 A total of 864 persons returned the “voting slips” attached to the leaflet and article. The results of those voting in the consultation exercise were as follows: For Option A For Option B Total The Whitbread A small café participating proposal Residents in area around 273 366 639 Gladstone Park Others 113 112 225 Total 386 478 864 7.4 The return from the area around the park represents a return of about 5% of the leaflets distributed and of these a majority (57%) preferred the demolition and café option. Only 225 residents outside this area participated. Of the total participating 55% are in favour of the café option. The Headteacher of John Kelly Boys School has written broadly in support of the Whitbread option 7.5 115 residents have written to the Leader of the Council indicating that the Council should consider the formation of a Trust in order to commence a programme which will restore the House using money the Council received from insurance following the fires which destroyed the house. In addition 24 residents have written in to Environmental Services stating that they prefer alternative options to the two presented. They also mostly support a Trust option. 7.6 The Brent Arts Council and Friends of Dollis Hill House have also written to the Leader indicating that they are not happy with the consultation carried out by the Council. They propose that we should consider the setting up a community based Trust to restore the House for community use. It is also suggested that we appoint a professional fundraiser using the insurance settlement from the fires to raise the additional money required. The Public Meeting 7.7 The public meeting to discuss the options for Dollis Hill House was held on 18th September at Our Lady of Grace Junior School, a few hundred yards from the House.