Agenda item

The Chair noted that the train station was reaching the final stages.    A post office approved address had already been secured.  The forecast was for construction to be completed in December this year.  The formal opening was being agreed for next year.  The station would generate income, but would be loss making initially.  Although an expensive part of the project it was anticipated that it would help to unlock the regeneration potential across the area.

Members of the Housing and Growth Committee noted that this had been a long and complicated process to get to this point and that it had benefitted from support from cross-party support.  With the opening the Committee agreed that it would be appropriate to reach out to a number of politicians, both past and present, including former Councillors and MPs to be invited to the opening.

Members queried whether the opening of the new train station would have an impact on Cricklewood Station and whether any guarantees had been secured.  They were concerned that in the past different stations, and communities, had been played off against each other.  Officers confirmed that they had received absolutely no suggestions that Cricklewood Station would be impacted.

Officers reported that the final consultation on Clitterhouse Playing Fields was being undertaken.  Members thanked the Officers for their work at the site and gave their support for the planning applications.  However they remained concerned about the level of input afford to residents as this was one of the largest green spaces.  There was also a lack of information around some of the works which were still extant.  Officers reported that a more detailed proposals were due to come to future meetings of the Committee.

During the discussions the Chair agreed to move in to Part II to allow Officers to provide responses to information in the Exempt report.

The meeting then resumed and it was resolved unanimously to agree the recommendations.

RESOLVED that the Housing and Growth Committee:

1.            Note the progress across the Brent Cross programme as detailed in the report; notably on the station works programme and the opening of Claremont Park.

2.            Note the progress on implementation of the station funding strategy as construction neared completion and recommend for approval by Policy & Resources Committee on 29 September 2022, as set out in paragraph 1.21 of the report.

3.            Delegates authority to the Brent Cross Programme Director, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee to finalise and enter into the operational maintenance and lease agreements required to bring the station into use, as set out in Paragraph 1.23 of the report.

4.            Note the approach to lease the former ‘Food for All’ building on Brent Terrace North to Brent Cross South Limited Partnership (BXSLP) as a mean time use, and delegate authority to the Brent Cross Programme Director in consultation with the Chair of the Committee to agree and enter into the required lease agreements to implement this approach, as set out in paragraph 1.44of the report.

5.            Agrees the approach to implementing an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) in the area in the vicinity of the new Station and Claremont Park to address short term needs, while a permanent Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) programme is implemented across the wider area, as set out in paragraph 1.59 of the report.

6.            Delegates authority to the Brent Cross Programme Director to enter into variations to existing (Compulsory Purchase Order) CPO Undertakings and Agreements for CPO 1, 2 and 3 which support the delivery of land for the project agreements to secure arrangements and/or compensation around land required for the scheme, as set out in paragraphs 1.56 to 1.58 of the report.

7.            Note that a revised Business Plan and a second Phase Proposal are expected to be submitted by BXSLP to the Council later this year as set out in paragraph 1.35 of the report.  With an update to the Committee to follow.