WEST LONDON ONE PUBLIC ESTATE (OPE) - PROGRAMME UPDATE: JUNE 2020

WEST LONDON ONE PUBLIC ESTATE (OPE)
PROGRAMME UPDATE: JUNE 2020

This report provides a short, informal update on the current West
London OPE portfolio of projects. For queries specific to the West
London portfolio, please contact Rachel Ormerod, WLA Head of
Housing: OrmerodR@ealing.gov.uk
Or for more details on the OPE Programme, please visit the
website: https://www.local.gov.uk/topics/housing-planning-
and-homelessness/one-public-estate

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Hounslow Cavalry Barracks (Hounslow)

All studies have now been concluded and grant funding fully spent, although the project remains live. The MOD have not yet publically announced the
preferred bidder but have confirmed that the offer is not conditional on planning. The COVID-19 lockdown does mean that the relocation of the current
staff due this summer has been delayed to reduce non-essential movement. As result the actual disposal will now be delayed 12 months to ensure the
relocation enables the move to occur within summer holidays to minimise the impact on the schooling of service families which is army policy. It is not
known at this stage if this will have any impact on the timescales of the outputs and it may not have any impact, so they have not been reforecast at this
point.

MOD Feltham (Hounslow)

The project is on track. All surveys have now been completed and all grant monies spent but the project remains live. Although the main site will not be
decanted and disposed of until 2023, part of the site will potentially be sold earlier to enable an extension to the local school (Reach Academy). Commercial
discussions are underway and believed to be close to conclusion. However, terms of the exact proposal are still confidential between Reach Academy and
the MOD as the proposed construction. The results of the listed building survey were presented to Historic England in January. The follow up meeting
planned for June is likely to be delayed. Given the timescales involved it’s not assumed a coronavirus impact on this project benefits and outputs.

Hounslow East (Hounslow)

Currently a minimum of 720 residential units is what is proposed in the site allocations but TfL have indicated a higher quantum will be needed for viability.
Consultation on the site allocation plan was due to start on the 30th July and end on 24th September. Senior meetings have taken place to resolve issue and
a common ground statement has been produced. The site allocation has been amended to reflect the reduced size of a replacement bus garage, but the
exact residential allocation is confidential until the site allocations is formally published. In the last return the project team did believe the timetable can be
recovered and the lost time made up without affecting the final delivery time frame. This was however, before the coronavirus restrictions came into place
and therefore as a precaution, the milestones for the next 6 months have been adjusted.

White City (Hammersmith and Fulham)

The purchase of the former Health centre has now been completed which has generated a central government capital receipt of £5m. That is £4m greater
than originally forecast. The borough is now undertaking remedial work to make the building suitable for meanwhile uses while the overall scheme is
worked up. The purchase was only possible due to the priority given to the project by virtue of it being an OPE project and the support and pressure
exerted on both sides to conclude a deal. The next stage was to begin public consultation on the overall estate design. Architects have been appointed but
that work is now on hold due to the coronavirus and can only be reforecast when the lockdown period end is known.

Triangle Site/Car Giant (Hammersmith and Fulham)

Due to the Planning Inspectors decision that the scheme could not be included in the site allocation and the CPO option is closed the Board agreed that
project is being closed for the time being. Car Giant could proceed with their own scheme in which case the work on values and titles would be relevant
again.

Harrow Civic Centre (Harrow)

Procurement was underway for Harrow Strategic Development Partner (SDP) to deliver projects on Peel House car park, current civic centre (Poets’ Corner),
and Byron Quarter. 3 potential bidders have been selected to go to the next stage. The council decided to pause the partner selection procurement for up
to 3 months depending on the progress of the lockdown, but it’s understood that this has now been restarted. The council is using the original £10k
allocation for the project to help move the Harrow Clinical Commissioning Group into the current civic centre. This will mean they become part of the
function that is transferred to the new building rather than waiting until the new building is ready. This will deliver one of the goals of the original project.
The milestones have been adjusted to take account of the coronavirus impact so far but only when the duration of the lockdown is known can a proper
reschedule of the milestones take place.

Belmont Centre (Harrow)

The project had been paused due to the issue of viability and the access to capital for primary care refurbishment in the NHS estate. LB Harrow had made
an offer to provide a loan to move the project forward. Following a series of meetings there is now a funding proposal and the council was about to brief
GL Hearne to restart the viability exercise so a more solid figure can be achieved on the shortfall to enable a decision to be made. However, this has been
delayed by the coronavirus. The outputs and outcomes have not been changed as they were reforecast with a considerable optimism bias applied and
cannot be reforecast until the next stage of decision is made.

Blue Lights (WLA whole area)

The model for identifying and examining blue existing base clusters has not only been achieved for West London but expanded so it covers the whole of the
Greater London area. This means OPE project potential now exists in North, South and East London. A pilot assessment has been undertaken at Wembley
where the close proximity of fire, police and ambulance services has shown the potential of a collaborative approach on a bi or tri service basis. Even if
Wembley cannot be taken forward there are other clusters the team will be actively investigating.

Project Risks:

    1. Changes in senior staff - Both the lead officer in the metropolitan police and their property advisors Knight Frank have left in this period and new
       leads will need to be inducted and briefed on the project.

    2. The abstraction of staff due to covid 19 will take the focus off the project in those organisations until the future arrangements and lockdown are
       clearer.

    3. To fully complete the modelling, full access to the ambulance service database and the service active participation is desirable.

    4. The planned expansion of police numbers is affecting their planned disposal strategy as they need bases for police officers and potentially space for
       additional custody facilities. However, the COVID-19 response has required close working relationships between the three services in way not
       previously required which may lead to recognition of the benefits of combined delivery points.

FUTURE PROGRAMME

  •   The OPE office has been exploring the potential should there be a further round of OPE funding or the gap funding programme (the Land Release
      Fund). People are currently only being asked to put forward outline concepts and there is no certainty there will be any further funding.

  •   Ealing has put forward potential projects around the redevelopment of the Limes NHS residential site and the Acton Health centre/Michael Flanders
      Centre.
  •   Hammersmith and Fulham have put forward a feasibility around the relocation of west London mortuary and coroner’s office at Bagley’s Lane, a
      feasibility around Earls Court school and health facilities and the redevelopment of two tower blocks that need to be demolished.

  •   Hounslow have put forward the redevelopment/reconfiguration of the West Middlesex Hospital

  •   Harrow are interested in gap funding around the civic centre and are exploring other sites.

  •   The NHS have also looking at potential in some adjacent boroughs in Hillingdon, RBKC and Westminster.