TfL Ref: 2252-1617

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 15 February 2017 asking for information about Northwood Futures.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require.

1. The total TfL have spent to-date on this application including the original budget
   
   

    

   
   
   

   In order to develop and submit our Northwood application we needed to undertake a number of surveys and procure specialist technical support such as architects and planning advisors. To date, we have spent a total of £1.119m on the Northwood planning application. This expenditure is from our Commercial Development programme budget which is allocated to developing projects which deliver long term income, housing and transport improvements. We remain committed to the delivery of a high quality scheme on this site and the work carried out so far will be crucial in shaping this future development.

   
   
   

    

   
   
   
2. The total Northwood Futures have been paid
   
   

    

   
   
   

   Northwood Futures is not a company, it was the name given to the local community engagement initiative. The initiative aimed to involve the local community in shaping the future of Green Lane and Station Approach in Northwood. The total sum spent on community engagement was £121,000.

   
   
   

    

   
   
   

1. Will Northwood Futures continue to be employed on any further application and if so how much will they be paid.
   
   

    

   
   
   

   As stated above, Northwood Futures was the name given to the local community engagement initiative and is not a company.

   
   
   

    

   
   
   

1. Any future budget amounts planned for a new application

1. What return was TfL anticipating from this investment and from any further planning application

In accordance with the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply information on our future budget for a new planning application or our anticipated return from this investment as this is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 43(2) as this information would be likely to prejudice our commercial interests and could impact on our ability to deliver best value from contracts with suppliers.

Any redevelopment of our land at Northwood would need to provide a combination of affordable homes, local transport improvements and revenues to reinvest in the wider transport network. Our projected return on any redevelopment of our land at Northwood is commercially sensitive and to provide this would again be likely to prejudice our commercial interests and could impact on our ability to deliver best value from contracts with suppliers.

The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognizse the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, particularly where the expenditure of public money is concerned, but in this instance the public interest in ensuring that we are able to obtain the best value for public money outweighs the general public interest in increasing transparency of our processes.

If this is not the information you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London