Item 11 on the agenda of the last Cabinet meeting recommended the sale of the Conservancy Board building in Rochester High Street to provide further funding for repairs to the Corn Exchange and other priority schemes as funding is unlikely to be found elsewhere.
Whilst selling an historical building in Rochester High Street, can the Leader of the Council explain to the residents of Medway why the Council continues to rent the nearby premises at 95 High Street, Rochester from the Huguenot Museum including details of the annual rental the Council continues to pay this private company (which the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Services is an active director of) and the Council’s long term plans given that this doesn’t sound a very good deal for the tax payer especially as there are already suitable Council owned buildings nearby?
Minutes:
“Item 11 on the agenda of the last Cabinet meeting recommended the sale of the Conservancy Board building in Rochester High Street to provide further funding for repairs to the Corn Exchange and other priority schemes as funding is unlikely to be found elsewhere.
Whilst selling an historical building in Rochester High Street, can the Leader of the Council explain to the residents of Medway why the Council continues to rent the nearby premises at 95 High Street, Rochester from the Huguenot Museum including details of the annual rental the Council continues to pay this private company (which the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Services is an active director of) and the Council’s long term plans given that this doesn’t sound a very good deal for the tax payer especially as there are already suitable Council owned buildings nearby?”
Councillor Jarrett thanked Mr Wood for his question. He stated that the Council had taken a lease from the French Hospital of the ground floor of 95 High Street and the coach dropping off area to the rear, in December 2010. This followed the sale of the building for a substantial capital sum.
The current rent being paid was £62,000 per annum. The lease was for a term of 20 years and was due to expire in 2030, but the Council could end the lease in December 2020 or December 2025.
He stated that Councillor Doe was a Trustee of the Huguenot Museum, which was a separate organisation to the French Hospital. He also stated that he had understood that Councillor Doe had registered that trusteeship appropriately.
He stated that the Council’s property portfolio was kept under regular review by his Cabinet colleague, Councillor Gulvin, as referenced by items 14 and 16 on this meeting’s agenda and other work that he had been doing.
He stated that the original reasons for renting the building that housed the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) included its central and prominent position on the High Street. He believed these benefits had been further enhanced when Network Rail moved its new £26 million station to give easier access to the heart of historic Rochester. The rear entrance to the VIC now sat opposite the Train Station. That allowed visitors who came by Rail to immediately access the centre as they joined the millions of people who visited Medway each year.
That prominence and accessibility of the VIC was supported by footfall numbers of 18,500 a month which made it one of the busiest visitor centres in Kent. Customers could find out about Medway’s substantial festival, sporting and cultural offer or visit the dedicated art gallery space in the heart of historic Rochester.
He stated that the VIC was a nationally accredited centre allowing use of the internationally recognised ‘tourist information’ branding. It had won national and international coach industry awards for its first class facilities and welcome for visitors.
Therefore, he thought that the VIC was a good deal for local tax payers because the building was very visible from both aspects, was accessible and well used and the fact that it supported visitor numbers of 4.6 million people per year, to Medway. Medway benefited from the local economy by £313 million every year and that supported more than 6,000 jobs.
He concluded by stating that the Council would continue to review the tenure of all properties and would if an opportunity arose, strike a better deal for the future.