Agenda item

Report of the Director of Property Services and Development

The Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration considered a report of the Director of Property Services and Development which indicated that the Siskin Drive Traveller site was originally established by the Council in the 1970’s. The Council now has vacant possession of the site following the departure of the last remaining Traveller family. The site was left in a very poor condition.  Planning policy in Coventry’s Local Plan identifies the site as an allocated permanent Traveller site. Policy H7 Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation in the Coventry Plan identifies that ‘provision will be made for at least 16 permanent pitches for Gypsies and Travellers through the re-modelling of the site at Siskin Drive’.

The identification of 16 pitches in the Local Plan was based upon the Travellers Need Assessment of 2014 which was predominantly informed by natural growth within the existing Traveller families at Siskin Drive & Burbages Lane (private site) at the time. Since the ‘Traveller Need’s Assessment’ of 2014 there have been changes to the physical requirements of Travellers pitches and changes to Health and Safety standards, along with the view that less cramped sites provide better places to live and improve support for the families. This has meant that the number of pitches had to be reduced to comply with guidance. Travellers are now looking for sites that can accommodate larger Chalets with Utility and Kitchen / dinning accommodation blocks provided as well as parking for vehicles and a travelling caravan. To provide the new larger pitches and accommodation blocks and roadway through the site, as well as meeting the site separation fire safety regulations, requires the scheme to be reduced to 12 pitches. In the wider context of the ‘Local Plan’ the other 4 pitches identified could be delivered from private ‘windfall sites’ if there was further demand from the community.

Funding towards the costs of developing Traveller sites is available from Homes England. They have just announced their 2021 – 2025 programme of funding for affordable housing and money has been specifically identified for permanent pitches on Traveller sites as part of this main funding programme. Historically Homes England have prepaid to fund around 60 - 65% of the costs of a Traveller site development. This excludes the value of the land included therefore 35 - 40% of the costs are required to be found elsewhere. 

There is a policy in the Local Plan for the requirement for permanent Traveller pitches across the city. If Siskin Drive is not developed as a permanent Traveller site an alternative site where permanent pitches could be developed would be required unless the Council relied on the private sector to develop permanent Traveller sites in the city.

The report recommend that the Council enters into a long lease (99yrs) with Rooftop Housing Group and that they submit a bid direct to Homes England for grant funding and make the planning application for the redevelopment of the site for 12 permanent pitches in accordance with an agreed design criteria. Rooftop Housing Group have a successful track record in securing funding and developing Traveller sites having done so in Solihull in 2016 with Solihull Borough Council. They used a modular build for the utility blocks which could be replicated on the Siskin Drive site. 

A number of meetings have been held with Rooftop Housing Group and they have submitted an initial financial appraisal based on estimated costs to the Council. They have confirmed that they have internal approval to now work up detailed costings based on a design scheme and to complete a full financial appraisal. This will be the basis upon which discussions with Homes England, with regard to grant funding, will also be concluded and their final submission to their Board for approval to complete the lease. They have indicated that final sign off to their Board will be in March 2021. During this time as well as securing funding Rooftop will commit to instructing their legal team to ensure the lease documents are agreed by March 2021.

Rooftop Housing Group have experience of developing and managing Traveller sites having a successful design for facilities along with an understanding of development costs and working with Homes England. The Council would remain involved as land owner only with the direct responsibility for redevelopment of the site along with the financial risk of funding the development, letting of the site, management & ongoing costs of maintenance and repair passing across to Rooftop Housing Group. The site would remain as a permanent Traveller site with the 12 permanent pitches substantially meeting the citywide requirements for permanent Traveller pitches in the city as set down in policy H7 of the Local Plan.

The Council would not be required to make a capital contribution and there would be ongoing revenue savings of £33,568 for the Council as all costs and risk are passed to Rooftop

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration:-

1.  Approves the proposal for redevelopment of Siskin Drive Traveller site to provide 12 permanent pitches.

2.  Delegates authority to the Director of Project Management and Property Services to conclude negotiations for the terms of the long lease to Rooftop Housing Group that will enable them to secure Board approval, funding and planning, facilitating the redevelopment and subsequent management of Siskin Drive Traveller Site.