Issue - meetings

Issue - meetings

Redevelopment of land, community centre and shop at 32 Raphael Drive and Centrepoint Community Centre

Meeting: 21/01/2019 - Cabinet (Item 54)

54 Redevelopment of land, community centre and shop at 32 Raphael Drive and Centrepoint Community Centre pdf icon PDF 73 KB

Report of Head of Community and Environmental Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Johnson introduced the report and commented that the project was about delivering 50 plus socially rented properties.  The site was presently underused.  However, it was important to ensure that the local community had a resource they could use which included a community area and a shop. 

 

Councillor Johnson drew Cabinet’s attention to paragraph 3.1.4 in the report which described a new community space to be provided and its various potential uses.  Whilst residents were unhappy about the upheaval that was to come, they acknowledged that the council had accommodated their wishes for a community space and a shop.  Therefore the council had demonstrated that it had listened to and acted upon their concerns.

 

The Mayor commented that he had met a number of the user groups and recognised that community space was important to them.

 

The Head of Democracy and Governance stated that recommendation 3.1.1 should be amended to include 32A Raphael Drive.  Cabinet agreed to amend the recommendation.

 

            RESOLVED

 

            That Cabinet agrees:

 

1.         That having had full regard to the content of this report, including comments and views expressed by members of the public and users of the current community centre and shop and having regard to the attached equality impact analysis in Appendix 2, and the implications for crime and disorder, that the land, community centre and shop at 32 Raphael Drive, 32A Raphael Drive and Centrepoint Community Centre be approved for disposal to Watford Community Housing (WCH) for redevelopment for social rented housing, appropriate community space and retail space on the terms previously approved by Cabinet on 10 September 2018, subject to the due planning process, and that the site be deemed to be surplus to requirements.

 

2.         That the Council ceases any and all activities operating from the Community Centre on 31 March 2019.

 

3.         That the Council works with all existing user groups of the Community Centre to support them in finding appropriate alternative facilities whilst the community facility is unavailable.

 

4.         That the new community space be large enough to accommodate a meeting of 50 people, and/or the playing of table tennis, and/or a community coffee morning, and/or the running of a fitness class. That this space be able to be readily sub-divided to create 2 separate community spaces and that it has an appropriate kitchen facility.

 

5.         That the new retail space be of appropriate size for the retail needs it will service.

 

6.         That the community space and retail space be constructed in such a manner and such a size and layout that should either or both no longer be required they can be converted into additional social rented accommodation.

 

7.         That the Council enter into a nomination agreement with WCH to ensure it obtains 100% nomination rights for each of the residential units to be built on the site.

 

8.         That the Council enters into appropriate agreements with WCH to ensure that in the event that any units or the site is subsequently disposed of by WCH any sums received  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54


 

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