Purpose

This report seeks approval for the Housing
Strategy to enable the Council to provide re-housing options to the
households at 76 & 78 Holmes Road and to support the residents
throughout the process of redevelopment. 
 
The Strategy comprises: Camden Council's
Commitments to Residents at 76 & 78 Holmes Road, Local Lettings
Plan, and Approach to managing voids 76 & 78 Holmes Road, and
is supported by an Equalities Impact Assessment
(EqIA). 
 
On 24th April 2025, a decision paper is going
to the Cabinet Member for New Homes and Community Investment in
respect of the Leaseholder buyback arrangements, in accordance with
the delegations of authority by Cabinet at 16th November 2022
Cabinet meeting and by the Leader of the Council subsequent to that
meeting.
 
Following the exchange of contracts for the
Conditional Land Sale Agreement (CLSA) of the Car Pound & Reuse
Recycling Centre site on Regis Road NW5 and the Holmes Road Depot
site (76-79 Holmes Road NW5) to Yoo Capital, the Council must
prepare to meet the CLSA conditions. The Housing Strategy is
required by the implementation of the Regis Road Regeneration
Strategy and to enable the Council to provide vacant possession of
the homes at the appropriate time in the regeneration project in a
way that is fair to an safeguards the interests of residents . With
Yoo Capital advancing their proposals for the Camden Film Quarter
and preparing a planning application it is now timely and necessary
for Camden to progress the Housing Strategy.
 
The Housing Strategy ensures that the housing
needs of impacted residents will be met, and the necessary support
and financial compensation is provided to residents and owners
throughout the redevelopment process to enable the Regis Road
Regeneration strategy.
 
The report is coming to the Executive Director
Supporting Communities in respect of the Housing Strategy: Camden
Council's Commitments to Residents at 76 & 78 Holmes Road,
Local Lettings Plan, and Approach to managing voids, in accordance
with the delegations of authority by Cabinet at 16th November 2022
Cabinet meeting and by the Leader of the Council subsequent to that
meeting.

Content

THAT, having had regard to the Council’s
statutory duty with regard to equalities as set out in Section 149
of the Equalities Act 2010 and taking account of the EqIA (Appendix
2), and following consultation with the Executive Director
Corporate Services, the Borough Solicitor, and the Cabinet Members
for New Homes and Community Investment; Finance and Cost of Living;
and Better Homes:
 

(i)                
The Housing Strategy for Regis
Road and its components, being Camden Council's Commitments to
Residents at 76 & 78 Holmes Road (Appendix 3), the Local
Lettings Plan (Appendix 4) and Approach to Managing Voids 76 &
78 Holmes Road (Appendix 5), be approved;
 

(ii)               
The need for a budget, to be
approved by Cabinet, for Leaseholder Buyback, re-location payments
to secure tenants and costs of site preparation for vacant
possession to a total of £3.21M be noted;
 

(iii)             
Authority be delegated to the
Director of Economy, Regeneration and Investment to make any minor
non-substantive revisions to the Strategy: Camden Commitments,
Local Lettings Plan and Approach to managing voids 76 & 78
Holmes Road they consider reasonably necessary; and
 

(iv)            
All steps necessary to implement
the Housing Strategy be authorised, including serving Initial
Demolition Notices (and subsequent Final Demolition Notices if
appropriate and legal requirements are met) to all relevant
properties as outlined in this report.