Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Thomas)

Report of Corporate Director (Regeneration)

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Thomas)

The Corporate Director (Regeneration) submitted a report informing Members about the implications of selling Morecambe Town Hall Cottage by auction and to obtain approval to sell the property as detailed in the report. 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

Option 1 - To declare Morecambe Town Hall Cottage surplus to requirements and sell the property by auction.  In addition to authorise the Head of Property Services to set the auction reserve in conjunction with the Auctioneer, to agree to the payment of his fees and to obtain the necessary authority required under the Constitution to enable the relevant officers to proceed with this sale by way of auction.  This would be in accordance with the Council’s approval to dispose of surplus properties.

Option 2 - Sell the property by alternative methods e.g. private treaty.  As similar sales have fallen through in the past, this could not guarantee a disposal.

Option 3 - Not to sell the property.  This would not be accordance with the Council’s approval to dispose of premises which are no longer required for operational purposes and the City Council would be left with recurring management and repair liabilities and costs, including remedial works to eliminate the dry rot from the property.

Option 1 is the Officer preferred option for the reasons outlined above and that the property is declared surplus and approval is given for the disposal of the property by auction and to authorise the relevant officers to complete the sale. 

It was moved by Councillor Thomas and seconded by Councillor Archer:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

By way of amendment, which was accepted as a friendly amendment by Councillor Thomas, Councillor Archer proposed and Councillor Kerr seconded:

“That a covenant be added, stating that the property must only be used for the purposes of a single private dwelling or office.”

Members then voted:-

Resolved:

(8 Members (Councillors Archer, Barry, Blamire, Bryning, Fletcher, Kerr, Langhorn and Thomas) voted in favour and 1 Member (Councillor Mace) abstained)

(1)               That the Council’s interest in Morecambe Town Hall Cottage be declared surplus to requirements.

(2)               That Morecambe Town Hall Cottage be sold at auction.

(3)               That a covenant be added, stating that the property must be used only for the purposes of a single private dwelling or office.

(4)               That the Head of Property Services be authorised to fix the auction reserve in conjunction with the Auctioneer, to agree to the payment of the auctioneers fees and to authorise the relevant officers to complete the sale.

(5)               That the Head of Property Services be authorised to fix the auction reserve in conjunction with the Auctioneer, to agree to the payment of the auctioneers fees and to authorise the relevant officers to complete the sale.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Corporate Director (Regeneration)

Head of Property Services

Reasons for making the decision:

The decision is in accordance with the Council’s Disposal Strategy, approved by Cabinet on 17^th March 2009.