Agenda item

Councillor Roger Ramsey, Cabinet Member for Value, introduced the report

On 26 October 2011, Cabinet approved a report on the future provision of community halls within the borough. The report approved the demolition of the Old Windmill Hall and called for a further report on the option of disposing of the site and the adjoining land. The report considered the option of disposal and reviewed other possible uses for the site.

Subject to the disposal option being adopted, the report also set out some practical issues arising from the proposed sale of the land and identifies the relevant decisions and processes required to deal with such issues.

            Reasons for the decision:

The majority of the site was no longer in use for operational purposes and the adjacent car park was now longer required to meet the parking needs of users of the Old Windmill Hall. It was considered important that Council assets were used as efficiently as possible and to maximise their contribution to services whether this be directly or by the creation of a capital receipt.

In the circumstances, it was necessary for the future use of the site to be considered and for a strategy to be identified.

Other options considered:

The other options considered for the future use of this site were set out above in the main body of the report.

A view was expressed that the disposal of the site was disappointing given its prominent location in the heart of Upminster, and the value of the site given the character of its surroundings.

Cabinet:

1.         Confirmed that the Old Windmill Hall site and adjacent car park (as shown edged red on the attached plan) be declared surplus and authorised the disposal of the freehold interest in the site.

2.         Authorised the commencement of the statutory process to appropriate from open space and then dispose of the land coloured blue on plan sps1294/1 Rev A.

3.         Authorised the appropriation of the land shown coloured green on plan sps1294/1 Rev A from the curtilage of the Old Windmill Hall to open space use subject to the removal from open space use of the land shown coloured blue.

4.         Authorised the appropriation of the disposal site (edged red on plan sps1294/1 Rev A) for planning purposes.

5.         Authorised the Property Strategy Manager, in consultation with the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal & Democratic Services) to undertake all appropriation processes and for the Cabinet Member for Value to consider any objections received and whether to confirm the appropriations.

6.         Authorised the Property Strategy Manager, in consultation with the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal & Democratic Services) to deal with all matters arising from this decision and to complete the disposal. This includes completion of the statutory process for the appropriation of open space and the appropriation for planning purposes in the event of there being no representations on these issues.