Westmorland and Furness Cabinet will be asked to approve a list of surplus assets for disposal to support the council’s financial sustainability at its December meeting.
Westmorland and Furness Council is faced with millions in budget funding shortfalls its has emerged that could see cuts to services and non essential projects. The disposal of assets could help Westmorland and Furness council plug some of its financial issues and reduce costs on maintenance of any assets the council dispose of. The council assets are however seen by many as vital assets in communities across the council district including many here in Penrith.
Other Councils across the country facing financial funding gaps in recent years have also opted to dispose of assets including play parks for housing development and building to be converted into hotels, flats and shops.
Westmorland and Furness council owns approximately 1,200 separate non-housing assets, including land parcels. In addition to 559 buildings the council owns 84 car parks, 29 allotment and smallholding sites, 23 playing fields, two caravan sites, a reservoir and the bed of England’s largest lake (Windermere).
The list of 559 building Westmorland and Furness Council owns includes:
Arts and entertainment 4
Business centres 4
Children's & family centres 12
Children's homes 3 Community centres and hubs 12
Crematorium 1
Day centres 11
Depots 16 Elderly persons homes 9
Family group homes 7
Heritage assets 22
Hostels 2
Household waste recycling centres (HWRC) 8
Hydrotherapy pools 1
Industrial and workshop units 76
Kennels 1
Leisure centres 11 Libraries 19
Market halls 3
Miscellaneous structures 34
Museums 3
Offices (Operational) 15
Offices (Leased out) 18
Public conveniences 45
Rehabilitation centres 1
Respite care facilities 4
Retail units 40
Schools 147
School houses 8
Sheltered housing schemes 1
Storage facilities 4
Surplus buildings 15
Tourist information centres 2
Separate to these, Westmorland and Furness council also owns circa 2,500 council Houses and associated Housing Infrastructure, including garage blocks.
The assets were all handed over in April to Westmorland and Furness Council when the former District councils and Cumbria County Council were scrapped as part of local government reorganisation.
In Penrith the council assets include Castle Park, Penrith Cemetery, Voreda House, Penrith Town Hall, Mansion House, New Squares, Penrith Museum and Tourist information Centre along with a number of play parks across Penrith, Penrith Leisure Centre, Carparks plus other land and buildings including educational and industrial.
The council owned properties earmarked for the disposal list will be published shortly before the councils December cabinet meeting scheduled for the 12th December.
It’s understood among the disposal list of the councils Penrith properties will be Mansion House the former Eden Council had previously agreed to the disposal of in 2021 as part of the councils Voreda House plans.
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