Possibly as a result of a phone call to the planning team, Nadir Ahmed (Executive Officer - Corporate Property and Capital Delivery) kindly sent me and others a copy of this letter to Mayor John Biggs:
2 March 2016
Dear Mayor Biggs,
Re: Disposal of council-owned buildings
Thank you for your above enquiry.
The council’s Local List is comprised largely of buildings that were considered for listing in 1973, when the borough’s Statutory List was prepared. This list has been added to over the years, most recently in 2014 when a thematic review of the borough’s war memorials resulted in the addition of 37 new entries on the Local List.
Work is currently underway to conduct a thematic review of the public houses in the borough that are located outside of conservation areas, with the intention of adding the most special of these to the Local List.
Beyond these periodic thematic reviews, there is no process for adding buildings to the Local List on an ad hoc basis. As such, the council currently does not have a process in place that allows requests to add buildings to the Local List to be made by the public and designated, unless they are received as part of a formal consultation relating to a thematic review.
To address this, as part of the adoption process for the pubs in Spring 2016, the council will also be tabling a process and timetable for local residents and amenity groups to put forward proposals for the Local List.
Whilst we can acknowledge representations to locally list structures from Tom Ridge and others this will not automatically include them in our Local List. We can of course maintain a record of representations received. This will mean that they can then be carefully considered for inclusion on the local list by the Council, once the process and timescale for the Local List review is agreed by Cabinet. To that end, I will be forwarding all the representations received on this matter to the Strategic Planning team, who maintain the Local List.
In terms of creating a new conservation area, any designation is made on special character and appearance of an area and will be informed by a review of existing heritage assets and a careful consideration of the most appropriate course of action. This is a decision for Cabinet and will involve public consultation. This will also form part of a comprehensive review and update of the council’s Conservation Strategy.
You will be aware that Historic England received a request to add Cheviot House to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. Having considered representations and carried out an assessment, Historic England recommended to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport that it should not be listed. This recommendation was agreed. Notwithstanding the decision made by the Secretary of State, the points made by Mr Ridge have been noted.
In relation to the specific requests to attach conditions to the sales particulars for Cheviot House and the Southern Grove workhouse building, I can advise as follows: The council is under a legal obligation to secure the best consideration when selling property. This generally means it must get the best price, having taken into account the speed with which the sale can be achieved. It is difficult to meet this obligation if conditions are attached as this may then lead to a reduction in the price the council can achieve and leave the council open to challenge. Adding conditions also potentially triggers a procurement exercise rather than a disposal, which would then have to be carried out in accordance with stringent procurement regulations.
In any case, you recently instructed my team to look at potential alternatives for planned future disposals, particularly with a view to preserving the heritage of the borough, while also delivering much-needed homes. This work is in progress and I am hoping to report back to you shortly.
Yours sincerely,
Ann Sutcliffe
Service Head, Corporate Property & Capital Delivery
Development & Renewal
This response to an enquiry from the Mayor realises my worst fears about the Local List review proposed in “Our Borough, Our Plan … (see NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2016).
The emerging Local Plan acknowledges the need for measures to improve protection of the Borough’s built heritage and proposes a review of the Local List.
We now know from the 2 March letter to the Mayor that, whilst this proposal may have been made with the best of intentions, the reality is that we are only going to get a review of the fast-disappearing public house in 2016-17.
We also know that, whilst there may be a “process and timetable for local residents…†and others to make formal proposals for the Local List, there is no indication of when that opportunity may be provided. Also that representations by me and others (on behalf of Cheviot House and the workhouse building) will only be considered “once the process and time scale for the Local List review is agreed by cabinetâ€. Please note:
The lack of clarity between “process and timetable for local residents…†and “process and timescale for the Local List review
All the official guidance and National Planning Policy Framework (referred to in my 15 March letter to Mayor John Biggs(see SPECIAL NEWSLETTER MARCH 2016) requires a local planning authority to fully review its Local List as an initial part of its local planning process (as was supposed to take place during the last local plan).
We also know that the Council has absolutely no intention of attaching any more conditions to sale particulars, other than the condition which almost certainly requires specified numbers and types of affordable and social housing for each disposal site. I suspect the affordable and social specifications probably far exceed the capacity of the existing building should it be adapted by a developer for market, affordable and social homes. Consequently, should Cheviot House be sold to a developer, it is more than likely to be demolished and replaced by a much taller block of flats.
Partly because Tower Hamlets has the highest housing target in London and the Council relies on developers to provide so-called “affordable†housing and social housing, our built heritage is endlessly being demolished by high-volume housebuilders and others.
With respect to the last paragraph in the 2 March 2016 letter to Mayor John Biggs, in which we learn that the Mayor has asked for:
“potential alterations to planned future disposals, particularly with a view to presenting the heritage of the borough, while also delivering much-needed homesâ€.
This indicates that an unspecified additional number of council-owned buildings are to be disposed of (without residents’ knowledge or approval). And that Cheviot House and/or the workhouse building are probably going to be sacrificed for the new civic centre (and more homes) but that at some unspecified date in the future, other disposals of heritage buildings may be more carefully handled.
There is not much more I can do, apart from a final plea to all residents and others who care about the built heritage in Tower Hamlets to:
If you have not already done so, please send standard letter about the workhouse building (see SPECIAL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2016)
Write to the Mayor and others (named recipients of the new standard letter about Cheviot House) about the ongoing loss of built heritage in Tower Hamlets (and the fact that practically all the members of the Conservation & Design Advisory Group are new-build architects; and the fact that there are currently only two conservation officers in the placemaking team). Explain why you think the full review of the Local List (and updating of conservation strategy) should take place as soon as possible and as an essential early stage of the new local planning process – see also JANUARY NEWSLETTER 2016 re need for timetable and local listing criteria (send copy EEWG FAO Tom Ridge).
Whilst three national amenity groups and others have supported the campaign, the Mayor, Councillors and officers think that it is just Tom Ridge who wants good historic buildings kept and adapted for new uses. Please do all that you can to save Cheviot House and the workhouse building and help stop the ongoing loss of built heritage in Tower Hamlets.
Write to the Mayor and others (named recipients of the new standard letter about Cheviot House) about the ongoing loss of built heritage in Tower Hamlets (and the fact that practically all the members of the Conservation & Design Advisory Group are new-build architects; and the fact that there are currently only two conservation officers in the placemaking team). Explain why you think the full review of the Local List (and updating of conservation strategy) should take place as soon as possible and as an essential early stage of the new local planning process – see also JANUARY NEWSLETTER 2016 re need for timetable and local listing criteria (send copy EEWG FAO Tom Ridge).
My final plea is to the East End Preservation Society (the only amenity group for the whole of Tower Hamlets) to conduct its own campaign for Cheviot House and the workhouse building; and for the full review of the Local List and updating of conservation strategy to take place as part of the new or current local planning process (2016 - 2017)
