Agenda item

Tracie Seals, Sustainable Communities Manager, presented an update and progress report on the Garage Site Review including an overview of the initial recommendations, resident consultation feedback information and the next steps to be undertaken to complete the review.

Consultation had been ongoing with Ward Members, residents and 2010 Rotherham Ltd. to enable recommendations to be finalised.

Of the 440 garage sites within the Borough, the analysis of sites undertaken Borough-wide had recommended that 87% of sites be retained and improved and that 11% of the sites be considered for disposal.  The remaining 2% of sites were owned by Environment and Development Services and were being reviewed separately.

The proposed recommendations included:-

A report would be submitted to the Cabinet Member for Housing and Neighbourhoods in November for approval of the Garage Site Review final recommendations.

46 sites had been identified as unsustainable and therefore been recommended for disposal to either support the Affordable Housing Programme, including new Council housing or for potential open market sale, subject to service area consultation processes and Cabinet approval.  Consultation had commenced on 30^th July with garage tenants and residents that surround sites identified for potential disposal and development.

The majority of sites across the Borough were in high use and demand and, therefore, proposed for retention.  These would be programmed for investments if it had not been carried out previously.  The Refurbishment Programme would include garage door replacements, resurfacing work, brickwork and painting works.

A number of management issues raised previously still required monitoring with actions being agreed to resolve matters with 2010 Rotherham Ltd. including:-

-        Concerns regarding the general condition of garage and garage sites

-        Site management protocols

-        Dealing with damaged/derelict garages

-        Tenancy termination process

-        Demand and usage.

The following issues were clarified:-

-              Some of the sites proposed for disposal on the open market were constrained and suitable for self-build or small scale development

-              Where residents adjacent to sites had created a vehicular or pedestrian access an assessment is undertaken to establish whether a right to access exists.  Where access is to be retained the schemes are designed to accommodate such, however, where no such rights exists residents are contacted and arrangements to remove the access discussed

-              Planning appraisals had already been carried out and for sites to be disposed of on the open market, details as to acceptable use and site constraints would be included in the marketing literature

-              Through the 2010 Liaison Group, management issues had been raised and discussed.  The feedback would be contained within the final recommendations

-              Sites with high level of voids would more likely have gone forward for development.  However, for those sites where there was demand but which still had voids it may have been due to the garage being in a dark area of the site or where awkward manoeuvres were required and those would be addressed by 2010 through their management processes

Councillor Cutts thanked officers for the exemplary manner in which the consultation had been carried out.

The Chair acknowledged the consistent quality of reports from Paul Walsh, Neighbourhood Investment Service, in relation to the Garage Site Review.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be noted.

(2)  That the final recommendations be submitted in the New Year to take into consideration the outcomes of the HCA Round 2 of the Council Housing Building announcements in December, 2009.

(3)  That an annual update be submitted to the Panel.