Purpose

This report is requesting authorisation to develop a combined
Appropriation and Compulsory Purchase (CPO) strategy in support of
the Regis Road Regeneration Strategy.
 
The Council has exchanged contracts for the conditional land
sale of the Car Pound & Reuse Recycling Centre site on
Regis Road NW5 and Holmes Road Depot site on 76 – 79 Holmes
Road NW5 to Yoo Capital. It is considered that the land sale
will act as a catalyst for the implementation of the
Regeneration Strategy for the Kentish Town Regis Road Growth
Area as agreed by Cabinet on 16th November
2022.
 
Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Executive Director
for supporting Communities (in consultation with the Executive
Director Corporate Services and the Cabinet Members for New Homes,
Jobs and Community Investment; Finance and Cost of
Living; and Better Homes) any decision in relation to the
appropriation of land to facilitate
regeneration.  The Leader of the Council also
agreed to delegate authority to the Cabinet Member for New Homes,
Jobs and Community Investment (in consultation with
fellow Cabinet Members and senior officers) to take decisions to
exercise the Council’s ‘in principle’ powers to
compulsorily purchase land required to facilitate regeneration and
to acquire any land interests reasonably required to facilitate
regeneration, in order to implement the Regeneration Strategy.
 
Since the exchange of contracts, Yoo Capital has made progress
towards preparation of a proposed development scheme and masterplan
which will support comprehensive regeneration of the Regis Road
Growth Area and delivery of the objectives of the Regeneration
strategy by:
 

commencing a programme of public engagement
collaborating with Joseph Homes
preparing a Planning Performance Agreement with the local
planning authority
progressed their land acquisition by exchanging on the purchase
(subject to planning) of land at Regis Road
engaging other landowners who will be able to contribute to the
Regeneration strategy, such as the Bideford (site owners of the
adjacent land), UPS, Create Reit, Big Yellow,
Angelana Investments, local residents and
other stakeholders along Regis Road

 
With work commencing on preparation of the masterplan to
underpin delivery of the Kentish Town Planning Framework principles
and the policy aims of Kentish Town Neighbourhood Plan policy SP2,
it is now time to progress the Council’s assistance in
delivering the comprehensive development vision in the Regis Road
Growth area.
 
The report is coming to the Chief Executive (acting on behalf of
the Executive Director for Supporting Communities in their absence)
in respect of appropriation and the Cabinet Member in respect of
CPO, in accordance with the delegations of authority by Cabinet at
November 2022 Cabinet meeting and by the Leader of the Council
subsequent to that meeting.

Content

THAT the Chief Executive (acting on behalf of the
Executive Director for Supporting Communities), having 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 (appended at Appendix 1), and in consultation with the
Cabinet Member for New Homes, Jobs and Community Investment, the
Executive Director Corporate Services, the Borough Solicitor, the
Cabinet Member for Finance and Cost of Living and the Cabinet
Member for Better Homes, is asked to:
 

Note progress on the implementation of the Regeneration
Strategy for Regis Road, as agreed by cabinet 16th November 2022
and Single Member Decision dated 10th March 2023 in accordance with
the principles set out in the Local Plan (2017) and Kentish Town
Planning Framework (2020).

 

Authorise preparation of an Appropriation strategy (which
will be combined with a Compulsory Purchase Order strategy) for her
formal approval for potential use of Council powers of land
appropriation for planning purposes to support regeneration of
Regis Road Growth Area and delivery of the principles of the Local
Plan and the Kentish Town Planning Framework, and as envisaged in
the Regeneration Strategy for the Kentish Town Regis Road Growth
area agreed by Cabinet on 16th November
2022.