DMFD276 - Part 1 - Bounds Green Disposal

1.1.    Report LFC-25-071 to the London Fire Commissioner (LFC) provides a detailed overview of the proposal. This is a summary of that report.
1.2.    This report seeks approval to progress the disposal of surplus land and premises known as 69a Bounds Green Road, London, N22 8DF (Bounds Green). Formerly known as Wood Green Fire Station, the property ceased operational use by LFC in the early 1960s, following the opening of Southgate Fire Station.
1.3.    Bounds Green is jointly owned by the LFC (75 per cent) and the London Borough of Haringey (LBH)  (25 per cent).
1.4.    The property was constructed in the 1930s. It consists of a two-storey brick structure with a small appliance bay area and rooms on the ground floor; an external yard with parking facilities for several vehicles; and a separate garage structure to the rear. The immediate locality is primarily residential, with a Public Transport Accessibility Level of 4 (classified as good).
1.5.    The LFC’s interest is a proportion of the internal ground floor and the external yard, amounting to 75 per cent of the site.
1.6.    The LBH freehold interest is the remaining ground floor (including an externally accessible storeroom and the garage structure situated in the rear yard) amounting to 25 per cent of the site; and a first-floor residential flat that benefits from self-contained access. The flat was leased by the Greater London Council, and sold under the ‘Right to Buy’ scheme in 1985 on a long-leasehold basis with 86 years remaining. The flat is currently occupied and let to a residential tenant. 
1.7.    The most recent use of the site, aside from the leasehold residential property, has been to support the London Ambulance Service (LAS). Until December 2020 the premises was leased by the LFC and LBH to the LAS for use as an ambulance station. After a short vacant period, the site continued to support LAS (still under a commercial licence) until it was again vacated in December 2023.
 

Disposal approach
2.1.    As the LFC is the majority freeholder, agreement has been reached that the LFC will lead on the disposal process. The LFC will be supported by its property solicitor and appointed estate professional services providers, Sanderson Weatherall. The interests of LBH in respect of sale will be scrutinised and assured by its appointed consultants Carter Jonas, and further supported by LBH-appointed solicitors. All fees and disbursements incurred in the disposal process will be shared between the LFC and LBH on the same apportionment basis of 75/25 per cent freehold ownership, and deducted from the capital receipt achieved.  
2.2.    Sanderson Weatherall has advised the LFC on marketing options and produced a marketing report for both LFC and LBH to support the marketing strategy.
2.3.    Bounds Green forms a small parcel of land; as such, it has limited development potential. The most likely achievable change of use would be in respect of a small residential development of no more than ten units, or a commercial use. There is little demand for other prospective uses (such as offices) in the immediate locality. Due to the limited size of the land and buildings, the site does not lend itself to industrial uses. The uncertainty of obtaining planning consent for a change of use, and a cost-benefit analysis outcome, have deemed this process unviable to take forward.
2.4.    In addition, any successful developer/purchaser would be required to either fully relocate or temporarily rehouse the sitting residential tenant before undertaking any feasible development scheme. The LFC has therefore agreed with LBH that, to ensure the development opportunity is attractive to developers and investors, overage will not be sought, and a clawback/anti-embarrassment clause will be limited to five years.
Disposal options
2.5.    The following four options were assessed to inform the recommended disposal strategy:
•    LFC’s portion of the property only is marketed for sale in the open market.
•    The entire site is marketed for sale on an unconditional basis, as is (with first-floor residential tenant in situ), by way of private treaty in the open market, jointly with LBH.
•    The entire site is marketed for sale on a conditional basis, as is (with first-floor residential tenant in situ), by way of private treaty in the open market, jointly with LBH.
•    The property is sold via auction (assumed as an entire site, jointly with LBH): the entire site is marketed for sale as is (with first-floor residential tenant in situ), by way of auction, jointly with LBH.
2.6.    The recommended disposal option agreed by both freehold parties is the second option (the entire site is marketed for sale on an unconditional basis, as is, jointly with LBH). This route will satisfy both the LFC and LBH legal requirement to obtain best consideration on disposal of its assets as required by Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972. In the circumstances where a disposal is not achieved via an open market route, it is proposed that the LFC and LBH adopt the last option (the property is sold via auction) as a contingency plan. 
2.7.    Current planning policy requires that any residential developments, on public-sector land, of more than ten residential units must include at least 50 per cent affordable housing. It is a Mayoral aim to address London’s housing challenges by leveraging public land for the benefit of London’s diverse communities and essential workers in need of affordable housing. This includes land owned by central government departments, local authorities and other public bodies including the LFC.  
2.8.    LBH local planning policy also states that affordable housing must be provided on residential redevelopment sites creating 10 or more units, to contribute to a borough wide target of 40 per cent. Bounds Green has previously been subject to a speculative pre-planning application process in 2017, which proposed a small development consisting of nine residential units (for which the 50 per cent affordable housing criteria would not apply). Any current assessment of planning in respect of this site would ensure mayoral and local updated planning policy is optimised in support of London’s housing challenges, subject to viability.
2.9.    Subject to approval, the marketing of Bounds Green is planned to commence in September 2025 with completion expected in 2026, subject to the optimal offer being unconditional on planning. 

