Brent Council's Forward Plan gives a preview of what is coming up at future Cabinet Meetings but details at minimal.
This item appears in the Forward Plan for the September 12th Cabinet meeting:
To receive an update on delivery of the New Council Homes Programme and summary paper addressing the effect rising construction costs are having on the programme with options to alleviate.
The paper on 'options to alleviate' risings costs will be of vital interest. I assume possibilties include changes of tenure in developments, more private sales within schemes, changes in the quality of build etc.
The Falcon
Another item for September 12th is Acquisition of Falcon Public House site, Kilburn Lane
To agree the valuation of the site for the purposes of acquisition by the council.
There is an extensive history to this. Back in 2014 LINK Brent Council took ac tion against HS2 in order to move the HS2 ventilation shaft from the site next to Queens Park station to Canterbury Works in the middle of the South Kilburn Estate:
The Council has approved plans for the Queens Park Car Park site (Site 18 in the South Kilburn Regeneration Programme) which involves demolition of Cullen House, Keniston House, Premier House and the Falcon Pub and the erection of 137 flats (39 of which are affordable), public space, office and commercial shop space. The HS2 plans for a ventilation shaft and transformer would disrupt these plans with a loss to the Council and also affect the decanting of residents on the South Kilburn Estate during regeneration.
They were successful, much to the consternation of South Kilburn residents and in 2016 LINK a Cabinet report included:
The subject comprises the Falcon Public House and includes residential accommodation to the upper floors for occupation by the pub manager on a site of 0.03 hectares. The property ranges in height from one to three storeys. The Falcon Pub itself is understood to comprise the complete ground floor level, with two storeys of residential accommodation above.
The site was formally marketed for £2.75m subject to a tenancy for the Falcon Public House with a passing rent of £24,000 per annum for a 3 year agreement. The exact terms need to be reviewed to ensure vacant possession can be secured relatively easily.
As usual financial details were not published publicly and we are unlikely to be told what the council is paying on our behalf.
