Bromley Council has approved a £23.7 million investment for housing development on the Poverest Adult Education Centre site and surrounding land. The decision was made at a meeting of the Bromley Council on Monday, July 7, 2025, where councillors reviewed and approved several changes to the Capital Programme.

The Poverest development is set to receive at least £4.5 million in grant funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA), with council officers continuing to pursue additional grant money to ensure the project's sustainability.

In addition to the Poverest housing development, the council also approved:

  • £1.76 million for a new children's home in Wharton Road, Bromley. A map showing the location of the new children's home in Wharton Road, Bromley is available in the Public reports pack.

  • £2.3 million to increase the Leisure Centres capital allocation from £35.523 million to £37.823 million. The additional funding will be sourced through borrowing and includes external grant funding and Section 106 carbon offset funding.

The council also addressed a range of other issues during the meeting, including:

  • Updated Financial Regulations and Financial Regulations for Schools, including a new reference prohibiting the use of cryptocurrency. The General Purposes and Licensing Committee supported the changes with one additional suggestion that there should be a reference prohibiting use of cryptocurrency, which has now been added at paragraph 9.20 of the regulations. The Draft Financial Regulations and Procedures 2025 and Draft Financial Regulations for Schools 2025 were updated accordingly.
  • Updated Contract Procedure Rules, revised to reflect recent changes to the UK Public Procurement Regulations, following consultation with the Constitution Working Group and senior procurement officers.
  • An updated Scheme of Delegation to Officers, clarifying departmental responsibilities and property delegations.
  • The Health and Wellbeing Board's Annual Report for 2024/25.
  • The Local Pension Board's Annual Report for 2024/25.

Motions were also considered, including concerns about proposed changes to inheritance tax and support for the appointment of a Disability Equality Champion for London. Councillor Will Rowlands, seconded by Councillor Adam Grant, proposed a motion expressing concern about proposed changes to inheritance tax that would scrap Agricultural Property Relief (APR). The motion noted that Bromley has the largest area of farmland in Greater London and that the changes could disproportionately impact Bromley residents and farmers. The motion also stated that the lungs of London will be threatened by the forthcoming changes to APR which could result in the sale of farmland for nonagricultural purposes. A petition regarding the Spitfire Centre was deferred for further consideration.