3.1.    The LFC and the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service (the Deputy Mayor) are required to have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010) when taking decisions. This, in broad terms, involves understanding the potential impact of policy and decisions on different people, taking this into account and then evidencing how decisions were reached.
3.2.    It is important to note that consideration of the Public Sector Equality Duty is not a one-off task. The duty must be fulfilled before taking a decision, at the time of taking a decision, and after the decision has been taken.
3.3.    The protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership (but only in respect of the requirements to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination), race (ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, and sexual orientation.
3.4.    The Public Sector Equality Duty requires decision-takers in the exercise of all their functions, to have due regard to the need to:
•    eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other prohibited conduct
•    advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it
•    foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
3.5.    Having due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it involves having due regard to the need to:
•    remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by persons who share a relevant protected characteristic where those disadvantages are connected to that characteristic
•    take steps to meet the needs of persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that are different from the needs of persons who do not share it
•    encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to participate in public life or in any other activity in which participation by such persons is disproportionately low.
3.6.    The steps involved in meeting the needs of disabled persons that are different from the needs of persons who are not disabled include, in particular, steps to take account of disabled persons’ disabilities.
3.7.    Having due regard to the need to foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to:
•    tackle prejudice
•    promote understanding.
3.8.    An Equality Impact Assessment has been undertaken which has determined that the proposed disposal of Bounds Green is ‘low risk’.
 

4.1.    Bounds Green ceased use as a fire station in the 1960s. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) workforce is not impacted.
4.2.    LFB has no plan or requirement to reoccupy or bring this building back into use. The LFB Estate Strategy 2024-29, which included a property impact assessment on LFB service delivery strategies supporting the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), confirms Bounds Green as surplus to requirements and planned for joint freehold disposal. The LAS and the Metropolitan Police have no strategy to acquire additional buildings in support of their service delivery needs.
4.3.    This planned disposal has also been shared with relevant GLA forums as part of prioritising uses for public land.
Conflicts of interest
4.4.    There are no conflicts of interest to declare from those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision.
 

5.1.    This report recommends that the surplus land and premises jointly owned by the LFC and LBH be made available for sale by way of an open marketing campaign, for the amounts set out in the Part 2 report. The LFC will receive 75 per cent of sale proceeds, with LBH receiving the remaining 25 per cent. Costs of sales payable by LFC and LBH will also be split 75/25. It is expected that the sale will complete in Q1 of the 2026-27 financial year.
5.2.    The site has ceased to be of operational use by the LFC since the 1960s. It is not currently generating income for the LFC. However, the LFC does currently incur some minor costs relating to the site, which it will no longer incur after the sale.
5.3.    The LFC and LBH have jointly agreed to proceed with the sale of the whole site. Since the LFC and LBH own different parts of the site, if the LFC is to proceed with selling its own portion, any sale will be much less attractive to prospective buyers. A sale is more likely while a joint agreement exists.
 

6.1.    The LFC’s General Counsel’s Department has confirmed the following.
6.2.    Under section 9 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017, the LFC is established as a corporation sole with the Mayor appointing the occupant of that office. Under section 327D of the GLA Act 1999, as amended by the Policing and Crime Act 2017, the Mayor may issue to the LFC specific or general directions as to the manner in which the holder of that office is to exercise his or her functions.
6.3.    By direction dated 1 April 2018, the Mayor set out those matters, for which the LFC would require the prior approval of either the Mayor or the Deputy Mayor.
6.4.    Paragraph (a) of Part 2 of the said direction requires the LFC to seek the prior approval of the Deputy Mayor before a decision is taken for the “acquisition or disposal of any freehold interest or leasehold interest in land”.