The cabinet will be recommended to approve the ‘Property Disposal Policy’ that has been written to set out the principles and recommended approach for the disposal of council property assets.
The policy sets out steps to be followed to achieve best practice, ensure the maximum benefit of the asset is realised for the council.
The policy states that the council currently owns approximately 1,200 separate non-housing assets, including land parcels. In addition to the above breakdown of buildings this total includes 84 car parks, 29 allotment and smallholding sites, 23 playing fields, two caravan sites, a reservoir and the bed of England’s largest lake.
This includes the Council’s corporate property portfolio that consists of approximately 550 buildings of differing age, function and efficiency. Including Penrith Town Hall and Voreda House as well as Mansion House and Penrith Museum alongside Penrith New Squares development and industrial units in the Penrith area.
Separate to the above portfolio of assets, the council also owns circa 2,500 council Houses and associated Housing Infrastructure, including garage colonies.
The council says it’s ambition is to reduce operational holding costs of surplus properties to as close to zero as possible by planning ahead and completing any external consultation required as early as possible in order that a property can be sold, transferred or redeveloped as soon as it is vacated by a council service and that on occasions the preferable option may be to demolish buildings to increase market value or facilitate an alternative use of a site.
The inclusion of play parks in the disposal of assets policy has raised concerns from some members of the local community about the risk of play areas being sold for housing to help raise money for the new council that has this week been listed as a financial at risk council following the bankruptcy of Birmingham City Council.
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