Issue - meetings

Various Property Matters

Meeting: 06/08/2013 - Cabinet (Item 9)

Minutes:

Background:

This report provided details of a number of property matters as follows: disposal of the Hook Meadow Snack Bar in Walderslade Road; acquisition of land in the Horsted Valley; Write-off of a bad debt in respect of Building Four at Chatham Waterfront and; disposal of land adjoining Station Approach, Strood.

The report set out the background and rationale for each of these proposals.

Decision number:	Decision:
132/2013	The Cabinet agreed to declare the Hook Meadow Snack Bar surplus and delegated authority to the Assistant Director, Legal and Corporate Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, to dispose of the Council’s freehold interest for the best consideration reasonably obtainable.
133/2013	The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Assistant Director, Legal and Corporate Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, to purchase the freehold land in Horsted Valley on the best terms reasonably obtainable and to identify a suitable budget to vire the funding from to pay for the purchase and restoration costs.
134/2013	The Cabinet agreed to approve the write-off of the £37,652.91 debt accrued by RAFA, as set out in section 2.5 of the report.
135/2013	The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Assistant Director, Legal and Corporate Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, to either dispose of the freehold of the land adjoining Station Approach to, or conclude a lease with, Network Rail for the best consideration reasonably obtainable.

Reasons:

These decisions will: realise a capital receipt and reduce future revenue costs from the disposal (Hook Meadow Snack Bar); safeguard designated open space land for public use (Land at Horsted Valley) and; enable expansion of the existing Station car parking and realise a capital receipt or create a rental income investment (Station Approach, Strood). With regards to Building Four, Chatham Waterfront, it is not considered practical or equitable to pursue the debt.