Date: 19-11-2010
Moat, Mariner House, Galleon Boulevard, Crossways, Dartford, Kent, DA2 6QE

Proposed housing development at surface car park previously reported to Barratt Home in a former housing scheme.
Lord Street, DA12 1AW Gravesham Borough, Gravesend, Kent

Applied by: Eddie Koka & Milton Bessa

Proof of Evidence i
(Estate Management BSc Hons, MRICS)

Summary:
In this proof of evidence I, Hamza Lamrani give my expert advice as a Chartered surveyor and as a professional working for Moat Housing Association on the housing development scheme in Lord Street Gravesend and how the council can benefit from the development by reaching an agreement with the developer about social affordable housing through section 106 of the Town and Planning Act 1990.

1.0 Introduction

2.1 My name is Robert Johson; I am a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Estate Management from the London University of Greenwich.

2.2 After finishing my degree and before working for Moat housing association, I have been working in the housing department for Lewisham Council; this gave me an insight on the significance and importance of social housing within the borough and how the council levies developers to allow a percentage of the development to social and affordable housing, also to apply by the rules of the Section 106 for the benefit of the community and the development of the borough’s infrastructure.

2.3 In my past experience in council work, there has been a strong working link between the council and independent not-for-profit housing association, the latter provides low cost social housing for people in need of housing also run a shared ownership schemes helping people buy property specially first time buyers and people who cannot afford to buy their own homes.

2.4 Moat is one of the top housing association in the UK; working in the south east of England in Kent, Essex and Sussex providing assistance to people who wish to live independently. Moat housing association is owns and manages over 20,000 homes across the south east of the UK: Kent, Essex, Sussex, Herefordshire and South London, with over 500 homes developed every year with the financial surplus are reinvested to provide affordable and services for people in need.

2.0 The Site: Location, Description and History 3.5 The site in Lord Street, Gravesend, DA12 1AW (Appendices 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) was owned by the council used to host a multi-story car park until it’s been demolished in 2005 for the site to host a housing development with planning permission granted by Gravesham borough council to Barratt homes. The site was purchased for £1.5 million and obtained therefore a planning consent to build 108 mixed flats an on-site parking space plus 956m² of retail space. However this planning consent was subject to a legal agreement between Barratt Homes and Gravesham Borough council to deliver the development by 2009. Yet with the unpredicted economic crisis that faced the world, Barratt House lacked the funding to resume the housing scheme in hand which lead to renegotiations with Gravesham Borough Council to re-evaluate the terms of the previous agreement by reducing the percentage of the affordable housing and increase the proportion of one bedroom flats in the development. However, after consideration from the council, they decided to revoke the renegotiation proposition made by Barratt House which inevitably led Barratt House to surrender the site back to Gravesham Borough with the sum of £500,000 of reimbursement.
To this time, the site remains undeveloped but it is now a temporary surface car park awaiting a future development. 3.6 Gravesham Borough Council is ready to enter into negotiation with a new developer, on new terms other than the previous terms between the Gravesham Council and Barratt House due to the current economic calamity and liquidity