Council’s plan to revamp block of flats snared by lease red tape
KIRKLEES Council is under pressure to progress its plans to revamp a high-rise block of flats in Huddersfield town centre and may have to resort to making a Compulsory Purchase Order amid complex lease arrangements.
Buxton House is being remodelled as part of the council’s £57m high-rise programme which was instigated by fire safety concerns following the Grenfell disaster.
The Huddersfield block does not fully comply with current fire safety legislation and has a 24-hour ‘fire watch’ regime to ensure the safety of tenants. It backs onto the lower rise Civic Centre building and is joined to the main shopping street and precinct, linked by an underpass.
The issue of fire safety in the council’s social housing stock has recently been brought to the fore after the local authority was served a Regulatory Notice from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) after breaching safety requirements.
An investigation by the RSH found that 20,000 fire safety actions wereoverdue.
Though the council owns the freehold to Buxton House and the associated shopping centre and car park, it granted a 175-year lease (“the Headlease”) in 2012, which is owned by the company ALB Kirklees Limited.
The council has two underleases from ALB with a term of 45 years each. These relate to Buxton House and the Albion Street car park.
The council seeks to acquire part of the Headlease so that it has full control to create a fire safety-compliant building on time and on budget.
This includes several flats, including three that are part of the Right to Buy Scheme, along with some retail units.
The local authority also wants to close the car park for the duration of the works for use during the construction process.
The council report says: “As matters presently stand, if the council wishes to remodel Buxton House, then it must do so in compliance with its current lease from ALB and consents will be required from ALB as its immediate landlord.
"This puts the scheme at risk if those consents cannot be obtained, in a timely manner, or at all and will lead to additional costs.”
While “every effort” is being made to negotiate, the council wants to begin the steps which will mean the local authority can make a Compulsory Purchase Order should these efforts fail.
The Cabinet will be asked to approve the starting of the process at a meeting next week. Buxton House currently contains 19 one-bedroom flats and 38 bedsits, and is 45 per cent empty as residents have been moved elsewhere before work can get underway.
A planning application was submitted in January to transform the building, with 46 flats, a larger entrance from Albion Street, new electric scooter and bike storage, wider corridors and larger communal areas.
A decision on the plans is expected to be made by June. If approval is granted, work is anticipated to begin in September 2025. The council is having to make service and job cuts to address a £47m shortfall.