Agenda item

The Assistant Director, Property Services submitted a report concerning a proposal to declare a number of properties within the Council’s commercial property investment portfolio surplus to requirements and seeking the Committee’s comments before the Cabinet was recommended to dispose of them.  The Committee had no objection to the disposal of the three public houses, the restaurant and the driving test centre.  With regard to the local shops in Long Furlong Drive and Minster Way, Members had serious concerns about the potential loss of these local facilities, particularly in the case of Minster Way as the shop provided a very valuable facility to the local community.  Following discussion, it was suggested that, rather than simply disposing of the freehold of the shops, they should be disposed of on a long lease so that the Council continued to have a measure of control on their future use.  The Officer undertook to look into this possibility, whilst noting that this would have an effect on the disposal value.

With regard to the three properties in Windsor Road, Members expressed the view that this was a prime location and, if all three properties were sold together as a development site, the Council may achieve a higher value rather than by selling them in a piecemeal fashion.  The Officer undertook to revisit the options in respect of these properties and submitted a report back through the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Resolved -   That the report be noted and that the views of the Committee on the proposals be passed to the Cabinet.