A spoke in the wheel of plans
ANGER AS HOMES DEVELOPMENT IS SENT BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
Local democracy reporter TENSIONS flared as a decision to lease a notorious eyesore housing site to a major housing group for development was sent back to the drawing board.
Independent councillors accused Labour members of putting “a spoke in the wheel” of plans to redevelop the Gresham site, in Newport, during a meeting of Middlesbrough Council’s overview and scrutiny board on Monday.
Labour members had “calledin” a decision made by Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston’s executive in August to lease the Gresham site to Thirteen Housing Group.
Labour group leader Cllr Matthew Storey said that decision should be sent back to the executive accusing the decision as being made on the basis of “inadequate consultation” and “inaccurate evidence”.
“The intention of what we are proposing today is not in any way to undermine development to Gresham,” he said.
“Our key concern to ensure that any development that comes forward is not only done in the right way, but that appropriate consultation takes place and that the process provides the best possible option for the people of Middlesbrough.”
Cllr Storey asked why Teesside University - which has previously mooted plans for a student village in Gresham - and the council’s own housing delivery vehicle, M Homes, had not been consulted.
Cllr Ashley Waters, executive member for regeneration, said that while the mayor had met with representatives from the university, formal consultation had not been necessary.
This he said was because neither the university nor any other developer had approached the council with a formal proposal, despite the site being put out to tender in April.
He added that the reason for the lack of interest in developing an area like Gresham is because they represent a loss to developers unless costs can be reduced.
“These houses would be built at a loss by Thirteen Group if they weren’t able to access the Homes England grant of £40,000 per home,” said Cllr Waters.
“There is no viable developer that would come forward and build houses at a loss.
“I can’t give you any other answer than that - nobody is going to build houses at a loss.”
Cllr Chris Hobson, executive member for finance and governance, said: “We’ve waited a long, long time for this site to be developed, you knocked all the houses down and nothing came forward from the university.”
Cllr Storey asked Cllr Hobson whether she thought the development of Gresham should be done “quickly or properly”.
“I think we’ve waited long enough, Cllr Storey,” she said.
“You’ve had 20-odd years to develop this site - you haven’t done anything at all.
“Then as soon as a really good proposal comes forward where we have somebody that can get grants quite easily, and can go out and develop the whole site, you want to put a spoke in the wheel.”
Cllr Storey said: “We’ve heard very vague suggestions of informal meetings between the mayor and the university.
“No official evidence can be provided for those meetings having taken place.
“At every stage when Cllr Waters has spoken, he’s set out a critique of why M Homes can’t do things and why this is a good bid and that’s fine.
“But those things should be included in the report and I believe M Homes should have been asked to bring something forward.”
He concluded: “We want Gresham to be developed, categorically - 100% I want that site developed.
“But I want it done in the right way and I want the decision to have been taken so that we are cognisant of all of the facts.
“I do not believe we have been presented with a complete enough case and for the sake of completeness, I believe this should be sent back to the executive. “
When the matter went to a vote, Cllr Storey succeeded in having the matter sent back to the executive.
With Labour members outnumbering their opposition, they won by a margin of six to three.
A meeting of the executive will be arranged within the next 10 working days to re-consider the decision.