Agenda item

7.5

AGENDA ITEM 13: WYBOURN SITE DISPOSAL

7.5.1

The Executive Director, Place, submitted a report containing proposals for the disposal of a site at Wybourn for residential development by Great Places Housing Association (the local stock transfer landlord) to allow for residential development consistent with the Council approved Wybourn, Arbourthorne and Manor Park (WAMP) Masterplan. 

7.5.2

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:-

(a)

subject to the Secretary of State’s consent and receipt of planning approval, the site identified at Appendix A be disposed of to the Great Places Housing Association as a site for the construction of 25 properties for affordable housing; and

(b)

the Director of Housing, Enterprise and Regeneration, in consultation with the Director of Property and Facilities Management, be authorised to agree terms for the disposal of the site for the purposes mentioned above, and to instruct the Director of Legal Services to complete the transfer on the terms agreed.

7.5.3

Reasons for Recommendations

Disposal of this site at Wybourn for residential development by Great Places Housing Association will allow for residential development consistent with the Council approved Wybourn, Arbourthorne and Manor Park (WAMP) Masterplan which will confer a number of timely benefits for the area and the city as a whole.

Disposal to Great Places Housing Association will result in the building of 25 new properties for affordable rent. 

It will also increase the opportunity for local people to benefit from the developments and ensure that maximum numbers of options are available to the Council and Great Places Housing Association for future interventions that seek to ensure the long term sustainability of the neighbourhood.

It is intended that the development will include a variety of housing types, including apartments and bungalows, which are felt to meet the changing housing needs of local residents.

These new properties will help deliver the Council’s vision for the City and people of Sheffield by increasing the provision of high quality affordable housing that supports and delivers the City Councils Corporate Plan ambitions.

Working with Great Places Housing Association will allow better investment planning for them, including the coordinated development of the sites to maximise the opportunity for local residents to move into the new properties.  As the local landlord of choice and following extensive community consultation on other projects,  Great Places Housing Association have detailed knowledge of the housing needs of the area and will be able to build the new housing to meet those demands.

7.5.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

Do not dispose of the site yet.

In order to maximise receipt from the potential sale of the site it has been considered whether it would be appropriate to wait until an upturn in the economy before disposal. This would however mean that the site would be left undeveloped for an indeterminable time.  With no guarantee of developer interest in this site or potential best price offer.

It would also deny the opportunity to develop the site speedily and to fit with Great Places Housing Association investment plans for the neighbourhood or resident expectation for the development of the site.

The timely development of the site is also intended to raise developer confidence in the wider area which will be reflected in the viability of other potential projects.

This option would also delay the delivery of an important strategic intervention of the WAMP Masterplan. 

Open market with conditions/no conditions

Although this option could potentially allow potential rapid development of the site and maximise receipt, this is improbable in the current economic downturn as we could not guarantee developer interest or potential best price offer.

If the site was sold for open market development it would reduce the opportunity for local residents to access the new housing.  It would also deny opportunity for local lettings and compromise the investment strategy of Great Places Housing Association.

The process would also delay appointment of a developer and a start on site. 

In addition such a process may result in establishing a new Registered Provider in the area, or if the developer chooses to work in partnership with another Registered Provider, with resultant issues around this as detailed in paragraph 7.3 of the report

Disposal of the site to another Registered Provider

This option would allow development by a Registered Provider other than the local resident’s landlord of choice. 

Although this would introduce a choice of landlord for residents, it may compromise the opportunity for aligning investment and maintenance strategies.

This option may also compromise the compatibility of local lettings policies to the detriment of local residents wanting to access properties at Wybourn.

Disposal of the site to Sheffield Housing Company (SHC).

This site is not on the current list of sites that has been offered to the SHC. If it were to be offered then there is no certainty as to when the site would be released and any agreed release date would be made on the SHC priorities rather than local need. 

Open competition with detailed development brief.

The Council could agree a development brief and advertise the site to developers.  This would allow the Council to be prescriptive and prioritise the development requirements.

It would however  delay the release of the site, be Council resource intensive and not have guaranteed developer interest or potential best price offer.

It may result in the establishment of a new Registered Provider in the area which could result in difficulties in aligning investment strategies with Great Places Housing Association and a coordinated local lettings policy.

If a condition was included in the development brief that insisted the winning developer work in partnership with Great Places Housing Association then this may stop some developers entering the competition or force the developer to work with a partner it would not choose to work with.  This may result in a difficult working arrange that may be detrimental to any scheme.